Choosing a boon [3.5]

[hymer]

I was not sure whether to put this here or in homebrew, but most of it is actually pretty standard 3.5, so I ended up here. I'd like to hear any thought people may have on the subject.
I propose to give the players a choice of a boon for their PC, and they can choose between the following:

Point Buy 36 (as opposed to 28)
Reduce ECL by 1 (gestalt costs two) – may not reduce to less than HD
Be a sejdkoger (special ability)
Be a runescribe (special ability)
Gain Rerolls: 1+(1/5lvl, round down)

The sejdkoger knows how to brew special potions. These sejd-potions may be made with spells of levels 0 to 3 (0-level counting a ½ a level for these purposes), and a number of spell levels equal to the sejdkoger’s level may have potency at any one time. If this limit is crossed, all the sejd-koger’s sejd-potions lose their potency immediately, save the one that broke the limit.
The sejdkoger chooses one spell per character level as recipes known. 2nd level spells become available at level 4, and 3rd level spells at level 6. Spells may be chosen from the druid, cleric or sorcerer/wizard spell lists. The caster level of these potions is equal to the sejdkoger’s level.
Each potion then contains the effect of one recipe, just as normal potions. The price of brewing these potions is 10gp per spell level. Vials for the potions are also needed, but can generally be recycled, and any special cost from material components, etc. must also be met. The process takes an hour per spell level. To perform sejdkogning, you must have access to a decently sized pot and a cooking fire, and generally the same circumstances as those required to brew normal potions.
If a caster stat is called for, use wisdom for cleric and druid spells, and either intelligence or charisma (whichever is higher) for sorcerer/wizard spells.
Sejdkogers also have the Healing skill with ranks equal to their level (keyed off wisdom). You may put additional skill points in the skill if you choose, but only up to the normal maximum of 3+level (whether or not you have Healing as a class skill).


Runescribes learn their first rune at level 2. At levels 5, 7, 10, 13, 14, 17 and 19 they learn a new rune. Scribing a rune on an item costs 100gp and takes 8 hours. You can only have one rune of any single kind active at any time, and the latest scribed takes precedent. So if you inscribe a rune on a friend’s shield, he gains the bonus. If later you inscribe the rune one on your own shield, only the rune on your own shield functions from then and until you scribe a new rune. But you may have multiple kinds of runes active at any one time.
Runes behave like permanent magic items for dispelling purposes (using the scribe’s level as caster level if called for). They must be inscribed on an item, and function for the wearer when that item is worn in its magic item slot (bracers on wrists, helm on head, etc.).
Runescribes also have the skill Profession (Runescribe) with ranks equal to their level. The skill keys off wisdom. It is useful for various ceremonies of religious or other cultural significance, and as such can be used to make money with, as standard for the Profession skill. You may put additional skill points in the skill if you choose, but only up to the normal maximum of 3+level (whether or not you have Profession as a class skill).
If more than one rune is inscribed on any one item, only the latest rune functions, with the exception of Elder Runes, which function alongside a normal rune scribed by the same scribe. Items take no damage from having runes scribed or rescribed on them.


Armour Rune
Prerequisite: none
Grants DR depending on the scriber’s actual BAB from levels. 1-5 it’s 1/-. 6-10 it’s 2/-. 11-15 it’s 3/-. 16+ it’s 4/-. Faint abjuration.

Bracer Rune
Prerequisite: none
Grants +1 to-hit with ranged attacks. Faint divination.

Elder Shield Rune
Prerequisite: Shield Rune
Shield bonus counts towards touch AC. +2 bonus to Reflex saves. Faint abjuration.

Elder Weapon Rune
Prerequisite: Weapon Rune
The weapon gains +3 to damage. +2 bonus to Fortitude saves. Faint transmutation.

Helm Rune
Prerequisite: none
+2 bonus to Will saves. Faint abjuration.

Glove/gauntlet rune
Prerequisite: none
Grants +1 to-hit with melee attacks. Faint divination.

Shield Rune
Prerequisite: none
Choose a type of energy when you scribe. The rune grants resistance to that type of energy equal to the scriber’s level. Faint abjuration.

Weapon Rune
Prerequisite: none
Ignore 5 points of DR of any kind, except uncuttable. Faint transmutation.



Rerolls are available per session. They can be used to reroll your attack rolls, saving throws, damage rolls, skill checks, ability checks, and any other purely personal roll the DM allows in the situation. The new roll replaces the old, even if it’s worse. You are allowed to reroll a reroll as long as you have enough rerolls to do so. The DM may decide to reveal the DC of any roll if he wants to, but is under no obligation to do so.
A reroll may also be expended to avoid death. If the character gets reduced to -10 or less hp, he may expend a reroll to instead be stable at -9 hp. Spells and effects that kill without causing damage may at the DMs discretion kill instantly or be subject to this ability and so leave the character stable at -9 hp.

[docnessuno]

Point Buy: Looks fine
ECL reduction: Looks fine for gestalt and/or if you don't allow LA buyback
Rerolls: I'd switch them to X/day, and make them less level dependant (a reroll has pretty much the same value regardless of level). Something like 2/day + 1/day every 10 levels, or even 3/day fixed.
Runescribes: It's not entirely clear if you are allowed a rune of each kind or a single rune. In the first case the feature is quite strong, in the second case a bit underwhelming. Also some runes are quite underwhelming compared to others.
Sejdkogers: Wait, seriosuly? At level 10 i can craft a potion that will grant me Shield, Barkskin, Haste, Invisibility, True strike and bull's strenght? I hope i misread it, otherwise it's really too strong.

[hymer]

Thanks for the quick reply!
You guessed right, we don't use LA buyback. We usually don't play with LA, save for with gestalt characters.
You have a definite point on rerolls, though I think we'll keep them as 'per session'.
I'll try to make runescribing and sejdkogning clearer. It's indeed supposed to be so you can have multiple runes at one time, but only one of each kind. And you're supposed to be able to create all those potions individually, so each potion only does one of those things.

I'll look into the wording now.
Edit: Hopefully that's a bit clearer. I'm worried that sejdkogning is underpowered at higher levels. So maybe I should allow them to add together two recipes at some point, so they can buff quickly?

Second edit: I used to let amount of rerolls be mostly dictated by alignment: Evil 1, neutral 2, good 3. It seemed nice and heroic, but one player was worried it might make people play a good character when they preferred to be evil.

[docnessuno]

Thanks for the quick reply!
You guessed right, we don't use LA buyback. We usually don't play with LA, save for with gestalt characters.
You have a definite point on rerolls, though I think we'll keep them as 'per session'.
I'll try to make runescribing and sejdkogning clearer. It's indeed supposed to be so you can have multiple runes at one time, but only one of each kind. And you're supposed to be able to create all those potions individually, but each potion only does one of those things.

I'll look into the wording now.

In that case:
Sejdkoger : Looks fine, it's a vastly improved version of brew potions but shouldn't break things too much.
Runescribe:Probably deserves a nerf, and some runes should be tweaked. Not that it's breaking anything but you are giving a lvl20 character the equivalent of 8-10 feats (many of them are "weak" feats, but still...). Also i don't really like tying a feature to the scribe BaB.
I took for granted you can scribe runes on magic items, if not the feature goes back to "very weak"

[docnessuno]

Proposed Runescribes fix (it might still be a bit too strong, but should work better than it did before):

A Runescribe starts with 2 basic runes known and with the ability to have 1 rune active.
At every even level (2, 4, 6, etc.) He has the choice between learning a new rune, provided he meets the prerequisites, of being able to sustain one additional active rune.
Runes can be inscribed on any item of the appropriate slot. A single item can hold only 1 rune.
Inscribing a rune requires a DC 15 Profession (Runescribe) check, 1 hour and 100 gp.
Inscribing a greater rune requires a DC 25 Profession (Runescribe) check, 2 hours and 400 gp.
If inscribing a rune would take the runescribe above the limit of active runes, one of his runes (his choice) permanently becomes nonfunctional.

Runes:
Learning a greater rune requires the base version.

Head:
Helm, base: +1 to Will saving throws.
Helm, greater: +2 to will saving throws and +1 to all knowledge checks.

Feet:
Boots, base: +1 to Reflex saving throws.
Boots, greater: +2 to Reflex saving throws and +5ft to land speed.

Waist:
Belt, base: +1 to Fortitude saving throws.
Belt, greater: +2 to Fortitude saving throws and the benefit of the Diehard feat.

Body:
Armor, base: DR 2/-, stacking with any DR of the same type
Armor, greater: +1 armor bonus and DR 4/-, stacking with any DR of the same type.

Weapons:
Weapon, base: The weapon ignores up to 2 points of damage reduction (3 for 2h weapons).
Weapon, greater: +1 to attack rolls with the weapon and the weapon ignores up to 4 points of damage reduction (6 for 2h weapons).

Shields:
Shield, base: Energy resistance 2 to all energy types.
Shield, greater: Add the shield bonus to touch AC, energy resistance 4 to all energy types.

Note: Adding "bracer" and "glove" runes would fit the theme, but ran out of ideas.

Overall:
A lvl 20 runescribe could, for example, know 4 greater runes (8 runes total) and have one of each active (for maximum self buffing), or know 2 greater runes (4 runes total) but distributing them on the party (with 3 people having both greater runes active and 1 guy having only one).

[hymer]

Thank you again, you are indeed most helpful (and right about where you can scribe runes)!
Your opinions and suggestions are most appreciated. :smallsmile: