Jeff the Green
2013-05-27, 11:29 PM
As both a DM and a player, I'm pretty okay with discarding most fluff. Warblades, in particular, work just fine as general badassery.
The only thing I'm hesitant to refluff too much are Binders and some prestige classes. Their mechanics are tied tightly to their fluff.
Here are some of the default refluffs I've done for my campaign setting:
Archivists
The larger, more organized religions such as the Mindol Truth or the temples of Mazgka's Children own massive collections of holy writ, tomes of magic and forbidden lore, and powerful artifacts. Archivists are the clergy or laypeople who organize, study, and maintain these collections.
The average archivist spends most of her time in a church's library studying or performing their organizational duties. They also may be asked by more senior members of the church to conduct a specific investigation. For example, to find information on a divine spell or ritual that was lost, or even to use their extensive knowledge of magical principles to design a new one.
Archivists are powerful spellcasters. Their long years of study give them the insight to cast more varied spells than most other casters, but it comes at a steep price. Because they do not have the protection of a patron Wildborn like favored souls or the familiarity with using hallowed elemental energy like clerics, Archivists must take lengthy precautions to avoid backlash. These generally involve activating a number of wards, drawing precise diagrams and magic circles, and meditation to ensure their minds are free of distracting thoughts.
Gameplay Changes
Archivists take longer to cast their spells than other classes (see table x.1 Archivist Casting times) but gain a bonus of +1/level on skill checks to perform incantations. Because of this, archivists are generally inappropriate for player characters.
Archivists may substitute one of the archaic languages (Ancient Gnomish, Old Ammyritic, Old Runic) for one of the bonus languages available to them because of their race.
Table x.1 Archivist Casting Times
{table=head] Original Time | New time
< 1 minute | 1 hour
1 minute - 23 hours| 1 day
≥ 1 day | 1 week
[/table]
Artificers
Centuries ago, Dwarves from the Silver Patriarchy found ways by which certain materials—mostly woods, metals, and gems—could be combined to create channels for raw magical energy without the lengthy precautions Wizards and Clerics must take to prevent backlash and without enlisting the aid of a Wildborn, like Favored Souls and Sorcerers. The Patriarchy, wanting to ensure that none of its enemies gained access to these powerful objects, declared the process of creating magic items without using spells to be a state secret and ordered the creation of the Guild of Artificers.
The guild's mission is twofold. First, teach worthy dwarves the techniques used to make magic items. Second, deal harshly with any artificer who leaves the Patriarchy's territory or teaches its secrets to a non-member. In general, an artificer who violates guild rules is sentenced to a term of imprisonment, though for egregious cases (such as teaching the enemies of the state to create magic items) death is prescribed. The guild has been almost entirely successful in maintaining control over the manufacture of magic items.
Artificers must be dwarves, must reside within the territory of the Silver Patriarchy, and must undergo a lengthy apprenticeship before being alowed to practice their craft. Once they are full members of the Guild of Artificers, they are not permitted to leave dwarf territory without permission granted by the Patriarch himself. In exchange, they receive a substantial stipend from the Silver Patriarchy, in addition to whatever they might make plying their wares.
Gameplay Changes
Because of the restriction on race, travel, and employment, artificers are generally inappropriate for player characters.
Barbarians
Throughout Adem, from cities and castles to swamps and forests, there are warriors who fight not with a soldier's training but with the raw power born of battle-lust. Few actually call themselves barbarians, and some may be perfectly urbane, but all tap into the primal emotions, the adrenaline, the basest of instincts that kept their ancestors alive when they could barely control fire: a street fighter who loses himself in battle is as much a barbarian as a nomad dressed in bear skin. That said, blood rage is more often used by warriors from primitive tribes. Half-orcs and Raptorans in particular frequently count barbarians amongst their ranks.
Gameplay Changes
Because battle rage is so intimately connected to emotion, most barbarians tend toward a chaotic alignment. They are not required to be non-lawful, however; for example, many barbarians hold tribal traditions and taboos in high esteem.
Binders
Normally when a Wildborn dies, it ceases to exist. If they have a soul that survives death, it is incapable of affecting the material world and no power can return them to life. However, when an exceptionally powerful Wildborn dies, its consciousness may leave an imprint on the Elemental Wild. These vestiges are not conscious, and have no goals of their own. A binder or character with the Bind Vestige feat are able to find these imprints and use them to augment her own abilities. The binder is protected from the energy of the Elemental Wild by the vestige and so is not in great danger from the influx of magical energies.
The Silver Patriarchy frequently makes use of binders as "fixers": agents who can be sent into the field to accomplish a mission with little to no contact with superiors. Their versatility allows them to deal with contingencies without requiring outside assistance. When a team of specialists is required, a binder is usually sent as a team leader and to back up the specialist members.
In addition to the dwarves, shamans from a number of primitive tribes and villages worship the vestiges as ancestral or familiar spirits or deities. By binding the vestiges they commune with the god and gain the power to protect their people. These shamans frequently choose to fail the binding checks as a form of obeisance.
Clerics
Members of every race, every culture, have beings they revere, whether they call them ancestors, genii loci, gods, or spirits. They praise them in good times, plead for mercy from them in bad times, and beg favors small and large every day. In the more civilized areas of the world, clerics are responsible for maintaining the people's relationship with their deities. In return for their service, they gain great power in holy places.
Clerics make up the bulk of the higher ranks of clergy in most churches. They serve as managers as well as spiritual counselors and healers. Cloistered clerics, like archivists, often work in the church's libraries or collections to preserve ancient manuscripts, debate and defend doctrine, and advise more senior clergy members.
They do not, as a rule, adventure. Cleric spellcasting is intimately tied to their church's rituals, and so they can only cast within a hallowed area. (Buildings, sacred groves, shrines, etc. can be hallowed via either the hallow spell or a ritual.) Hallowing an area causes the Elemental Wild to become slightly more ordered within its boundaries and allows those familiar with its particular pattern—clerics of the religion that hallowed it—to cast spells without risk of backlash from the magical energies involved.
Gameplay Changes
Clerics are unable to cast spells unless they are within a hallowed area, but gain a bonus of 4+1/level on skill checks to perform an incantation involving a Knowledge (Religion) check or from the Abjuration, Necromancy, or Divination schools. Because of this, clerics are generally inappropriate for player characters.
Dread Necromancers
Necromancy is
Favored Souls
Since clerics are unable to cast their spells outside of a hallowed area, religions require a different class to serve as champions of the faith. Favored souls are usually their first choice.
When a favored soul of a major religion is first called to service, they begin training in martial combat, doctrine, and some magical theory. When they are judged to be ready, the favored soul candidate undergoes a rite that varies depending on their patron church and even order or sect. What is universal to these is that a Wildborn friendly to the church gives a blessing to the candidate that imparts some of its essence. This allows the favored souls to cast spells without worrying about backlash. However, that bit of essence must be reshaped to accomodate each new spell the favored spell wishes to cast, and so they are unable to cast more than a few spells.
Becoming a favored soul of a more minor religion, such as a tribal deity or the genius loci of a city is typically a bit harder. There is usually no organization to train them and no Wildborn who regularly interacts with the worshippers of that deity. Someone who wishes to become a favored soul of one of these deities must train and study on their own and then seek out a Wildborn that has an interest in the preservation of the candidate's religion or the candidate herself.
Favored souls are utterly dependent on the bit of Wildborn essence they carry in them. If they grossly and repeteatedly violate their church's ethical standards, the essence will leave them. The Wildborn the essence came from can also temporarily dampen the essence to hamper the favored soul's casting ability, but cannot remove it entirely.
Gameplay Changes
Favored souls need not be a specific alignment to be a favored soul, though churches and orders will not ordain a favored soul candidate whom they know to have serious philosophical differences with the church.
Favored souls are Beholden to their church. They can cast normally most of the time, but when acting against the orders of a superior in their patron church the Wildborn that gave them their essence dampens it and the favored soul is limited to the spells-per-day of an adept of their caster level. Unless explicitly given other instructions, fighting members of their own religion is considered acting against their superior's orders.
Favored Souls have Knowledge (religion) as a class skill.
Alternative Class Features and Substitution Levels
Domain Access
Level: 3rd
Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain Weapon Focus in your deity's weapon or Weapon Specialization at level 12. In addition, you know one fewer spell known from the highest level you can cast. So, for example, you do not learn a new spell at 3rd-level, and at 4th level you learn a new 1st-level spell and two 2nd-level spells.
Benefit: Choose one cleric domain. If you worship a specific deity, the domain you choose must be one to which your deity grants access. You gain the granted power of the chosen domain, using your favored soul level in place of your cleric level. In addition, you can cast one domain spell of each spell level available to you per day from that domain.
Incarnum Classes
Spells are not the only way to access the energy in the Elemental Wild. The magical energies contained therein can also be shaped by a skilled practitioner the way an artist shapes clay. Cultures around the world have independently discovered this means of gaining magical power and it is probably the most common way of accessing the Elemental Wild.
Amongst the dwarves of the Silver Patriarchy, some degree of proficiency in meldshaping is reasonably common. Perhaps one in ten soldiers knows at least one soulmeld and half of those are incarnates or soulborn. Amongst the civilian population about five percent of the populace knows at least one soulmeld, typically one that helps in their profession.
Members of other races and dwarves that were raised outside of the Patriarchy are somewhat less likely to be able to shape soulmelds, though it is not uncommon for a totemist to serve as a tribal shaman amongst nomad tribes such as the half-orcs and shifters of the Malaben coast. Some tribes, however, hold the erroneous belief that the indigo energies pulled from the Wild by meldshapers is made from the souls of their ancestors or gods, and will shun or attack those who try to do so.
Paladins
Every race has stories of knights-errant or holy warriors who by dint of their certainty in their cause overcome overwhelming odds. Such heroes are likely paladins. Paladins gain power from their belief in their righteousness, and nothing is more important than following their personal code. Those who fail to do so, even accidentally, lose the necessary confidence that fuels their powers.
Gameplay Changes
Each paladin has their own moral code that typically establishes strict requirements of behavior, though they are more lenient than that described in of the Player's Handbook or SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/paladin.htm). Paldins that violate their code still lose their class abilities until they atone. Lawful paladins may join an order of paladins, in which case their code should in most cases be the code of the order. Chaotic paladins rarely join orders, and those that do generally maintain their own code.
Sorcerers
Wildborn have considerable power, but are inflexible. They are rarely creative, have little propensity for guile, and their schemes are hopelessly transparent. Thus when a wildborn wishes to gain power—or maintain what they already have against an opponent that seeks to sap it—they will often employ a mortal as an emissary. By planting a small bit of themselves in the mortal they grant their emissary the power to manipulate magical energies in the same way they are able to without the attendant cost a mortal would normally incur. Wildborn typically choose an emissary at a young age and call on their services intermittently throughout their life.
Sorcerers may be found among any race, though not all react the same way. The Mindol Truth frowns on sorcery because they hold most Wildborn to be demons or false gods, and in many rural areas of the Six and Two an indiscrete sorcerer can expect to be hanged or worse by a mob of peasants. Amongst kobolds of the Frostwyrm Mountains, however, sorcery is commonplace, and Bandlpace gnomes have been known to pay exhorbitant prices for sorcerer slaves to fight as gladiators or soldiers.
Sorcerers are utterly dependent on the bit of Wildborn essence they carry in them. The sorcerer's patron Wildborn can temporarily dampen the essence to hamper the sorcerer's casting ability, but cannot remove it entirely.
Gameplay Changes
Sorcerers gain bonus spells per day based on their Intelligence, not their Charisma. Their Charisma still determines their Spell DCs and the level of spells they can cast. They also receive Eschew Materials and either Still Spell or Silent Spell as a bonus feat at 1st level and a metamagic feat at 5th level and every five levels thereafter. They can apply metamagic feats that they know to sorcerer spells without increasing the casting time. This beneit even lets them quicken their sorcerer spells with the Quicken Spell feat. This ability can be used a number of times per day equal to 3 + their Int modifier (minimum 1). This is an extraordinary ability.
Sorcerers are Beholden to their patron Wildborn. They can cast normally most of the time, but when acting against the orders of their patron Wildborn or fighting a Wildborn sharing at least one subtype as their patron Wildborn their power is dampened and the sorcerer is limited to the spells-per-day of an adept of their caster level. In exchange, they recieve a bloodline feat as a bonus at 1st level, which must be consistent with their patron.
Sorcerers can substitute the native language of their patron Wildborn (typically Celestial, Infernal, Abyssal, Aquan, Auran, Ignan, or Terran) for one of the bonus languages available to them because of their race.
Spirit Shamans
Wildborn are not the only beings with a connection to the Elemental Wild. Spirits and ghosts draw energy from the Wild to manifest, and on occasion the more powerful ones will ally with a mortal to further their agendas. These mortals gain the ability to cast a unique form of magic that is tied to the spirit world.
Spirit shamans are found among all races, but almost all come from nomadic tribes or rural environments. Most city residents direct their spiritual impulses toward organized religion and discount the power of nature spirits. The Mindol Truth considers spirit shamans to be dangerous at best and enemies of the faith at worst, and in general are treated even worse than sorcerers. In rural areas of the Six and Two, however, they can expect better treatment than their arcane brethren, and the Mindol Truth occasionally has to extirpate cults centered around one or a few spirit shamans. Spirit shamans are typically religious leaders among the half-orc and lizardfolk tribes of the Malaben coast.
Patron spirits typically either place a fragment of their consciousness in their shaman or dispatch a lesser spirit as a guide. In either case, this allows the spirit shaman to cast spells without risk of backlash and the patron spirit to communicate with the spirit shaman, usually through dreams.
Gameplay Changes
Spirit shamans are Beholden to their patron spirit. They can cast normally most of the time, but when acting against the orders of their patron spirit or fighting a spirit (see [I]Complete Divine/I] p. 17) their power is dampened and the spirit shaman is limited to the spells-per-day of an adept of their caster level and a maximum of two retrieved spells per spell level.
Warlocks
On occasion, the magical energies that permeate Adem affect children in the womb. The most common outcome (other than miscarriage) is the birth of an Element-Seed child, but rarely the child is born with a natural aptitude for magic. Typically these abilities manifest themselves around puberty, but it is not unheard of to find capable warlocks barely old enough to speak in complete sentences.
Though magically precocious, warlocks are not any more mature than others their age, and so it is common for young warlocks to have troubled home lives. Many harm or kill friends, neighbors, or family with a stray thought. Others use their powers—intentionally or not—to obtain the affections of the opposite (or same) sex, wealth, or power. Because of this, many young warlocks are driven from their homes by the time they reach adulthood.
In some regions, organizations exist to help young warlocks learn to control their powers. In Bandlpace and the surrounding towns and villages, most warlocks are sent to St. Tybault's School for the Magically Gifted, a boarding school located a few leagues west of the city. In the Six and Two, it is more common for the church to provide education, though pastors tending to smaller towns and villages often do not have the training to recognize or teach warlocks.
Gameplay Changes
While many warlocks tend toward chaos, or even evil, due to their rejection by parents and communities, ones that receive an education or at least acceptance in their community are equally likely to be good or lawful. Warlocks can be of any alignment.
Wizards
Most in Adem consider magic a useful, if dangerous and exotic, tool that makes life easier. Others see magic as a force to be feared, wielded by magelords and callous adventurers, or an abomination in the eyes of the gods. A rare few see magic as a phenomenon to be studied.
Wizards are relatively common, particularly in cities. They may work for local governments as troubleshooters or investigators, provide spells for hire, or teach apprentices or (in exceptionally large cities) students at a college. Some are independently wealthy and pursue magic as a sort of hobby. Most wizards have a collegial association with other wizards, and discoveries and spells are often shared freely to other members of the fraternity.
Because they have no patron Wildborn to protect them from the backlash associated with manipulating magical energies, wizards cannot safely cast spells without taking lengthy precautions. These generally involve activating a number of wards, drawing precise diagrams and magic circles, and meditation to ensure their minds are free of distracting thoughts.
Gameplay Changes
Wizards take longer to cast their spells than other classes (see table x.2 Archivist Casting times) but gain a bonus of +1/level on skill checks to perform incantations. Because of this, wizards are generally inappropriate for player characters.
Wizards cannot substitute Draconic for one of the bonus languages available to the character because of her race. They can instead substitute one of the archaic languages (Ancient Gnomish, Old Ammyritic, Old Runic) for one of the bonus languages available to them because of their race.
Table x.2 Wizard Casting Times
{table=head] Original Time | New time
< 1 minute | 1 hour
1 minute - 23 hours| 1 day
≥ 1 day | 1 week
[/table]
Wu Jen
Many cultures throughout Adem engage in some sort of ancestor worship. Daltacian gnomes pray to saints that they might intercede with the otherwise indifferent gods, pre-Mindolite elves mummified their dead and used their bodies in ritual magic, and various tribes on the Malaben coast and the interior of Narudel worship heroic ancestors who, according to their shamans, tamed the first horses, invented steel, or wrestled giants.
Among the dwarves, however, ancestor-worship reached its zenith. The state-sponsored pantheon of Mazgka's Children is rather impersonal and fails to fill the spiritual needs of much of the populace. Most dwarves, whether residents of the Silver Patriarchy or expatriates, make burnt offerings and prayers to the spirits of their ancestors. Usually these prayers and sacrifices are not directed to a particular ancestor and are for fairly mundane things: protection, wealth, love, or to propitiate ancestors who have been wronged in some way and brought bad luck. Some few, however, have a personal connection to a particular ancestral spirit and can use that connection to work magic—wu jen. While many—perhaps most—wu jen are dwarves, they can be found amongst all races.
Wu jen superficially resemble wizards: they prepare spells and can potentially know every spell available to them. However, where wizards use complex formulae to protect themselves from backlash when casting, wu jen can transfer some of the work of spell casting to their ancestral spirit, which allows them to cast unharmed. In return for this, their ancestral spirit expects the Wu Jen to act honorably and on occasion to perform certain tasks.
A wu jen's "spell book" is often not a book. Depending on the wu jen, it may be an embroidered tapestry depicting their ancestors' achievements, a long string of macrame knots, or a canopic jar with minute decorations. In any case, the weight, hardness, and hitpoints are the same as a wizard's spellbook.
Gameplay Changes
Wu jen are Beholden to their ancestral spirit. They can cast normally most of the time, but when acting against the orders of their ancestral spirit, performing a dishonorable act, or fighting a member of their family, their ancestral spirit shuns them and the wu jen is limited to the spells-per-day of an adept of their caster level, and cannot use their spell secrets.
The ancestral worship practiced by wu jen requires a certain degree of adherance to tradition, and so they tend toward lawfulness, and in any case cannot be chaotic.
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