Scowling Dragon
2013-03-10, 04:35 AM
This is just a bit of a brainstorm (Just Raw Ideas) of what I would do to create 3e as I would like to have it:
A: No ability score scaling. What determines the ability score is the actual monster and/or size bonuses.
Im VERY tired of mindless brutal demons that are Smarter then mages that study for years.
If an ability score is especially high, its accounted for in monster difficulty.
B: Add an armor score, and replace AC with Reflex.
This is the standard complaint of how armor doesn't work like armor and makes no sense in combination with DR. Make sure the damage in the game done is structured around the idea of having armor and such.
Reflex is already essentially dodging, and since reflex naturally scales with Level, then there is no need for buying tons of magical AC boosters. The base score can be a static 10 for Bow and arrow attacks and rays, but can be required to roll for saves to keep the spirit of rolling saves intact.
C: Since we have made everything scale naturally, we can then illiminate boring spells like "Attack booster #1242". There can be a few of them, but be sure that they don't stack (Or minimally stack), and boring items like "AC booster/ Score booster #272".
D: Monster Core, Overhaul. Take a page from 4e and structure core monster stuff (Like Saves and BAB and Hit dice) based on what the monster DOES rather then all based on type.
You can have Undead that are fantastic warriors, or Outsiders that have Horrid BAB because they are built around spell-casting.
E: Monster Abilities Overhaul.
This partially requires a bit of perma fluff inbuilt into the core system so that too minimize monster disparencies.
Ramble inside:
You like sending Undead's against your characters. But since they are immune to essentially everything they become a bore for just the cleric to turn.
My idea is really thinking about the fluff behind the Undeads, Constructs, and Elementals and living beings.
I suggest we view that instead of living beings are Positive and Undead are negative we should work that EVERY creature is powered by a sort of energy:
Material Plane Creatures are powered by positive energy, Elementals are powered by their element, and constructs are powered by animating magics.
Thus they are healed by their element, and damaged by the others. Their opposite element especially so.
Every moving creature, is powered at least a bit by its "Soul". Its soul is essentially a renewable capsule of their energy type. It provides them at least in part, their energy.
When a person dies, the Capsule leaves for greener pastures.
The Negative energy plane however, doesn't have any natural creatures evolving from it.
Its process involves using the bodies of dead stuff, and replacing the capsule functions.
This process isn't perfect, and usually once a body starts rotting, it will loose motor functions like an Ordinary person. Negative energy is quite powerful, so it can replace allot of internal organs. But only a certain amount depending on the power of the capsule.
What this means is that undeads can still be exhausted, tired, and have Ability score damage. However it looses its Int and Wis Scores. And simply counts them as very low.
However, up the Power of the capsule, and it starts replacing more and more functions of the body, until its essentially just a Skeleton.
Now we have the Skeleton. A more powerful version of the Zombie. Its almost completely powered by its Capsule, and its Charisma score (In this thing representing its life force). It STILL can be tired but its ability to be tired is tied to its negative energy capsule.
Thus if you can drain energy from the capsule, you can exhaust the undeads.
Undeads like Liches just use even more powerful capsules and are simply more difficult to tire. And would still have their Int and Wis scores but in order to damage them, you have use spells that targets the capsule in specifically as its using the capsule to store its mind and stuff. A creature always has a copy of its mind in its original capsule, however it usually can't use its capsules copy to pilot its body.
What essentially my ramble means is that allow for monster differences, but don't clump them together. A monster begins with the weakest versions of its abilities. And if stated otherwise, adjust the monster CR accordingly.
Allowing for level 1 Undead, Construct, and Other stuff like that characters, and with leveling up allow for gradual empowerment. Or it can be given early on and counts as a big power boost.
F: Make the Secondary Advancement work properly. Feats where supposed to be the second way you could advance your character in power. They where poorly structured and imbalanced.
Take a page out of Legends and have the secondary advancement to allow for tracks. The more tracks it has the more powerful it is. Allowing for multi-classing and allowing for easier balancing.
So you could be a Fully Undead Fighter. Or a Fighter who is Alive yet fights much better. Or a Half Fighter half mage.
G: Go back to "Attacks per Round" Instead of -5 per every attack. Make it work the same way for Creatures with natural attacks.
I giggle every time I imagine Dragons breakdancing as they attack like 7 times in 3 seconds. with every part of their body.
H: This would require some work: Adding a stunt system for martial characters.
Now this may sound weird but I think this would require some sort of puzzle/ Card game.
When I think about when I play Magic the Gathering and pull off a very cool combo, its the same type of feeling I get when I pull off a combo in Batman Arkham asylum.
If made properly and structured around tactical movement and moves combined with attacks could have the same level of satisfaction in defense and counterattacks.
A: No ability score scaling. What determines the ability score is the actual monster and/or size bonuses.
Im VERY tired of mindless brutal demons that are Smarter then mages that study for years.
If an ability score is especially high, its accounted for in monster difficulty.
B: Add an armor score, and replace AC with Reflex.
This is the standard complaint of how armor doesn't work like armor and makes no sense in combination with DR. Make sure the damage in the game done is structured around the idea of having armor and such.
Reflex is already essentially dodging, and since reflex naturally scales with Level, then there is no need for buying tons of magical AC boosters. The base score can be a static 10 for Bow and arrow attacks and rays, but can be required to roll for saves to keep the spirit of rolling saves intact.
C: Since we have made everything scale naturally, we can then illiminate boring spells like "Attack booster #1242". There can be a few of them, but be sure that they don't stack (Or minimally stack), and boring items like "AC booster/ Score booster #272".
D: Monster Core, Overhaul. Take a page from 4e and structure core monster stuff (Like Saves and BAB and Hit dice) based on what the monster DOES rather then all based on type.
You can have Undead that are fantastic warriors, or Outsiders that have Horrid BAB because they are built around spell-casting.
E: Monster Abilities Overhaul.
This partially requires a bit of perma fluff inbuilt into the core system so that too minimize monster disparencies.
Ramble inside:
You like sending Undead's against your characters. But since they are immune to essentially everything they become a bore for just the cleric to turn.
My idea is really thinking about the fluff behind the Undeads, Constructs, and Elementals and living beings.
I suggest we view that instead of living beings are Positive and Undead are negative we should work that EVERY creature is powered by a sort of energy:
Material Plane Creatures are powered by positive energy, Elementals are powered by their element, and constructs are powered by animating magics.
Thus they are healed by their element, and damaged by the others. Their opposite element especially so.
Every moving creature, is powered at least a bit by its "Soul". Its soul is essentially a renewable capsule of their energy type. It provides them at least in part, their energy.
When a person dies, the Capsule leaves for greener pastures.
The Negative energy plane however, doesn't have any natural creatures evolving from it.
Its process involves using the bodies of dead stuff, and replacing the capsule functions.
This process isn't perfect, and usually once a body starts rotting, it will loose motor functions like an Ordinary person. Negative energy is quite powerful, so it can replace allot of internal organs. But only a certain amount depending on the power of the capsule.
What this means is that undeads can still be exhausted, tired, and have Ability score damage. However it looses its Int and Wis Scores. And simply counts them as very low.
However, up the Power of the capsule, and it starts replacing more and more functions of the body, until its essentially just a Skeleton.
Now we have the Skeleton. A more powerful version of the Zombie. Its almost completely powered by its Capsule, and its Charisma score (In this thing representing its life force). It STILL can be tired but its ability to be tired is tied to its negative energy capsule.
Thus if you can drain energy from the capsule, you can exhaust the undeads.
Undeads like Liches just use even more powerful capsules and are simply more difficult to tire. And would still have their Int and Wis scores but in order to damage them, you have use spells that targets the capsule in specifically as its using the capsule to store its mind and stuff. A creature always has a copy of its mind in its original capsule, however it usually can't use its capsules copy to pilot its body.
What essentially my ramble means is that allow for monster differences, but don't clump them together. A monster begins with the weakest versions of its abilities. And if stated otherwise, adjust the monster CR accordingly.
Allowing for level 1 Undead, Construct, and Other stuff like that characters, and with leveling up allow for gradual empowerment. Or it can be given early on and counts as a big power boost.
F: Make the Secondary Advancement work properly. Feats where supposed to be the second way you could advance your character in power. They where poorly structured and imbalanced.
Take a page out of Legends and have the secondary advancement to allow for tracks. The more tracks it has the more powerful it is. Allowing for multi-classing and allowing for easier balancing.
So you could be a Fully Undead Fighter. Or a Fighter who is Alive yet fights much better. Or a Half Fighter half mage.
G: Go back to "Attacks per Round" Instead of -5 per every attack. Make it work the same way for Creatures with natural attacks.
I giggle every time I imagine Dragons breakdancing as they attack like 7 times in 3 seconds. with every part of their body.
H: This would require some work: Adding a stunt system for martial characters.
Now this may sound weird but I think this would require some sort of puzzle/ Card game.
When I think about when I play Magic the Gathering and pull off a very cool combo, its the same type of feeling I get when I pull off a combo in Batman Arkham asylum.
If made properly and structured around tactical movement and moves combined with attacks could have the same level of satisfaction in defense and counterattacks.