Avianmosquito
2012-10-10, 07:20 AM
This thread is intended for reference and review for a play by post I'm planning on starting up. The setting information can be found here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=14032576). The ruleset is very loosely based on D&D 3.5e, so other than what's noted, assume it follows those rules. Also, there's a lot here and it's unlikely to perform anything like D&D normally does. If you can make it all the way through this wall of text without skimming, I'll be most impressed.
I have this for two purposes. As a reference, and to clear up my indicision on one matter: vitality.
Basic system changes:
The system is based on D&D rules in a modern setting, heavily modified for greater realism. For instance, modifiers start at 0 rather than 10. So six strength is +3 rather than -2. Checks are no longer automatically failed with a natural 1 or succeeded with a natural 20.
Walk, jog and run:
Walking is your basic movement mode. It can be done alongside other actions, except for those that obviously require you to remain stationary. Walking while taking other actions gives you a -2 on that action. Jogging functions like all movement in 3.5 did, down to the letter. Running also functions like it used to in 3.5, again down to the letter.
Health:
Your hit dice are dependent on your creature type, but the number of hit dice you get is equal to your constitution modifier. All hit dice are maximised. Size then multiplies or divides this value to determine your health from hit dice. After this, your health is increased by your constitution score. You also receive an extra hit die at level 20 and every 20 thereafter.
Health regenerates at an extremely slow rate, with an amount equal to your constitution modifier returning every day. You may rest to speed the process, healing just as much for every eight hours rested.
Nonlethal damage:
Nonlethal is inflicted by all damage types other than positive, negative and of course bleed when vitality is expended instead of conventional health damage. Nonlethal damage is basically regular damage except that you do not die if it surpasses your remaining health, although you do still suffer shock penalties. This means that enough nonlethal can still be lethal, if it drives you low enough for automatic health loss and remains long enough for that to reach fatal levels.
Bleed:
Bleed is health damage inflicted over time. This is dependent on the kind of damage that triggers it, and is flagged as such. For instance, slashing and piercing damage inflict ten points of bleed for each point of damage over ten minutes. Most energy damage inflicts one point for each point of damage over the same ten minute period.
Shock:
As health falls, you suffer penalties. For every 10% of your health lost, you incur a rapidly mounting series of penalties. These eventually result in serious shock than can kill you by itself, even if the wound can’t.
< 100%, no penalty.
< 90%, -1 initiative, attack, damage, AC, move rate, all saves and skill checks.
< 80%, -2
< 70%, -3, cannot run or jump
< 60% -4
< 50% -5, automatic unconsciousness for living creatures, cannot jog or swim
< 40%, -6, -1hp/week
< 30% -7, -1hp/day
< 20% -8, -1hp/hour, cannot walk or stand
< 10% -9, -1hp/minute
< 0% -10, -1hp/round, death only if lethal damage has you below this threshold
Limb damage:
Each body part has its own health score, bleed multiplier (which applies after all other considerations) a bonus to AC and a list of attributes impacted when damaged. It also has a list of penalties associated with it being low on health. While these vary, the standard eight areas are the torso, head, left and right arms, left and right hands, left and right legs and left and right feet.
The torso has 100% of your health, receives normal health damage and bleed, and damage impacts strength and dexterity. Critical damage also impacts constitution. It inflicts penalties equal to having both arms and both legs crippled when at or below 50% and forces a fortitude save each round (DC 10+1/2 missing health) not to be paralyzed for that round. If at 0%, it inflicts equal penalties to having both arms and both legs destroyed and forces a fortitude save (DC 20+ missing health) not to die instantly every round if living, or be paralyzed until your torso is repaired if non-living.
The arms have health equal to 20% of yours, receives half health damage and bleed, damage impacts strength and dexterity, critical arm damage also impacts attack rolls and damage from conventional weapons, as well as reflex saves. They have an automatic +4 to melee AC and +8 to ranged AC. At 50%, an arm only gets half your strength and dex mods and loses all proficiencies and is unusable at 0%.
Hands have health equal to 5% of yours, receive quarter health damage and bleed, damage impacts strength, dexterity, attack rolls, damage rolls with conventional weapons and reflex saves. Strikes to the hands never crit. +8 melee AC and +16 ranged AC. They inflict the same penalties for poor condition as arms.
The legs have health equal to 40% of yours, also receive half health damage and bleed, damage impacts strength and dexterity, critical damage also impacts armour class and reflex saves. Legs have an automatic +2 to melee AC and +4 to ranged AC. Legs cut your move rate in half and cancel swimming and jumping when one is at 50% or lower, cut move in half again and prevent running when both are at 50% or lower, prevent standing when one hits 0% and prevent jogging when both are at 0. (Crawling is already half speed, so for most people 1.25m/round at this point and no faster move option. You’re basically immobile.)
The feet have health equal to 10% of yours, receive quarter health damage and bleed, damage impacts strength, dexterity, armour class and reflex saves. Strikes to the feet never crit. They have an automatic +4 to melee AC and +8 to ranged AC. They inflict the same penalties for poor condition as legs.
Finally, the head has 60% of your health, receives double health damage, half attribute damage, and impacts dexterity, intelligence, charisma and wisdom, with critical head damage impacting initiative, attack, damage, AC, all saves and checks. Note that health damage multipliers also impact nonlethal and vitality. It has an automatic +6 melee AC and +12 ranged AC. It causes blindness, deafness and silence at 50% (silence actually just prevents speech, people with crippled heads tend to scream) and at 0 kills living entities and paralyses non-living ones unless they make a fortitude save (DC 10+1/2 missing health) every round.
A naga's tail is essentially their legs and feet. The tail wound has the same effects as a tail would, except without any bonus to AC when targeted and with 100% health instead of 40%. At 50%, they lose their ability to swim and at 0% their ability to jog.
Attribute damage:
Attribute damage is based on shot placement. For every so many points (target’s hit dice, after size multiplier) of damage to any given part you receive 1pt damage to one of the attributes impacted. These alternate to assure the damage is spread evenly. Critical damage counts towards this, but also counts towards a separate counter that impacts other attributes that normal damage does not. This damage heals as your limb damage heals, starting with normal damage. If this damage is from an effect instead of physical damage, it heals at a rate equal to your constitution modifier every week.
Vitality:
Vitality is a magical force that instantly heals damage dealt. Your class hit dice are averaged, maximised, multiplied (1+1/10level) and added to your level. When these points are exhausted, you begin to receive nonlethal, limb damage and bleed as normal. Vitality regenerates slowly, at a rate equal to your constitution modifier every hour. You may rest to restore this faster, with twenty minutes of rest restoring your vitality by just as much as an hour without rest.
This is one of the few areas I'm not certain will remain as it is. I might change it so it's equal to the (maximised) hit dice for each class you have, multiplied by your levels in that class, but that would leave you with way too much vitality in proportion to health and I'd need to adjust health to compensate. If you have an opinion one way or the other and a good arguement, I'd love to hear it.
Healing:
Healing magic (positive energy, negative energy if undead) heals nonlethal equal to its value. Healing also cancels out bleed by this same amount and is more effective at stopping bleed from higher bleed damage types. (For instance, it halts 10pts of slashing or piercing bleed for every point of healing done.) If halting bleed does not consume all of healing magic’s energy, the remainder restores health for its full value. If this still does not consume all of its energy, the rest goes into vitality. Healing does not restore limb or attribute damage unless otherwise stated in the spell’s description.
Attributes:
Attributes are the same at their core, but now have limitations. They can only be increased by twice their starting value through levels and twice their starting value through other effects. Their starting value cannot be less than 1/2 your stat average (your stat average is 1/6 of your alloted points) and no more than 1 1/2. Also, the penalty for any reaching 0 is different and they provide bonuses for every 10 points. You cannot apply a template to a character that would bring one of their stats below 0. (To 0 is fine, just not below.)
Attributes and the number 0:
Strength: At 0, paralysis.
Dexterity: At 0, automatic failure of reflex saves and relevent skill checks, inability to hold or use objects, (Can still make unarmed strikes) and inability to cast spells with somatic components.
Constitution: At 0, death if living, automatic failure of fortitude saves and relevant skill checks regardless of creature type.
Intelligence: At 0, automatic failure of all skill checks, cannot gain experience. Cannot cast spells.
Charisma: At 0, inability to communicate in any means, automatic failure of search, spot and listen checks regarding language and communication, automatically fails spells with verbal components.
Wisdom: At 0, automatic failure of will saves. Inability to make decisions or resist orders. Character becomes highly suggestible. (Always as if under the effects of suggestion.)
Attributes and the number 10:
Strength: Brutality, +1 critical damage with conventional melee weapons.
Dexterity: Finesse, +1 critical threat with all weapons.
Constitution: Endurance, +1 natural armour.
Intelligence: Analysis, +25% experience.
Charisma: Beauty, All living things get a -1 on attacks targeting you, all in your creature type get -2, all of your race -4.
Wisdom: Determination, +5vp.
The bonuses for having 10 of any attribute repeat for every 10 past that.
Encumbrance:
Carrying capacity is now ten times your strength, in kilograms. Note that your own mass is counted for this. A heavy load is that or less, a medium load 85% or less, light load at 70% or less and unburdened 50% or less. Any over that and a character is overburdened.
A character under a light load recieves a -2 to attack rolls, AC, move rate, reflex saves and all DEX and STR based skill checks. Under a medium load, a character cannot run or swim, recieves a -4 where they recieved a -2 previously. Under a heavy load, a character cannot jog or jump and recieves a -6. Lastly, when overburdened a character cannot walk or stand and recieves a -8.
Armour class:
Touch AC begins at 0 for melee weapons, 5 for non-conventional ranged weapons and 10 for bows and ranged spells. You also receive your DEX modifier, your size modifier, level modifier and many feat modifiers.
Non-touch AC is touch AC plus shield and armour bonuses.
Armour rating:
Your armour rating, taken from your barrier, energy, deflection, shield, armour and natural armour scores for any targeted part. It increases your AC on that part by its full value, your SR by half its value, provides ADR /bludgeon, sonic and AER (fire, cold, electric, disruption, acid, light) equal to half value and equal amounts of ADR /-- and AER (all). The two ADR and AER effects stack, so weapons that don’t bypass the first ADR or AER are reduced twice and weapons that do only once. Finally, armour boosts fortitude saves for the part covered by a quarter of its value. Armour on the torso, arms and hands aid reflex saves by an eighth of their value. Armour on the head also aids reflex saved and will saves as well, both by one eighth. All these are rounded to the nearest whole.
AoE and Global armour rating:
AoE spells hit your entire body, and thus they ignore your AC and SR as well as being countered by your global armour rating for ADR/AER and fortitude saves. This is equal to (4xnatural+3xtorso+2xlegs+shield +head+1/4arm+1/8hands+1/8boots)/4. If all are the same, it should come to 3x any one of them.
However, AoE spells also damage every limb for an even share of the damage and damage every attribute at once at 1/3 the normal rate.
Spell resistance:
Basically another AC gauntlet for spells. Spell resistance tends to be low, but provides an extra chance for energy damage to be negated, because energy damage is usually touch damage.
Armour penalties:
Armour check:
The AC penalty of shirts is applied to attack rolls and the climb, hide and swim skill checks as well as spell failure (somatic).
Shields no longer have an AC penalty, but require a proficiency, have their own penalty and are counted as weapons. (They can be attacked with and may inflict two-weapon fighting penalties.)
Gloves penalise ranged attacks, escape artist, open lock, slight of hand and apply spell failure (somatic). Bracers penalise melee attacks and escape artist with lower spell failure (somatic).
Gauntlets penalise all attacks, escape artist, open lock and slight of hand. (Gloves cover the hands alone, bracers the arms alone, gauntlets both.)
Pants penalise reflex saves, move rate, balance, move silently and tumble.
Shoes/low boots penalise move rate, move silently and tumble, shin/knee guards penalise move rate, balance and tumble. High boots all of the above.
Small hats penalise listen checks. Masks apply spell failure (verbal). Eyewear spot and search, and ear pieces listen. Helmets can count as several of those at once.
This means casters can actually deck themselves out in armour for their lower body and wear some helmets without spell failure, the only issue is they lack the proficiency. (AC penalties are double without proficiencies, armour caps are halved and armour you are not proficient in counts double towards encumbrance when worn.)
Armour cap:
Armour caps DEX mods to reflex saves (torso) DEX attack mods (hands), STR attack mods (arms), AC mods (legs) and DEX mods to move rate. (boots)
DR and ER:
DR is an effect that subtracts from enemy damage of any type other than energy damage and those listed after the slash. These take all damage from a single attack as a whole, even if it is of multiple different types. However, they still do not count damage of any type that voids them towards the amount they can diffuse. DR and ER also always block higher-bleed damage types first, and weapons that launch multiple simultaneous attacks (shotguns, bows with manyshot) have each shot counted separately. ER subtracts from damage of the type(s) listed in parenthesis, and takes each damage type listed individually.
DR comes in two types: Armour Damage Reduction and Non-Armour Damage Reduction. These both stack and apply to damage, but are impacted separately by penetration. Also, ADR only comes in two forms: DR /bludgeon and DR /--, while NADR comes in /--, /bludgeon, puncture, sonic /slashing, piercing or any of those with /silver. (Which all undead have.)
ER functions in a similar manner, having both AER and NAER. These are functionally identical, except that AER is bypassed by internal damage and impacted by penetration, but NAER is not.
Armour weight:
Light clothing:
Armour 0-3(base 1)
Armour check: 0
Armour cap: 20
Light clothing consists of very thin, light and relatively cool garments such as T-shirts and khakis. It provides negligible protection, and even when magically enhanced it lacks significant defensive capabilities.
Medium clothing:
Armour 0-6(base 2)
Armour check: -1
Armour cap: 16
Medium clothing consists of thicker, heavier and warmer garments such as sweatshirts and jeans. It provides a little protection, but must be of very high quality to be significant and magically enhanced to be useful.
Heavy clothing:
Armour 0-9(base 3)
Armour check: -1
Armour cap: 12
Heavy clothing consists of heavy, thick, hot and durable garments such as leather jackets and pants. They are designed to be protective and are normally worn to prevent injury in hazardous circumstances (such as the jacket and pants mentioned being originally intended to reduce abrasions from pavement in motorcycle crashes) but are generally not tough enough to be considered armour. Also, some extra-light armour falls into this category. (Chainmail, if you made it of aluminium. Thin leather or low-profile Kevlar armour.)
Light armour:
Armour 1-15(base 5)
Armour check: -2
Armour cap: 8
Light armour consists of durable materials with good physical properties designed to stop enemy weapons. Most modern armour is made of materials like Kevlar that are effective against firearms but useless against conventional weapons, and oftentimes has inlaid plates of CFRP. (Extremely light metal works as well.) however you can still find or make more conventional light armour (leather, light chain or extremely light plate, or light lamellar.) if you wish for something that protects better against conventional weapons at the expense of not stopping bullets as well.
Medium armour:
Armour 6-20(base 10)
Armour check: -4
Armour cap: 4
Medium armour is solid, purpose built combat armour designed for military applications and rarely used by civilians or even law enforcement officers. Most such armour consists of thick Kevlar padding and oftentimes inlaid plates of ceramic or lightweight metal. This armour performs extremely well against bullets, but is still poor against conventional weapons, so you might consider more conventional armour. (Chain mail, light plate, lamellar or heavy leather.)
Heavy armour:
Armour 11-25(base 15)
Armour check: -8
Armour cap: 0
Heavy armour is bulky, thick, durable armour that is usually too heavy for combat and more suited to tasks such as bomb defusing. This may be extremely thick padded Kevlar with ceramic, metal or composite inlaid plates or more conventional armour such as plate, banded mail or heavy lamellar. Either way, it’s going to be heavy, restrictive and quite difficult to penetrate.
Damage types:
Each damage type is different, having a different bleed multiplier. This multiplier is applied to damage done and the result is dealt as bleed damage over the next ten minutes. They also have five classifications: fatal, penetrating, touch, systemic and energy. Fatal attacks act as normal, but inflict immediate health damage instead of nonlethal. Penetrating attacks have penetration, which makes them more effective against armour. Touch attacks ignore barrier, energy, shield, armour and natural armour bonuses to AC. Systemic damage is immediate health damage, but does not bleed and does not inflict attribute or limb damage. Energy damage is impacted by spell resistance* and energy resistance. It is still impacted by AC*, but not damage reduction. Finally, there is the “unstoppable” classification, which only applies to force damage and disruption. This classification means this armour ignores DR and ER of all forms, and thus will always deal full damage as long as they hit and are not deflected by spell resistance.
In addition, they all have special effects. These have three factors: power, force and precision. These determine magnitude, duration and save DC, respectively. Power factor is equal to spell level if magic or 1/5 damage if otherwise. Force factor is equal to the attacker’s relevant ability mod if a spell, strength if a conventional weapon, draw if a bow, and 1/10th bludgeon damage if a non-conventional weapon. (Such as a firearm) Precision factor is equal to half the caster level if magic or the attack bonus if non-magic. All saving throws are repeated every round until they succeed or the effect ends.
Slashing:
Bleed x10, fatal attack
Jagged wounds: Extra bleed damage equal to 1d4+1d4*power factor each round for a number of rounds equal to 1+force factor. The save DC is equal to 10+1/2 precision factor.
Piercing:
Bleed x10, penetrating attack
Stuck projectile: If the weapon is a ranged weapon and has more penetration than the target has armour by the target’s size multiplier or less, the projectile is lodged in the target. If the target has vitality, then the projectile's piercing damage skips their vitality and remains until removed (although it does not bleed) at which point it is fully healed at the expense of vitality equal to its damage, and any remaining after vitality is expended remains and begins to bleed. If no vitality is present, nonlethal damage equal to 1+power factor each round until the projectile is removed, and 1+power factor extra bleed each round after for a number of rounds equal to 1+force factor. The save DC is equal to 10+1/2 precision factor. If the weapon has more penetration than the target has armour by more than their size multiplier, the projectile continues onward with its remaining penetration and loses an amount of its attack bonus equal to the non-touch AC of the first target.
Puncturing:
Bleed x5, penetrating attack
Stuck projectile: If the weapon is a ranged weapon and has more penetration than the target has armour by the target’s size multiplier or less, the projectile is lodged in the target. If the target has vitality, then the projectile's puncture damage skips their vitality and remains until removed (although it does not bleed) at which point it is fully healed at the expense of vitality equal to its damage, and any remaining after vitality is expended remains and begins to bleed. If no vitality is present, nonlethal damage equal to 1+power factor each round until the projectile is removed, and 1+power factor extra bleed each round after for a number of rounds equal to 1+force factor. The save DC is equal to 10+1/2 precision factor. If the weapon has more penetration than the target has armour by more than their size multiplier, the projectile continues onward with its remaining penetration and loses an amount of its attack bonus equal to the non-touch AC of the first target.
Bludgeoning:
Bleed x2, touch attack
Momentum: Knockdown and knockback 0.5m/force factor**, unconciousness for headshots, nasua for body shots, inambulatority* for leg shots for a number of rounds equal to 1+power factor. Knockdown uses a reflex save, knockback has no save, is doubled for each size class below medium and halved for each above medium. The fortitude save against unconciousness, nasua or inambulatority and the reflex save against knockdown are DC 10+1/4 precision factor. Knockback can be away from the attacker, or to the left or right.
Force:
Bleed x5, touch attack, fatal attack, energy attack
Shredding: 1+power factor constitution damage per round for a number of rounds equal to 1+force factor. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. If target has no constitution, inflict health damage equal to one of their hit dice (after size adjustment) for every two points of constitution damage that would have been dealt.
Fire:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Ignition: 1d4+1d4*power factor fire damage and 1d2+1d2*power factor splash damage to all objects in two metres per round for a number of rounds equal to half of the force factor. The splash damage counts as a spell with half of each factor and can set fire to those impacted. These then can set fire to other targets in the same manner, and so on. This can get out of control very quickly. DC 10+1/2 precision factor.
Cold:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Contraction: 1+1*power factor damage to every attribute, which remains for a number of rounds equal to the force factor and then wears off at one point from each attribute per round. Save DC 10+1/2 precision factor, and if made before the damage is done cancels it. If made during the duration, the effect begins to wear off immediately and if made while the spell is wearing off the rest of the damage is removed automatically. Does not impact attributes the target does not have, cannot go below 0 in any area. Targets receive all the effect of falling to 0 in any attribute due to this damage, including death if CON hits 0.
Electricity:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Spasms: Slowing, paralysis on crit, 1+power factor dexterity damage, 1+power factor constitution damage on crit, every round for a number of rounds equal to the force factor, the former of which wears off when the duration is over. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. If target has no dexterity or constitution, those parts do not impact them, but still inflict slowing and paralysis unless target is similarly immune.
Light:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Blinding: Blindness for a number of rounds equal to 1+power factor+ force factor. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. Sightless targets are unaffected.
Sonic:
Bleed x2, touch attack
Deafening: Deafness for a number of rounds equal to 1+power factor+ force factor. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. Targets already deaf are unaffected.
Acid:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Burn: Inflicts 1d2+1d2*power factor acid damage per round for a number of rounds equal to the force factor, no save, but it may be impacted by energy resistances. This acid damage does not trigger additional burn.
Disruption:
Systemic, touch attack
Interference: Penalises initiative, attack and damage rolls, AC, all saves and all checks by 1+power factor for a number of rounds equal to the force factor. DC 10+precision factor.
Positive & Negative:
Systemic, touch attack, energy attack
Healing/harming: If the energy heals the target, increase heal rate by 1+power factor for a number of minutes*** equal to the force factor. Harmless. If the energy damages the target, decrease heal rate by 1+power factor for a number of minutes*** equal to the force factor. This may turn the heal rate negative, causing damage at the rate its opposite would heal. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. If the effect does not harm or heal, no effect.
*AoE attacks ignore AC and SR.
**A square is 2m, so you need a force factor of 4 or more to cause 1m or knockback. Remember power attack has no effect on this, and single attack effectively doubles it.
***Unless the caster has the feat “improved healing” and it is positive, or “improved harming” and it is negative. In these instances, the duration becomes hours rather than minutes.
Penetration:
Penetration is an effect that subtracts its full value from a variety effects, including all non-touch AC bonuses (individually), barrier, energy, shield and armour SR, total ADR and NADR and AER, as well as armour bonuses to reflex and fortitude saves for the purposes of a single attack.
For conventional penetrating weapons, this is equal to your strength. For bows, it is equal to the draw length and enhancement bonus of the bow. For non-conventional weapons it is a listed value. In addition to this, all weapons may be enchanted for better penetration, and some feats provide bonuses with certain weapon types. All conventional weapons, even those that are not listed as penetrating, get penetration from their enhancement bonus.
Conventional weapons vs. non-conventional weapons:
As mentioned, firearms and some others (crossbows, missile launchers, and so forth) are inherently different from conventional weapons in that they always have the same power. These are classified as non-conventional ranged weapons. They do recieve most attack modifiers, but not BAB. Instead, they have their own modifier that replaces BAB. They also do not use the standard number of attacks per round unless otherwise noted, instead having a maximum rate of fire and taking a small penalty for every previous round fired. (Generally -1 or -2.) Of course, you don’t have to fire the maximum number. They also do not have damage dice, instead dealing fixed damage.
Other weapons may be melee, but not rely on physical power, or do so very little. (Chainsaws, blowtorches, etcetera)
All conventional, non-blunt melee weapons have twice the damage dice they had in D&D, so a longsword does 2d8 slashing and a war hammer only 1d8. Note that strength modifiers are always bludgeoning and counted separately from primary damage. Power attacks are based off the strength modifier now, and add to the primary damage.
Conventional ranged weapons no longer have random damage, but instead have a draw option. This ranges from the minimum to the maximum values listed for the bow’s damage, and takes half that many of your attacks that round. (Rounded up) This determines penetration and damage. I don’t imagine you’ll be doing anything but full draw.
Enhancement:
Enhancement works differently for the different weapon categories.
Conventional melee:
Every point increases attack, damage and penetration. (Even if the weapon does not normally get penetration.)
Conventional ranged:
Every point increases attack, range increment (2m/point) and maximum draw.
Non-conventional melee:
Every point increases attack and damage.
Non-conventional ranged:
Every point increases attack.
Projectiles:
Every point increases penetration and range increment. (2m/point)
Thrown melee weapons:
Every point increases attack, damage, penetration and range increment. (2m/point)
Critical hits:
Crits are scored as they are in D&D 3.5, including the need to confirm. They multiply the amount of damage, but also the amount required to damage attributes so that attribute damage should be about the same. However, they always add in a third form of attribute damage or another penalty that is treated as attribute damage.
Coup de grace:
Coup de grace rules are different. Now they vary heavily based on what weapon you are using, and even some spells can land them. You may use a coup de grace on any opponent that is unconscious, paralysed, asleep or otherwise helpless. This attack automatically hits. You cannot deliver a coup de grace with a reach, mounted or shoulder-fired weapon. This attack may not be a special attack unless otherwise stated. You will not gain any critical threat bonuses if your weapon cannot crit, and will not gain a critical damage bonus or deal bonus attribute damage if the weapon’s critical multiplier is 1.
1 hand, piercing/puncturing
Length: standard action
Effect: Critical treated as 1-20, x10, targeting the torso, inflicts constitution damage equal to your weapon’s piercing or puncturing damage. Always a power attack, even if you lack the feat.
You hold the target with one hand and ram your weapon through their heart.
2 hand, piercing/puncturing
Length: full-round action
Effect: Critical treated as 1-20, x10, targeting the torso, inflicts constitution damage equal to your weapon’s piercing or puncturing damage. Always a single attack, even if you lack the feat.
You position yourself above the target, set the tip of your weapon over their heart, raise it up and bring it down with full force.
1 hand, slashing
Length: standard action
Effect: Critical threat increased to 1-20, targeting the head. Power attack, even without the feat.
You hold your target’s head still and strike hard into their neck.
2 hand, slashing
Length: full-round action
Effect: Critical threat increased to 1-20, targeting the head. Always a single attack.
You position the target sitting with their head bowed and bring your weapon down on the back of their neck with full force.
1 hand bludgeon
Length: standard action
Effect: Targets the head, inflicts extra dexterity damage equal to bludgeon damage dealt. Always a single attack, cannot crit.
You hold your target by the back of the neck and bring your weapon down on the base of their skull with full force.
2 hand, bludgeon
Length: full-round action
Effect: Targets the head, inflicts extra dexterity damage equal to bludgeon damage dealt. Always a single attack, cannot crit.
You set your target in a sitting position with head bowed and bring your weapon down on their skull with full force.
Don't have ranged weapons done yet. I'll get back to you.
Creature types:
Creature type by effects:
Abberation, animal, celestial, dragon, fey, fiend, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, outsider, vermin: Standard.
Construct, machine:
Immune to nonlethal, take normal health damage instead, does not bleed, no vitality points. Does not take automatic health damage at low HP.
Undead:
Varies from one to another.
Incorporeal:
Immune to nonlethal and takes normal health damage instead, no vitality points.
Plant:
As construct or machine, except that it still takes automatic health damage at low HP unless otherwise noted.
Elemental:
Immune to nonlethal and takes normal health damage instead, does not bleed or take attribute damage.
Creature type hit dice:
Abberation (d10), animal (d8), celestial (d10), dragon (d12), fey (d10), fiend (d10), giant (d10), humanoid (d10), magical beast (d8), monstrous humanoid (d10), outsider (d10), vermin (d6), construct (d20), machine (d20), undead (varies, read templates), incorporeal (also varies, same way undead does), plant (d12), elemental (d10).
Size:
Fine: +16 hide/move silently, +16 AC and Attack, -16 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 20cm, (reach is now the sum of this and weapon length) 1/16 health, 1/16 CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 1/5 natural armour, 1/16 carrying capacity, mass 0.156kg+1/4strength+1/4constitution-1/4dexterity.
Diminutive: +12 hide/move silently, +8 AC and Attack, -12 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 25cm, 1/8 health, 1/8 CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 1/4 natural armour, 1/8 carrying capacity, mass 0.625kg+1/2strength+1/2constitution-1/2dexterity.
Tiny: +8 hide/move silently, +4 AC and Attack, -8 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 33cm, 1/4 health, 1/4 CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 1/3 natural armour, 1/4 carrying capacity, mass 2.5kg+strength+constitution-dexterity.
Small: +4 hide/move silently, +2 AC and Attack, -4 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 50cm, 1/2 health, 1/2 CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 1/2 natural armour, 1/2 carrying capacity, mass 10kg+2xstrength+2xconstitution-2xdexterity.
Medium: Natural reach 1m, mass 40kg+4xstrength+4xconstitution-4xdexterity.
Large: -4 hide/move silently, -2 AC and Attack, +4 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 2m, 2x health, 2x CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 2x natural armour, 2x carrying capacity, mass 160kg+8xstrength+8xconstitution-8xdexterity
Huge: -8 hide/move silently, -4 AC and Attack, +8 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 4m, 4x health, 4x CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue), 3x natural armour, 4x carrying capacity, mass 640kg+16xstrength+16xconstitution-16xdexterity
Gargantuan: -12 hide/move silently, -8 AC and Attack, +12 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 8m, 8x health, 8x CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue), 4x natural armour, 8x carrying capacity, mass 2560kg+16xstrength+16xconstitution-16xdexterity
Colossal: -16 hide/move silently, -16 AC and Attack, +16 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 16m, 16x health, 16x CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue), 5x natural armour, 16x carrying capacity, mass 10240kg+32xstrength+32xconstitution-32xdexterity
Note that dexterity cannot reduce mass below the base value given.
Race, age, sex:
The twelve races in the setting are all somewhat different from their original incarnations. Most have been altered to ensure a level adjustment of 0. There are more age groups now (five in total) and they perform differently. Finally, the sexes are slightly different. The differences are found in the age templates.
I am quite confident in the age and sex templates and not likely to change them. If you want to offer suggestions for revision (NOT “get rid of it entirely”) I will listen to them, but probably not follow them. The races are open for discussion, though.
Please do not flame. I will not respond.
Character grade:
Characters are not all equal and exist in different grades. These only impact their base attributes, lives, experience loss on resurrection and respawn time. People normally start between cretin and champion, with commoner and inferior being the most common. (Commoner 25%, inferior 25%, cretin 20%, superior 15%, hero 10%, champion 5%)
1: (Bug)
12 attribute points, 0 free lives, -5 experience levels on respawn, longest respawn
2: (Pest)
24 attribute points, 0 free lives, -5 experience levels on respawn, longest respawn
3: (Cretin)
36 attribute points, 1 free life, -4 experience levels on respawn, longer respawn
4: (Inferior)
48 attribute points, 1 free life, -4 experience levels on respawn, longer respawn
5: (Commoner)
60 attribute points, 1 free life, -4 experience levels on respawn, longer respawn
6: (Superior)
72 attribute points, 2 free lives, -3 experience levels on respawn, long respawn
7: (Hero)
84 attribute points, 2 free lives, -3 experience levels on respawn, long respawn
8: (Champion)
96 attribute points, 2 free lives, -3 experience levels on respawn, long respawn
9: (Lesser demigod)
108 attribute points, 4 free lives, -2 experience levels on respawn, short respawn
10: (Demigod)
120 attribute points, 4 free lives, -2 experience levels on respawn, short respawn
11: (Greater demigod)
132 attribute points, 4 free lives, -2 experience levels on respawn, short respawn
12: (Lesser deity)
144 attribute points, 8 free lives, -1 experience level on respawn, shorter respawn
13: (Deity)
156 attribute points, 8 free lives, -1 experience level on respawn, shorter respawn
14: (Greater deity)
168 attribute points, 8 free lives, -1 experience level on respawn, shorter respawn
15: (Wandel)
180 attribute points, unlimited lives, no experience loss on respawn, shortest respawn
Death, resurrection and rebirth:
Wandel changed the nature of death due to his distaste for it. Death is not permanent in this setting, although that doesn’t mean death isn’t serious. A being that has been killed loses experience, and if they run out of experience they cannot respawn as normal and must be reborn instead. Time spent dead is normally spent in the realm of Hades or Helheim, or if you earn it Mytikas, (the peak of Olympus, as a guest of the gods) Asgard or Vanaheim. (Valhalla or Folkvangr) Which realm you go to depends on your allegiance and your worth in the eyes of the gods. The common masses are sent to Hades if allied to the Olympians and Helheim if allied to the Aesir or Vanir. Those with the gods’ respect are sent to Mytikas if allied to the Olympians, Asgard if allied to the Aesir and Vanaheim if allied to the Vanir. Those without allegiance are sent to the Olympian location matching them, and invitations to greater realms can be turned down. (For instance, you can turn down a trip to Mytikas and go hang out in Hades instead.) Remember that while you are dead, you are counted as a soul. Souls are different from ghosts, and their templates will be detailed later.
Resurrection vs. rebirth:
A resurrected character comes back to life fairly quickly and is at full health and pristine condition but otherwise unchanged by death. A reborn character comes back to life much slower, is still at full health and pristine condition, but is now a newborn child. Resurrection only costs experience, rebirth costs a life. If you run out of lives, the gods will move you to your home celestial realm where you can earn an extra life or remain a spirit forever. You still get turned into a newborn if you run out of lives.
Respawn time:
Longest:
Resurrection one year, rebirth one decade.
Longer:
Resurrection one month, rebirth one year.
Long:
Resurrection one week, rebirth one month.
Short:
Resurrection one day, rebirth one week.
Shorter:
Resurrection one hour, rebirth one day.
Shortest:
Resurrection one minute, rebirth one hour.
Classes:
The classes are mostly unchanged. They no longer provide BaB, and their normal progression halts at level 20. At level 21 they start again and repeat all repeatable bonuses. This cycle continues on forever, although it's usually best to multiclass when you reach this point because many bonuses are not repeatable and this definitely marks the point of diminishing returns. Still, I see good reason not to stop, such as going to level 100 in rogue to get 50 levels of sneak attack out of it.
Experience, level progression and ascension:
Levels largely work as they did in D&D 3.5, and so does experience except for some small differences. Namely, kill experience is adjusted for your level, earning you 10xp less per level. Kills are normally worth 20x to 500x the creature's level. Quest experience is similarly reduced, earning 100xp less per level. Normally, quests are worth 150x, 200x or 250x the quest's recommended level. The formula is still L*(L-1)*500xp to get to each level.
You get to assign skill points equal to your class bonus plus your intelligence modifier every level. (Level one no longer gets 4x skill points) Maximums are 10+1/2 level for class skills and 5+1/4 level for cross-class skills.
You gain one new attribute point to assign every other level starting at level 2. Attributes may be increased in this manner by up to twice their starting value. (IE: a constitution of 10, after race, age and sex modifiers, may be increased 20 times through levels, and beyond that only by feats.) You gain one new feat to assign every fifth level starting at 5, as well as a 1pt bonus to your BaB. (Classes no longer award BaB, so this is vital.) You gain a +1 to your AC every ten levels. Finally, you ascend one character grade at level 21 and every 20 levels thereafter, but cannot exceed 14 (greater deity). There is no level cap.
Skill changes:
Speak language now requires four points to speak a given language fluently. At one point, you can pick out words and phonemes from a language but not understand them. At two points you can get the gist of what people say, but cannot communicate in the language and cannot get significant detail. At three you can understand the language as long as the other speaker doesn't use uncommon vocabulary and you can speak a language but not fluently. At four, you speak fluently and can understand the language in most circumstances, so unless a particularly ubscure word is pulled out you should be fine. At five, you're a master of the language with nearly unlimited understanding and can figure out unknown words from context.
Diplomacy uses The Giant's system, but with double relationship and risk vs. reward modifiers. As long as The Giant doesn't mind, of course. But I can't imagine a reason why he would.
Barter is present in game, and is a competitive check. Make an offer, a penalty is assigned based on the offer, and the two roll to see if it is accepted. They will counter and so forth until an agreement is met. Only for monetary transactions in areas without fixed prices. (Thrift shops, swap meets, garage sales and so on.) Deal modifiers on sales are -1 for every 1% of value above 10%, and on purchases -1 for every 2% below 1000% value.
Spot and listen are now intelligence based, not wisdom based. They also determine how far you can spot a creature. Your detection range is equal to ten times your total modifier for search, twenty times for listen and forty times for spot. These multipliers are multiplied by the size of the object (1x medium, 1/2x for each smaller, 2x for each larger.)
Alternate forms:
The alternate forms are high-power temporary transformations that may be assumed by individuals granted the power by the gods with the ability to do so. Of course, Wandel can grant any of these. They often obey somewhat different rules, especially in regards to magic, and cannot be used for very long or for very often to prevent them from being your primary weapon and force you to reserve them for bosses.
Celestial form
This form can be granted by the leaders of any pantheon or by Wandel, lasts one minute per level, may be used once per day, and is stronger overall than your basic form. Which form you get depends on your race, and its abilities are determined by racial modifiers and your ability scores. There are five areas where you are rated, which determine your bonuses. These are melee, (strength) ranged, (dexterity) defense, (constitution) divine, (wisdom&charisma) and arcane. (intelligence&charisma) Your racials are 10+racial ability mod. Charisma mods count half for divine and arcane. Remember that these forms get penalised by four points in every attribute if you are not in a celestial realm and a +4 if in your celestial home.
Melee:
Racial+strength mod+1/10 level.
+1/2 melee attack
+1/4 melee damage
+1/8 melee critical threat
+1/16 melee critical damage
Ranged:
Racial+dexterity mod+1/10 level
+1 ranged attack
+1/4 ranged critical threat
+1/16 Ranged critical damage
Defense:
Racial+constitution mod+1/10 level
+1 health and vitality
+1/2 Saves
+1/4 Armour
+1/8 General damage and energy reduction
Arcane:
Racial+intelligence mod+1/2 charisma mod+1/10 level
+10 casting points (You can't cast normally in this form, instead using spell points. These cannot be recharged, but are always at full when you assume the form.)
+1% spell power (The abilities of spells in this form are mostly numeric. This increases that number and their saving throws.)
+1% spell range
+1% spell duration
+1% spell radius
Divine:
Racial+wisdom mod+1/2 charisma mod+1/10 level
+10 casting points (You can't cast normally in this form, instead using spell points. These cannot be recharged, but are always at full when you assume the form.)
+1% spell power (The abilities of spells in this form are mostly numeric. This increases that number and their saving throws.)
+1% spell range
+1% spell duration
+1% spell radius
Greater celestial form:
It's very similar, but recieves twice the impact from the form's bonus feats, triple ability mods and quadruple racial mods. It lasts one minute per level and can only be used once weekly. It can be granted by the leaders of the Olympians, Aesir, Vanir, any of the Alignment gods or Wandel himself.
Divine form:
Divine forms are class-related and granted by greater Aesir, Vanir, any Alignment god or Wandel himself. If you're a multiclass, you get a form for each class that uses that class's level instead of your character level. Since your power in this form and the duration of the form are both based on your class levels, multiclassers lose power in exchange for their flexibility. These forms are extremely powerful, as they take your class features and increase them to deific proportions.
For instance, speedsters in this form can easily achieve run speeds upwards of 1km/round, and if they use their exclusive "boost" ability a properly munchkin-sized speedster can break the sound barrier. It also increases their class's "impact" ability from 2 to 4, which at their speed makes ramming an excellent weapon. (This number divides any collision damage they recieve and multiplies that which they inflict.) These forms all have unique names, such as "essence of chaos" (speedster) or "force of order." (paladin) However, when used most of them make all concepts of subtlety go right out the window by surrounding you with a glowing aura based on your class and leaving a trail behind you. This aura is different in colour from an alignment aura but does not conceal your alignment. This form lasts one round per class level and can be used once daily.
Greater divine form:
Granted only by alignment deities or Wandel himself, this form is basically "divine, squared." Each divine form has a powerful alignment-based aura. This form lasts one round per level and may only be used once weekly. The form is not only impossible to hide because it displays your alignment, it alerts all around to your presence as if they were using a spell to detect you and your aura is extremely visible. The power of the form, however, is to the point where normally insurmountable enemies (like tanks) are relatively easy to dispatch.
I have this for two purposes. As a reference, and to clear up my indicision on one matter: vitality.
Basic system changes:
The system is based on D&D rules in a modern setting, heavily modified for greater realism. For instance, modifiers start at 0 rather than 10. So six strength is +3 rather than -2. Checks are no longer automatically failed with a natural 1 or succeeded with a natural 20.
Walk, jog and run:
Walking is your basic movement mode. It can be done alongside other actions, except for those that obviously require you to remain stationary. Walking while taking other actions gives you a -2 on that action. Jogging functions like all movement in 3.5 did, down to the letter. Running also functions like it used to in 3.5, again down to the letter.
Health:
Your hit dice are dependent on your creature type, but the number of hit dice you get is equal to your constitution modifier. All hit dice are maximised. Size then multiplies or divides this value to determine your health from hit dice. After this, your health is increased by your constitution score. You also receive an extra hit die at level 20 and every 20 thereafter.
Health regenerates at an extremely slow rate, with an amount equal to your constitution modifier returning every day. You may rest to speed the process, healing just as much for every eight hours rested.
Nonlethal damage:
Nonlethal is inflicted by all damage types other than positive, negative and of course bleed when vitality is expended instead of conventional health damage. Nonlethal damage is basically regular damage except that you do not die if it surpasses your remaining health, although you do still suffer shock penalties. This means that enough nonlethal can still be lethal, if it drives you low enough for automatic health loss and remains long enough for that to reach fatal levels.
Bleed:
Bleed is health damage inflicted over time. This is dependent on the kind of damage that triggers it, and is flagged as such. For instance, slashing and piercing damage inflict ten points of bleed for each point of damage over ten minutes. Most energy damage inflicts one point for each point of damage over the same ten minute period.
Shock:
As health falls, you suffer penalties. For every 10% of your health lost, you incur a rapidly mounting series of penalties. These eventually result in serious shock than can kill you by itself, even if the wound can’t.
< 100%, no penalty.
< 90%, -1 initiative, attack, damage, AC, move rate, all saves and skill checks.
< 80%, -2
< 70%, -3, cannot run or jump
< 60% -4
< 50% -5, automatic unconsciousness for living creatures, cannot jog or swim
< 40%, -6, -1hp/week
< 30% -7, -1hp/day
< 20% -8, -1hp/hour, cannot walk or stand
< 10% -9, -1hp/minute
< 0% -10, -1hp/round, death only if lethal damage has you below this threshold
Limb damage:
Each body part has its own health score, bleed multiplier (which applies after all other considerations) a bonus to AC and a list of attributes impacted when damaged. It also has a list of penalties associated with it being low on health. While these vary, the standard eight areas are the torso, head, left and right arms, left and right hands, left and right legs and left and right feet.
The torso has 100% of your health, receives normal health damage and bleed, and damage impacts strength and dexterity. Critical damage also impacts constitution. It inflicts penalties equal to having both arms and both legs crippled when at or below 50% and forces a fortitude save each round (DC 10+1/2 missing health) not to be paralyzed for that round. If at 0%, it inflicts equal penalties to having both arms and both legs destroyed and forces a fortitude save (DC 20+ missing health) not to die instantly every round if living, or be paralyzed until your torso is repaired if non-living.
The arms have health equal to 20% of yours, receives half health damage and bleed, damage impacts strength and dexterity, critical arm damage also impacts attack rolls and damage from conventional weapons, as well as reflex saves. They have an automatic +4 to melee AC and +8 to ranged AC. At 50%, an arm only gets half your strength and dex mods and loses all proficiencies and is unusable at 0%.
Hands have health equal to 5% of yours, receive quarter health damage and bleed, damage impacts strength, dexterity, attack rolls, damage rolls with conventional weapons and reflex saves. Strikes to the hands never crit. +8 melee AC and +16 ranged AC. They inflict the same penalties for poor condition as arms.
The legs have health equal to 40% of yours, also receive half health damage and bleed, damage impacts strength and dexterity, critical damage also impacts armour class and reflex saves. Legs have an automatic +2 to melee AC and +4 to ranged AC. Legs cut your move rate in half and cancel swimming and jumping when one is at 50% or lower, cut move in half again and prevent running when both are at 50% or lower, prevent standing when one hits 0% and prevent jogging when both are at 0. (Crawling is already half speed, so for most people 1.25m/round at this point and no faster move option. You’re basically immobile.)
The feet have health equal to 10% of yours, receive quarter health damage and bleed, damage impacts strength, dexterity, armour class and reflex saves. Strikes to the feet never crit. They have an automatic +4 to melee AC and +8 to ranged AC. They inflict the same penalties for poor condition as legs.
Finally, the head has 60% of your health, receives double health damage, half attribute damage, and impacts dexterity, intelligence, charisma and wisdom, with critical head damage impacting initiative, attack, damage, AC, all saves and checks. Note that health damage multipliers also impact nonlethal and vitality. It has an automatic +6 melee AC and +12 ranged AC. It causes blindness, deafness and silence at 50% (silence actually just prevents speech, people with crippled heads tend to scream) and at 0 kills living entities and paralyses non-living ones unless they make a fortitude save (DC 10+1/2 missing health) every round.
A naga's tail is essentially their legs and feet. The tail wound has the same effects as a tail would, except without any bonus to AC when targeted and with 100% health instead of 40%. At 50%, they lose their ability to swim and at 0% their ability to jog.
Attribute damage:
Attribute damage is based on shot placement. For every so many points (target’s hit dice, after size multiplier) of damage to any given part you receive 1pt damage to one of the attributes impacted. These alternate to assure the damage is spread evenly. Critical damage counts towards this, but also counts towards a separate counter that impacts other attributes that normal damage does not. This damage heals as your limb damage heals, starting with normal damage. If this damage is from an effect instead of physical damage, it heals at a rate equal to your constitution modifier every week.
Vitality:
Vitality is a magical force that instantly heals damage dealt. Your class hit dice are averaged, maximised, multiplied (1+1/10level) and added to your level. When these points are exhausted, you begin to receive nonlethal, limb damage and bleed as normal. Vitality regenerates slowly, at a rate equal to your constitution modifier every hour. You may rest to restore this faster, with twenty minutes of rest restoring your vitality by just as much as an hour without rest.
This is one of the few areas I'm not certain will remain as it is. I might change it so it's equal to the (maximised) hit dice for each class you have, multiplied by your levels in that class, but that would leave you with way too much vitality in proportion to health and I'd need to adjust health to compensate. If you have an opinion one way or the other and a good arguement, I'd love to hear it.
Healing:
Healing magic (positive energy, negative energy if undead) heals nonlethal equal to its value. Healing also cancels out bleed by this same amount and is more effective at stopping bleed from higher bleed damage types. (For instance, it halts 10pts of slashing or piercing bleed for every point of healing done.) If halting bleed does not consume all of healing magic’s energy, the remainder restores health for its full value. If this still does not consume all of its energy, the rest goes into vitality. Healing does not restore limb or attribute damage unless otherwise stated in the spell’s description.
Attributes:
Attributes are the same at their core, but now have limitations. They can only be increased by twice their starting value through levels and twice their starting value through other effects. Their starting value cannot be less than 1/2 your stat average (your stat average is 1/6 of your alloted points) and no more than 1 1/2. Also, the penalty for any reaching 0 is different and they provide bonuses for every 10 points. You cannot apply a template to a character that would bring one of their stats below 0. (To 0 is fine, just not below.)
Attributes and the number 0:
Strength: At 0, paralysis.
Dexterity: At 0, automatic failure of reflex saves and relevent skill checks, inability to hold or use objects, (Can still make unarmed strikes) and inability to cast spells with somatic components.
Constitution: At 0, death if living, automatic failure of fortitude saves and relevant skill checks regardless of creature type.
Intelligence: At 0, automatic failure of all skill checks, cannot gain experience. Cannot cast spells.
Charisma: At 0, inability to communicate in any means, automatic failure of search, spot and listen checks regarding language and communication, automatically fails spells with verbal components.
Wisdom: At 0, automatic failure of will saves. Inability to make decisions or resist orders. Character becomes highly suggestible. (Always as if under the effects of suggestion.)
Attributes and the number 10:
Strength: Brutality, +1 critical damage with conventional melee weapons.
Dexterity: Finesse, +1 critical threat with all weapons.
Constitution: Endurance, +1 natural armour.
Intelligence: Analysis, +25% experience.
Charisma: Beauty, All living things get a -1 on attacks targeting you, all in your creature type get -2, all of your race -4.
Wisdom: Determination, +5vp.
The bonuses for having 10 of any attribute repeat for every 10 past that.
Encumbrance:
Carrying capacity is now ten times your strength, in kilograms. Note that your own mass is counted for this. A heavy load is that or less, a medium load 85% or less, light load at 70% or less and unburdened 50% or less. Any over that and a character is overburdened.
A character under a light load recieves a -2 to attack rolls, AC, move rate, reflex saves and all DEX and STR based skill checks. Under a medium load, a character cannot run or swim, recieves a -4 where they recieved a -2 previously. Under a heavy load, a character cannot jog or jump and recieves a -6. Lastly, when overburdened a character cannot walk or stand and recieves a -8.
Armour class:
Touch AC begins at 0 for melee weapons, 5 for non-conventional ranged weapons and 10 for bows and ranged spells. You also receive your DEX modifier, your size modifier, level modifier and many feat modifiers.
Non-touch AC is touch AC plus shield and armour bonuses.
Armour rating:
Your armour rating, taken from your barrier, energy, deflection, shield, armour and natural armour scores for any targeted part. It increases your AC on that part by its full value, your SR by half its value, provides ADR /bludgeon, sonic and AER (fire, cold, electric, disruption, acid, light) equal to half value and equal amounts of ADR /-- and AER (all). The two ADR and AER effects stack, so weapons that don’t bypass the first ADR or AER are reduced twice and weapons that do only once. Finally, armour boosts fortitude saves for the part covered by a quarter of its value. Armour on the torso, arms and hands aid reflex saves by an eighth of their value. Armour on the head also aids reflex saved and will saves as well, both by one eighth. All these are rounded to the nearest whole.
AoE and Global armour rating:
AoE spells hit your entire body, and thus they ignore your AC and SR as well as being countered by your global armour rating for ADR/AER and fortitude saves. This is equal to (4xnatural+3xtorso+2xlegs+shield +head+1/4arm+1/8hands+1/8boots)/4. If all are the same, it should come to 3x any one of them.
However, AoE spells also damage every limb for an even share of the damage and damage every attribute at once at 1/3 the normal rate.
Spell resistance:
Basically another AC gauntlet for spells. Spell resistance tends to be low, but provides an extra chance for energy damage to be negated, because energy damage is usually touch damage.
Armour penalties:
Armour check:
The AC penalty of shirts is applied to attack rolls and the climb, hide and swim skill checks as well as spell failure (somatic).
Shields no longer have an AC penalty, but require a proficiency, have their own penalty and are counted as weapons. (They can be attacked with and may inflict two-weapon fighting penalties.)
Gloves penalise ranged attacks, escape artist, open lock, slight of hand and apply spell failure (somatic). Bracers penalise melee attacks and escape artist with lower spell failure (somatic).
Gauntlets penalise all attacks, escape artist, open lock and slight of hand. (Gloves cover the hands alone, bracers the arms alone, gauntlets both.)
Pants penalise reflex saves, move rate, balance, move silently and tumble.
Shoes/low boots penalise move rate, move silently and tumble, shin/knee guards penalise move rate, balance and tumble. High boots all of the above.
Small hats penalise listen checks. Masks apply spell failure (verbal). Eyewear spot and search, and ear pieces listen. Helmets can count as several of those at once.
This means casters can actually deck themselves out in armour for their lower body and wear some helmets without spell failure, the only issue is they lack the proficiency. (AC penalties are double without proficiencies, armour caps are halved and armour you are not proficient in counts double towards encumbrance when worn.)
Armour cap:
Armour caps DEX mods to reflex saves (torso) DEX attack mods (hands), STR attack mods (arms), AC mods (legs) and DEX mods to move rate. (boots)
DR and ER:
DR is an effect that subtracts from enemy damage of any type other than energy damage and those listed after the slash. These take all damage from a single attack as a whole, even if it is of multiple different types. However, they still do not count damage of any type that voids them towards the amount they can diffuse. DR and ER also always block higher-bleed damage types first, and weapons that launch multiple simultaneous attacks (shotguns, bows with manyshot) have each shot counted separately. ER subtracts from damage of the type(s) listed in parenthesis, and takes each damage type listed individually.
DR comes in two types: Armour Damage Reduction and Non-Armour Damage Reduction. These both stack and apply to damage, but are impacted separately by penetration. Also, ADR only comes in two forms: DR /bludgeon and DR /--, while NADR comes in /--, /bludgeon, puncture, sonic /slashing, piercing or any of those with /silver. (Which all undead have.)
ER functions in a similar manner, having both AER and NAER. These are functionally identical, except that AER is bypassed by internal damage and impacted by penetration, but NAER is not.
Armour weight:
Light clothing:
Armour 0-3(base 1)
Armour check: 0
Armour cap: 20
Light clothing consists of very thin, light and relatively cool garments such as T-shirts and khakis. It provides negligible protection, and even when magically enhanced it lacks significant defensive capabilities.
Medium clothing:
Armour 0-6(base 2)
Armour check: -1
Armour cap: 16
Medium clothing consists of thicker, heavier and warmer garments such as sweatshirts and jeans. It provides a little protection, but must be of very high quality to be significant and magically enhanced to be useful.
Heavy clothing:
Armour 0-9(base 3)
Armour check: -1
Armour cap: 12
Heavy clothing consists of heavy, thick, hot and durable garments such as leather jackets and pants. They are designed to be protective and are normally worn to prevent injury in hazardous circumstances (such as the jacket and pants mentioned being originally intended to reduce abrasions from pavement in motorcycle crashes) but are generally not tough enough to be considered armour. Also, some extra-light armour falls into this category. (Chainmail, if you made it of aluminium. Thin leather or low-profile Kevlar armour.)
Light armour:
Armour 1-15(base 5)
Armour check: -2
Armour cap: 8
Light armour consists of durable materials with good physical properties designed to stop enemy weapons. Most modern armour is made of materials like Kevlar that are effective against firearms but useless against conventional weapons, and oftentimes has inlaid plates of CFRP. (Extremely light metal works as well.) however you can still find or make more conventional light armour (leather, light chain or extremely light plate, or light lamellar.) if you wish for something that protects better against conventional weapons at the expense of not stopping bullets as well.
Medium armour:
Armour 6-20(base 10)
Armour check: -4
Armour cap: 4
Medium armour is solid, purpose built combat armour designed for military applications and rarely used by civilians or even law enforcement officers. Most such armour consists of thick Kevlar padding and oftentimes inlaid plates of ceramic or lightweight metal. This armour performs extremely well against bullets, but is still poor against conventional weapons, so you might consider more conventional armour. (Chain mail, light plate, lamellar or heavy leather.)
Heavy armour:
Armour 11-25(base 15)
Armour check: -8
Armour cap: 0
Heavy armour is bulky, thick, durable armour that is usually too heavy for combat and more suited to tasks such as bomb defusing. This may be extremely thick padded Kevlar with ceramic, metal or composite inlaid plates or more conventional armour such as plate, banded mail or heavy lamellar. Either way, it’s going to be heavy, restrictive and quite difficult to penetrate.
Damage types:
Each damage type is different, having a different bleed multiplier. This multiplier is applied to damage done and the result is dealt as bleed damage over the next ten minutes. They also have five classifications: fatal, penetrating, touch, systemic and energy. Fatal attacks act as normal, but inflict immediate health damage instead of nonlethal. Penetrating attacks have penetration, which makes them more effective against armour. Touch attacks ignore barrier, energy, shield, armour and natural armour bonuses to AC. Systemic damage is immediate health damage, but does not bleed and does not inflict attribute or limb damage. Energy damage is impacted by spell resistance* and energy resistance. It is still impacted by AC*, but not damage reduction. Finally, there is the “unstoppable” classification, which only applies to force damage and disruption. This classification means this armour ignores DR and ER of all forms, and thus will always deal full damage as long as they hit and are not deflected by spell resistance.
In addition, they all have special effects. These have three factors: power, force and precision. These determine magnitude, duration and save DC, respectively. Power factor is equal to spell level if magic or 1/5 damage if otherwise. Force factor is equal to the attacker’s relevant ability mod if a spell, strength if a conventional weapon, draw if a bow, and 1/10th bludgeon damage if a non-conventional weapon. (Such as a firearm) Precision factor is equal to half the caster level if magic or the attack bonus if non-magic. All saving throws are repeated every round until they succeed or the effect ends.
Slashing:
Bleed x10, fatal attack
Jagged wounds: Extra bleed damage equal to 1d4+1d4*power factor each round for a number of rounds equal to 1+force factor. The save DC is equal to 10+1/2 precision factor.
Piercing:
Bleed x10, penetrating attack
Stuck projectile: If the weapon is a ranged weapon and has more penetration than the target has armour by the target’s size multiplier or less, the projectile is lodged in the target. If the target has vitality, then the projectile's piercing damage skips their vitality and remains until removed (although it does not bleed) at which point it is fully healed at the expense of vitality equal to its damage, and any remaining after vitality is expended remains and begins to bleed. If no vitality is present, nonlethal damage equal to 1+power factor each round until the projectile is removed, and 1+power factor extra bleed each round after for a number of rounds equal to 1+force factor. The save DC is equal to 10+1/2 precision factor. If the weapon has more penetration than the target has armour by more than their size multiplier, the projectile continues onward with its remaining penetration and loses an amount of its attack bonus equal to the non-touch AC of the first target.
Puncturing:
Bleed x5, penetrating attack
Stuck projectile: If the weapon is a ranged weapon and has more penetration than the target has armour by the target’s size multiplier or less, the projectile is lodged in the target. If the target has vitality, then the projectile's puncture damage skips their vitality and remains until removed (although it does not bleed) at which point it is fully healed at the expense of vitality equal to its damage, and any remaining after vitality is expended remains and begins to bleed. If no vitality is present, nonlethal damage equal to 1+power factor each round until the projectile is removed, and 1+power factor extra bleed each round after for a number of rounds equal to 1+force factor. The save DC is equal to 10+1/2 precision factor. If the weapon has more penetration than the target has armour by more than their size multiplier, the projectile continues onward with its remaining penetration and loses an amount of its attack bonus equal to the non-touch AC of the first target.
Bludgeoning:
Bleed x2, touch attack
Momentum: Knockdown and knockback 0.5m/force factor**, unconciousness for headshots, nasua for body shots, inambulatority* for leg shots for a number of rounds equal to 1+power factor. Knockdown uses a reflex save, knockback has no save, is doubled for each size class below medium and halved for each above medium. The fortitude save against unconciousness, nasua or inambulatority and the reflex save against knockdown are DC 10+1/4 precision factor. Knockback can be away from the attacker, or to the left or right.
Force:
Bleed x5, touch attack, fatal attack, energy attack
Shredding: 1+power factor constitution damage per round for a number of rounds equal to 1+force factor. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. If target has no constitution, inflict health damage equal to one of their hit dice (after size adjustment) for every two points of constitution damage that would have been dealt.
Fire:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Ignition: 1d4+1d4*power factor fire damage and 1d2+1d2*power factor splash damage to all objects in two metres per round for a number of rounds equal to half of the force factor. The splash damage counts as a spell with half of each factor and can set fire to those impacted. These then can set fire to other targets in the same manner, and so on. This can get out of control very quickly. DC 10+1/2 precision factor.
Cold:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Contraction: 1+1*power factor damage to every attribute, which remains for a number of rounds equal to the force factor and then wears off at one point from each attribute per round. Save DC 10+1/2 precision factor, and if made before the damage is done cancels it. If made during the duration, the effect begins to wear off immediately and if made while the spell is wearing off the rest of the damage is removed automatically. Does not impact attributes the target does not have, cannot go below 0 in any area. Targets receive all the effect of falling to 0 in any attribute due to this damage, including death if CON hits 0.
Electricity:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Spasms: Slowing, paralysis on crit, 1+power factor dexterity damage, 1+power factor constitution damage on crit, every round for a number of rounds equal to the force factor, the former of which wears off when the duration is over. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. If target has no dexterity or constitution, those parts do not impact them, but still inflict slowing and paralysis unless target is similarly immune.
Light:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Blinding: Blindness for a number of rounds equal to 1+power factor+ force factor. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. Sightless targets are unaffected.
Sonic:
Bleed x2, touch attack
Deafening: Deafness for a number of rounds equal to 1+power factor+ force factor. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. Targets already deaf are unaffected.
Acid:
Bleed x1, touch attack, energy attack
Burn: Inflicts 1d2+1d2*power factor acid damage per round for a number of rounds equal to the force factor, no save, but it may be impacted by energy resistances. This acid damage does not trigger additional burn.
Disruption:
Systemic, touch attack
Interference: Penalises initiative, attack and damage rolls, AC, all saves and all checks by 1+power factor for a number of rounds equal to the force factor. DC 10+precision factor.
Positive & Negative:
Systemic, touch attack, energy attack
Healing/harming: If the energy heals the target, increase heal rate by 1+power factor for a number of minutes*** equal to the force factor. Harmless. If the energy damages the target, decrease heal rate by 1+power factor for a number of minutes*** equal to the force factor. This may turn the heal rate negative, causing damage at the rate its opposite would heal. DC 10+1/2 precision factor. If the effect does not harm or heal, no effect.
*AoE attacks ignore AC and SR.
**A square is 2m, so you need a force factor of 4 or more to cause 1m or knockback. Remember power attack has no effect on this, and single attack effectively doubles it.
***Unless the caster has the feat “improved healing” and it is positive, or “improved harming” and it is negative. In these instances, the duration becomes hours rather than minutes.
Penetration:
Penetration is an effect that subtracts its full value from a variety effects, including all non-touch AC bonuses (individually), barrier, energy, shield and armour SR, total ADR and NADR and AER, as well as armour bonuses to reflex and fortitude saves for the purposes of a single attack.
For conventional penetrating weapons, this is equal to your strength. For bows, it is equal to the draw length and enhancement bonus of the bow. For non-conventional weapons it is a listed value. In addition to this, all weapons may be enchanted for better penetration, and some feats provide bonuses with certain weapon types. All conventional weapons, even those that are not listed as penetrating, get penetration from their enhancement bonus.
Conventional weapons vs. non-conventional weapons:
As mentioned, firearms and some others (crossbows, missile launchers, and so forth) are inherently different from conventional weapons in that they always have the same power. These are classified as non-conventional ranged weapons. They do recieve most attack modifiers, but not BAB. Instead, they have their own modifier that replaces BAB. They also do not use the standard number of attacks per round unless otherwise noted, instead having a maximum rate of fire and taking a small penalty for every previous round fired. (Generally -1 or -2.) Of course, you don’t have to fire the maximum number. They also do not have damage dice, instead dealing fixed damage.
Other weapons may be melee, but not rely on physical power, or do so very little. (Chainsaws, blowtorches, etcetera)
All conventional, non-blunt melee weapons have twice the damage dice they had in D&D, so a longsword does 2d8 slashing and a war hammer only 1d8. Note that strength modifiers are always bludgeoning and counted separately from primary damage. Power attacks are based off the strength modifier now, and add to the primary damage.
Conventional ranged weapons no longer have random damage, but instead have a draw option. This ranges from the minimum to the maximum values listed for the bow’s damage, and takes half that many of your attacks that round. (Rounded up) This determines penetration and damage. I don’t imagine you’ll be doing anything but full draw.
Enhancement:
Enhancement works differently for the different weapon categories.
Conventional melee:
Every point increases attack, damage and penetration. (Even if the weapon does not normally get penetration.)
Conventional ranged:
Every point increases attack, range increment (2m/point) and maximum draw.
Non-conventional melee:
Every point increases attack and damage.
Non-conventional ranged:
Every point increases attack.
Projectiles:
Every point increases penetration and range increment. (2m/point)
Thrown melee weapons:
Every point increases attack, damage, penetration and range increment. (2m/point)
Critical hits:
Crits are scored as they are in D&D 3.5, including the need to confirm. They multiply the amount of damage, but also the amount required to damage attributes so that attribute damage should be about the same. However, they always add in a third form of attribute damage or another penalty that is treated as attribute damage.
Coup de grace:
Coup de grace rules are different. Now they vary heavily based on what weapon you are using, and even some spells can land them. You may use a coup de grace on any opponent that is unconscious, paralysed, asleep or otherwise helpless. This attack automatically hits. You cannot deliver a coup de grace with a reach, mounted or shoulder-fired weapon. This attack may not be a special attack unless otherwise stated. You will not gain any critical threat bonuses if your weapon cannot crit, and will not gain a critical damage bonus or deal bonus attribute damage if the weapon’s critical multiplier is 1.
1 hand, piercing/puncturing
Length: standard action
Effect: Critical treated as 1-20, x10, targeting the torso, inflicts constitution damage equal to your weapon’s piercing or puncturing damage. Always a power attack, even if you lack the feat.
You hold the target with one hand and ram your weapon through their heart.
2 hand, piercing/puncturing
Length: full-round action
Effect: Critical treated as 1-20, x10, targeting the torso, inflicts constitution damage equal to your weapon’s piercing or puncturing damage. Always a single attack, even if you lack the feat.
You position yourself above the target, set the tip of your weapon over their heart, raise it up and bring it down with full force.
1 hand, slashing
Length: standard action
Effect: Critical threat increased to 1-20, targeting the head. Power attack, even without the feat.
You hold your target’s head still and strike hard into their neck.
2 hand, slashing
Length: full-round action
Effect: Critical threat increased to 1-20, targeting the head. Always a single attack.
You position the target sitting with their head bowed and bring your weapon down on the back of their neck with full force.
1 hand bludgeon
Length: standard action
Effect: Targets the head, inflicts extra dexterity damage equal to bludgeon damage dealt. Always a single attack, cannot crit.
You hold your target by the back of the neck and bring your weapon down on the base of their skull with full force.
2 hand, bludgeon
Length: full-round action
Effect: Targets the head, inflicts extra dexterity damage equal to bludgeon damage dealt. Always a single attack, cannot crit.
You set your target in a sitting position with head bowed and bring your weapon down on their skull with full force.
Don't have ranged weapons done yet. I'll get back to you.
Creature types:
Creature type by effects:
Abberation, animal, celestial, dragon, fey, fiend, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, outsider, vermin: Standard.
Construct, machine:
Immune to nonlethal, take normal health damage instead, does not bleed, no vitality points. Does not take automatic health damage at low HP.
Undead:
Varies from one to another.
Incorporeal:
Immune to nonlethal and takes normal health damage instead, no vitality points.
Plant:
As construct or machine, except that it still takes automatic health damage at low HP unless otherwise noted.
Elemental:
Immune to nonlethal and takes normal health damage instead, does not bleed or take attribute damage.
Creature type hit dice:
Abberation (d10), animal (d8), celestial (d10), dragon (d12), fey (d10), fiend (d10), giant (d10), humanoid (d10), magical beast (d8), monstrous humanoid (d10), outsider (d10), vermin (d6), construct (d20), machine (d20), undead (varies, read templates), incorporeal (also varies, same way undead does), plant (d12), elemental (d10).
Size:
Fine: +16 hide/move silently, +16 AC and Attack, -16 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 20cm, (reach is now the sum of this and weapon length) 1/16 health, 1/16 CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 1/5 natural armour, 1/16 carrying capacity, mass 0.156kg+1/4strength+1/4constitution-1/4dexterity.
Diminutive: +12 hide/move silently, +8 AC and Attack, -12 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 25cm, 1/8 health, 1/8 CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 1/4 natural armour, 1/8 carrying capacity, mass 0.625kg+1/2strength+1/2constitution-1/2dexterity.
Tiny: +8 hide/move silently, +4 AC and Attack, -8 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 33cm, 1/4 health, 1/4 CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 1/3 natural armour, 1/4 carrying capacity, mass 2.5kg+strength+constitution-dexterity.
Small: +4 hide/move silently, +2 AC and Attack, -4 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 50cm, 1/2 health, 1/2 CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 1/2 natural armour, 1/2 carrying capacity, mass 10kg+2xstrength+2xconstitution-2xdexterity.
Medium: Natural reach 1m, mass 40kg+4xstrength+4xconstitution-4xdexterity.
Large: -4 hide/move silently, -2 AC and Attack, +4 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 2m, 2x health, 2x CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue) 2x natural armour, 2x carrying capacity, mass 160kg+8xstrength+8xconstitution-8xdexterity
Huge: -8 hide/move silently, -4 AC and Attack, +8 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 4m, 4x health, 4x CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue), 3x natural armour, 4x carrying capacity, mass 640kg+16xstrength+16xconstitution-16xdexterity
Gargantuan: -12 hide/move silently, -8 AC and Attack, +12 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 8m, 8x health, 8x CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue), 4x natural armour, 8x carrying capacity, mass 2560kg+16xstrength+16xconstitution-16xdexterity
Colossal: -16 hide/move silently, -16 AC and Attack, +16 bull rush, grapple, overrun and trip, natural reach 16m, 16x health, 16x CON modifier to fortitude saves (except against fatigue), 5x natural armour, 16x carrying capacity, mass 10240kg+32xstrength+32xconstitution-32xdexterity
Note that dexterity cannot reduce mass below the base value given.
Race, age, sex:
The twelve races in the setting are all somewhat different from their original incarnations. Most have been altered to ensure a level adjustment of 0. There are more age groups now (five in total) and they perform differently. Finally, the sexes are slightly different. The differences are found in the age templates.
I am quite confident in the age and sex templates and not likely to change them. If you want to offer suggestions for revision (NOT “get rid of it entirely”) I will listen to them, but probably not follow them. The races are open for discussion, though.
Please do not flame. I will not respond.
Character grade:
Characters are not all equal and exist in different grades. These only impact their base attributes, lives, experience loss on resurrection and respawn time. People normally start between cretin and champion, with commoner and inferior being the most common. (Commoner 25%, inferior 25%, cretin 20%, superior 15%, hero 10%, champion 5%)
1: (Bug)
12 attribute points, 0 free lives, -5 experience levels on respawn, longest respawn
2: (Pest)
24 attribute points, 0 free lives, -5 experience levels on respawn, longest respawn
3: (Cretin)
36 attribute points, 1 free life, -4 experience levels on respawn, longer respawn
4: (Inferior)
48 attribute points, 1 free life, -4 experience levels on respawn, longer respawn
5: (Commoner)
60 attribute points, 1 free life, -4 experience levels on respawn, longer respawn
6: (Superior)
72 attribute points, 2 free lives, -3 experience levels on respawn, long respawn
7: (Hero)
84 attribute points, 2 free lives, -3 experience levels on respawn, long respawn
8: (Champion)
96 attribute points, 2 free lives, -3 experience levels on respawn, long respawn
9: (Lesser demigod)
108 attribute points, 4 free lives, -2 experience levels on respawn, short respawn
10: (Demigod)
120 attribute points, 4 free lives, -2 experience levels on respawn, short respawn
11: (Greater demigod)
132 attribute points, 4 free lives, -2 experience levels on respawn, short respawn
12: (Lesser deity)
144 attribute points, 8 free lives, -1 experience level on respawn, shorter respawn
13: (Deity)
156 attribute points, 8 free lives, -1 experience level on respawn, shorter respawn
14: (Greater deity)
168 attribute points, 8 free lives, -1 experience level on respawn, shorter respawn
15: (Wandel)
180 attribute points, unlimited lives, no experience loss on respawn, shortest respawn
Death, resurrection and rebirth:
Wandel changed the nature of death due to his distaste for it. Death is not permanent in this setting, although that doesn’t mean death isn’t serious. A being that has been killed loses experience, and if they run out of experience they cannot respawn as normal and must be reborn instead. Time spent dead is normally spent in the realm of Hades or Helheim, or if you earn it Mytikas, (the peak of Olympus, as a guest of the gods) Asgard or Vanaheim. (Valhalla or Folkvangr) Which realm you go to depends on your allegiance and your worth in the eyes of the gods. The common masses are sent to Hades if allied to the Olympians and Helheim if allied to the Aesir or Vanir. Those with the gods’ respect are sent to Mytikas if allied to the Olympians, Asgard if allied to the Aesir and Vanaheim if allied to the Vanir. Those without allegiance are sent to the Olympian location matching them, and invitations to greater realms can be turned down. (For instance, you can turn down a trip to Mytikas and go hang out in Hades instead.) Remember that while you are dead, you are counted as a soul. Souls are different from ghosts, and their templates will be detailed later.
Resurrection vs. rebirth:
A resurrected character comes back to life fairly quickly and is at full health and pristine condition but otherwise unchanged by death. A reborn character comes back to life much slower, is still at full health and pristine condition, but is now a newborn child. Resurrection only costs experience, rebirth costs a life. If you run out of lives, the gods will move you to your home celestial realm where you can earn an extra life or remain a spirit forever. You still get turned into a newborn if you run out of lives.
Respawn time:
Longest:
Resurrection one year, rebirth one decade.
Longer:
Resurrection one month, rebirth one year.
Long:
Resurrection one week, rebirth one month.
Short:
Resurrection one day, rebirth one week.
Shorter:
Resurrection one hour, rebirth one day.
Shortest:
Resurrection one minute, rebirth one hour.
Classes:
The classes are mostly unchanged. They no longer provide BaB, and their normal progression halts at level 20. At level 21 they start again and repeat all repeatable bonuses. This cycle continues on forever, although it's usually best to multiclass when you reach this point because many bonuses are not repeatable and this definitely marks the point of diminishing returns. Still, I see good reason not to stop, such as going to level 100 in rogue to get 50 levels of sneak attack out of it.
Experience, level progression and ascension:
Levels largely work as they did in D&D 3.5, and so does experience except for some small differences. Namely, kill experience is adjusted for your level, earning you 10xp less per level. Kills are normally worth 20x to 500x the creature's level. Quest experience is similarly reduced, earning 100xp less per level. Normally, quests are worth 150x, 200x or 250x the quest's recommended level. The formula is still L*(L-1)*500xp to get to each level.
You get to assign skill points equal to your class bonus plus your intelligence modifier every level. (Level one no longer gets 4x skill points) Maximums are 10+1/2 level for class skills and 5+1/4 level for cross-class skills.
You gain one new attribute point to assign every other level starting at level 2. Attributes may be increased in this manner by up to twice their starting value. (IE: a constitution of 10, after race, age and sex modifiers, may be increased 20 times through levels, and beyond that only by feats.) You gain one new feat to assign every fifth level starting at 5, as well as a 1pt bonus to your BaB. (Classes no longer award BaB, so this is vital.) You gain a +1 to your AC every ten levels. Finally, you ascend one character grade at level 21 and every 20 levels thereafter, but cannot exceed 14 (greater deity). There is no level cap.
Skill changes:
Speak language now requires four points to speak a given language fluently. At one point, you can pick out words and phonemes from a language but not understand them. At two points you can get the gist of what people say, but cannot communicate in the language and cannot get significant detail. At three you can understand the language as long as the other speaker doesn't use uncommon vocabulary and you can speak a language but not fluently. At four, you speak fluently and can understand the language in most circumstances, so unless a particularly ubscure word is pulled out you should be fine. At five, you're a master of the language with nearly unlimited understanding and can figure out unknown words from context.
Diplomacy uses The Giant's system, but with double relationship and risk vs. reward modifiers. As long as The Giant doesn't mind, of course. But I can't imagine a reason why he would.
Barter is present in game, and is a competitive check. Make an offer, a penalty is assigned based on the offer, and the two roll to see if it is accepted. They will counter and so forth until an agreement is met. Only for monetary transactions in areas without fixed prices. (Thrift shops, swap meets, garage sales and so on.) Deal modifiers on sales are -1 for every 1% of value above 10%, and on purchases -1 for every 2% below 1000% value.
Spot and listen are now intelligence based, not wisdom based. They also determine how far you can spot a creature. Your detection range is equal to ten times your total modifier for search, twenty times for listen and forty times for spot. These multipliers are multiplied by the size of the object (1x medium, 1/2x for each smaller, 2x for each larger.)
Alternate forms:
The alternate forms are high-power temporary transformations that may be assumed by individuals granted the power by the gods with the ability to do so. Of course, Wandel can grant any of these. They often obey somewhat different rules, especially in regards to magic, and cannot be used for very long or for very often to prevent them from being your primary weapon and force you to reserve them for bosses.
Celestial form
This form can be granted by the leaders of any pantheon or by Wandel, lasts one minute per level, may be used once per day, and is stronger overall than your basic form. Which form you get depends on your race, and its abilities are determined by racial modifiers and your ability scores. There are five areas where you are rated, which determine your bonuses. These are melee, (strength) ranged, (dexterity) defense, (constitution) divine, (wisdom&charisma) and arcane. (intelligence&charisma) Your racials are 10+racial ability mod. Charisma mods count half for divine and arcane. Remember that these forms get penalised by four points in every attribute if you are not in a celestial realm and a +4 if in your celestial home.
Melee:
Racial+strength mod+1/10 level.
+1/2 melee attack
+1/4 melee damage
+1/8 melee critical threat
+1/16 melee critical damage
Ranged:
Racial+dexterity mod+1/10 level
+1 ranged attack
+1/4 ranged critical threat
+1/16 Ranged critical damage
Defense:
Racial+constitution mod+1/10 level
+1 health and vitality
+1/2 Saves
+1/4 Armour
+1/8 General damage and energy reduction
Arcane:
Racial+intelligence mod+1/2 charisma mod+1/10 level
+10 casting points (You can't cast normally in this form, instead using spell points. These cannot be recharged, but are always at full when you assume the form.)
+1% spell power (The abilities of spells in this form are mostly numeric. This increases that number and their saving throws.)
+1% spell range
+1% spell duration
+1% spell radius
Divine:
Racial+wisdom mod+1/2 charisma mod+1/10 level
+10 casting points (You can't cast normally in this form, instead using spell points. These cannot be recharged, but are always at full when you assume the form.)
+1% spell power (The abilities of spells in this form are mostly numeric. This increases that number and their saving throws.)
+1% spell range
+1% spell duration
+1% spell radius
Greater celestial form:
It's very similar, but recieves twice the impact from the form's bonus feats, triple ability mods and quadruple racial mods. It lasts one minute per level and can only be used once weekly. It can be granted by the leaders of the Olympians, Aesir, Vanir, any of the Alignment gods or Wandel himself.
Divine form:
Divine forms are class-related and granted by greater Aesir, Vanir, any Alignment god or Wandel himself. If you're a multiclass, you get a form for each class that uses that class's level instead of your character level. Since your power in this form and the duration of the form are both based on your class levels, multiclassers lose power in exchange for their flexibility. These forms are extremely powerful, as they take your class features and increase them to deific proportions.
For instance, speedsters in this form can easily achieve run speeds upwards of 1km/round, and if they use their exclusive "boost" ability a properly munchkin-sized speedster can break the sound barrier. It also increases their class's "impact" ability from 2 to 4, which at their speed makes ramming an excellent weapon. (This number divides any collision damage they recieve and multiplies that which they inflict.) These forms all have unique names, such as "essence of chaos" (speedster) or "force of order." (paladin) However, when used most of them make all concepts of subtlety go right out the window by surrounding you with a glowing aura based on your class and leaving a trail behind you. This aura is different in colour from an alignment aura but does not conceal your alignment. This form lasts one round per class level and can be used once daily.
Greater divine form:
Granted only by alignment deities or Wandel himself, this form is basically "divine, squared." Each divine form has a powerful alignment-based aura. This form lasts one round per level and may only be used once weekly. The form is not only impossible to hide because it displays your alignment, it alerts all around to your presence as if they were using a spell to detect you and your aura is extremely visible. The power of the form, however, is to the point where normally insurmountable enemies (like tanks) are relatively easy to dispatch.