[3.5] Survival Horror alternative rules

[Toy Killer]

So, my campaign is survival horror. I was looking through UA and started cherry picking, but I'm not sure if I'm being too relaxed or too strict on the survival part of survival horror game; I've never used any of these before and don't want to needlessly slaughter the party TPK after TPK.

They will be on a time crunch and I can't let them simply rest whenever they deplete their resources, so I focused on things that reduced their need to rest whenever they are low on /day resources.

What I'm looking at right now is:


Vitality/wound points.

Action points

An alternative recharge spell idea, after each encounter a spell-craft check of 15+spell level expended to regain the magic for the next encounter.

After the days start to pass, divine magic will require a concentration check (DC 12 plus 1 per day passed) to cast, putting more emphasis on the heal skill.


We have a Grapple barbarian (Spirit lion, Bear totem), Diplomancer Bard, Cleric of ultra heal/turning, Long Ranged Ranger, and a Sorcerer (speced for firing off fire spells).

[ArcturusV]

These are good, but I'm leery of the spell recharge one myself. DC 15+spell level is nothing, just a couple levels in and your Sorcerer will be easily comfortable taking 10 to regain all his spells. Of course if you ran with a wizard character then from level 1 on he'd have take 10 cruise control, so that's something to think about later on or if you do this with another party/group. Or if your Sorcerer bites it and decides just to go Wizard.

A similar idea I'd throw out there is something like being able to use Magic Scrolls to recharge your magic. Something like a DC 15 + Spell Level + Caster Level check (So it's reasonably hard but not impossible), if you succeed you can add the spell to your prepared/useable spells per day without expending the scroll. Otherwise you can add it but you use up the scroll.

[Gildedragon]

Doesn't sound too hash, though more details on what you intend to put the pcs through would help the assessment. However, the diplomancer bard may not have a chance to shine. Survival horror may not be the best place for a silver tongued scoundrel to ply their trade.

Depending on the level you might want to look at the armor as dr rules (best at low levels)
Taint as expounded in Heroes of Horror is good at all levels if you want to add a "even the environment/your stuff hates you" feel to things, and make clothing choices suddenly important (silk clothes and jade jewlery).

[Psyren]

You also have to worry about classes with unlimited resources/day. Warlocks, Binders, DFAs, Incarnum classes, even ToB - that can do their thing every round, or even every X rounds, fly in the face of survival horror.

[Toy Killer]

I'm sorry they're sixth level, it's an E6 game.

I will admit that the Diplomancer kinda threw a wrench in my game. I knew a cult was going to be involved (And being the only CE in the party >.>) he can gather a bit of info from the cultists easily. Although I did have to adjust the organization level of the Cult so that they simply weren't able to spoil the mystery behind the whole campaign.

The Barbarian was a bit of a loop too. Initially I wanted zombies to be the big bad evil and the players stopping the apocalypse from happening, but with a grappler in the mix, I couldn't just have him wrestle one to death while the party killed everything else. I look at grapplers as a mobile, living 'Hold living thingy' spell, and if all the encounter monsters are alike, there is no reason to hold one in particular. So I had to keep in mind, in combat, I have a ball of sticky glue that needs to be occupied... somehow.

The sorcerer is almost all blasty. His only utility spell (Outside of Minor Wish and other cantrips) is Baleful Transposition. I plan on dropping an occasional scroll here and there for a bit of "Chekov's-gun"-ness.

Cleric has dedicated himself to turning and healing, lord help the party if he ever dies.

The Ranger has a lot of utility behind him, actually. He has the only stealth in the party, many knowledge skills, favorite enemies to two of the biggest subtypes in the game and the only thing he doesn't exceed in skill wise is social needs, which is covered by the bard very thoroughly.