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View Full Version : My Lucky Day: A Simple System for Luck in v3.5 [PEACH]



Rolep
2013-05-29, 12:04 PM
Some people rely on skill. Others use knowledge, while yet more wield power. Some, however, prefer to rely on chance. These people are lucky. The lack some of the skill of others, but they make up for it in their ability to twist fate to their whims. Their strikes do not err when accuracy is gravely needed, and they can avoid life-threatening attacks by the skin of their teeth.

The Luck Rule

Every character gains a certain number of luck points. This number is, for most characters, one-quarter of their level plus one, rounded down. However, some sacrifice some of their skill to gain more points. These points are replenished after eight hours of rest.

The Luck Skill

Luck (CHA)
A character may add their ranks in luck plus their charisma modifier to the number of luck points that they possess. The Luck skill is cross-class to all classes. The skill focus and epic skill focus feats do not improve luck rank for determining luck points, and neither do any other bonuses.

Luck Actions

Luck points may be expended on luck actions. These are all immediate actions. A character can choose how many points they spend, or they may ask the DM to make them spend enough points to succeed. A player can never spend more luck points than he has in this way, and the maximum number of luck points that may be spent on a single luck action is equal to the lowest of one-quarter of their level plus one and their ranks in luck, minimum 1. Should a character attempt to spend more luck points than he has available, he is out of luck (see below).

By the Skin of his Teeth
Immediately, when an opponent causes a character to make a saving throw or is forced to roll against a character’s armour class, that character may spend luck points to raise any one of his AC, his fortitude, his reflex and his will by 1 for each luck point he spends. This bonus disappears after the opponent’s action is resolved.

Just a Flesh Wound
Immediately after an opponent attacks a character and the damage is calculated, but before the damage is dealt, that character may spend luck point to gain temporary HP equal to the number of luck points that he spends multiplied by 4. These temporary hit points disappear after the damage is taken.

The Winds of Fortune
After calculating his attack roll, threat roll, skill roll or damage roll, or after casting a spell, a character may increase the result of his attack, damage, threat, skill or caster level check to overcome spell resistance by one for each luck point spent.

The gap in the Upper-Left Torso
A character may lower the minimum roll required to threaten a critical hit by one by spending points equal to the weapon’s critical multiplier.

Lucky Day
After calculating the results of a roll, but before applying them, a character may spend one point to reroll the dice. He must take the new result.

Out of Luck
When a character tries to spend more luck points that he is able to, he becomes out of luck. While in this state, all of his luck points are expended, and he takes a -1 penalty of all attack, damage and threat rolls; skill, and caster level checks; saving throws and armour class. This state continues until his luck points are replenished: after eight hours of rest.

Designer's Notes
This rule is designed to introduce a simple luck system into D&D v3.5. Overall it does make characters a little stronger, but it benefits monsters as well, and the bonuses are sufficiently small that it should not impact the challenge of the game. I know that other systems have been invented, but this one has been on my mind for a whiel and I wanted to see what other people thought of it, since many systems are quite complex.