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Arcanist
2013-10-03, 12:42 AM
I had this idea rattling around in my skull for days and I just wanted to spit it out and see what the world would think. Whoovians! Attack! :smalltongue:

The Gallifreyans, more popularly known as the Time Lords (or Time Ladies if female) are the oldest and mightiest of all peoples to have ever walked the multiverse. Considered by most to have died in the last great time war, however this is false. In reality, a majority of the Time Lords were sealed beyond a time-lock.

Personalities
The Gallifreyans are perceived by most to be insane, even by most aberration. This perceived insanity often comes from a knowledge of their overall power as a species and other species knowledge of their power. Their overall personalities have about as much variability as any other race.

Physical Appearance
Gallifreyans come in all shapes and sizes. More often than not, appearing as Humanoid races. Often this is due to a miraculous ability the Gallifreyans possess known as Regeneration (See below). The one biological constant for a Time Lord is their two hearts.

Relationships
Most Gallifreyans are feared and respected singularly instead for their entire race. It should be worth noted that Time Lord science is the most revered art in the multiverse.

Alignment
Gallifreyans and alignment don't really mix too well. Their alignments vary with their forms and appearance.

Lands
Gallifrey. Or at least it would be, but it's not exactly... There... anymore. Most Gallifreyans are a nomadic people.

Religion
Gallifreyans are not famous for their religion and unfortunately there are not many Gallifreyans willing to speak of their faith, if they even have any. It can be assumed that they may have whatever faith they desire.

Language
Gallifreyans may can speak Common and one language of their choice. They may take any other language as a bonus language.

Names
Time Lords often chose their own names. Non-Lawful Gallifreyans often choose self-appointed titles for themselves and Lawful Gallifreyans generally chose legitimate names that they believe symbolize themselves and their stations.

Racial Traits

Intelligence +4, Wisdom +2, Charisma +2.
Medium or Small sized: As Medium sized creatures, Gallifreyan's have no benefits or penalties for their size and as Small sized creatures, Gallifreyan's gains a +1 size bonus to Armor Class, a +1 size bonus on attack rolls, and a +4 size bonus on Hide checks, but use smaller weapons than humans use, and their lifting and carrying limits are three-quarters of those of a Medium character.
Base land speed 30ft (Medium) or 20ft (Small).
Outsider (Native, Psionic)
Racial Hit Dice: A Gallifreyan begins play with 3 levels of Outsider, which provide 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3 and base saving throws of Fort +3, Ref +3 and Will +3.
Racial Skills: A Gallifreyan's Outsider levels give it skill levels equal to 6 × (8 + Int Modifier). It may select 12 skills to be considered class skills (Knowledges treated individually).
Racial Feats: A Gallifreyan's Outsider levels give it two feats.
Psionics: Gallifreyan's are psionic, if only at the smallest level. This grants them the powers known and power points of a Telepath of 1st level.
Regeneration: Once per day, when a Gallifreyan is near death (below 0 hit points, about to die from negative levels or about to die from con damage or drain), they may perform Regeneration. Regeneration restores them to full hit points and removes any status effects from themselves. Thereafter they are considered Nauseated for the next 24 hours and must roll 1d% with a 50% chance of changing size from medium to small and vice versa. A Regenerated Gallifreyan's appearance is never the same as it was prior to Regeneration. Activating this ability is a Full-Round action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
Automatic Languages: Common and one other language. Bonus Languages: Any.
Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass Gallifreyan takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.
Level Adjustment: +2

Fako
2013-10-03, 02:20 AM
I'm going to skip the fluff, simply because I know I don't know as much about Doctor Who as others on this forum. However, there are some discrepancies in your crunch.


Racial Hit Dice: A Gallifreyan begins play with 2 levels of Outsider, which provide 3d8 Hit Dice, a base attack bonus of +3 and base saving throws of Fort +3, Ref +3 and Will +3.
Racial Skills: A Gallifreyan's Outsider levels give it skill levels equal to 6 × (8 + Int Modifier). It may select 12 skills to be considered class skills (Knowledges treated individually).
Racial Feats: A Gallifreyan's Outsider levels give it one feat.
You state 2 levels, but they should have three levels of outsider in order to have those stats and skill points.

Regeneration: When a Gallifreyan is near death (between -9 hit points and 0 hit points, death by negative levels or death by ability damage or drain), they may perform Regeneration. Regeneration restores them to full hit points and removes any status effects from themselves. Thereafter they are considered Nauseated for the next 24 hours and must roll 1d% with a 50% chance of changing size from medium to small and vice versa. A Regenerated Gallifreyan's appearance is never the same as it was prior to Regeneration.
What action does Regeneration require to activate?

Favored Class: Any. When determining whether a multiclass human takes an experience point penalty, his or her highest-level class does not count.
Small typo, emphasis mine.

Level Adjustment: +1
This needs to be adjusted. While the outsider hit die help to offset the stat bonuses and the Telepath abilities, Regeneration pushes this beyond another +1 in effective level. Consider that you've given a racial ability that allows them to shrug off near-fatal situations that can be used (as currently written) an unlimited number of times per day. I'd personally up this to at least a +2, but that's if Regeneration is a Standard or Full-Round action. If it can be used when it isn't your turn, it is either a strong +2 or a weak +3.

Arcanist
2013-10-03, 12:09 PM
You state 2 levels, but they should have three levels of outsider in order to have those stats and skill points.

Error in transition. I was originally going to make them 2nd level, but 3rd felt more appropriate.


What action does Regeneration require to activate?

A full-round that provokes... It says it now. :smallredface:


This needs to be adjusted. While the outsider hit die help to offset the stat bonuses and the Telepath abilities, Regeneration pushes this beyond another +1 in effective level. Consider that you've given a racial ability that allows them to shrug off near-fatal situations that can be used (as currently written) an unlimited number of times per day. I'd personally up this to at least a +2, but that's if Regeneration is a Standard or Full-Round action. If it can be used when it isn't your turn, it is either a strong +2 or a weak +3.

I believe a +3 LA would be reasonable. Canonically, a Time Lord can only regenerate 12 times in their entire existence, but we might find that out to be false soon or if it might just be a law the Time Lords made up to allow them to experience death. Whether it is a manner of their biology or a manner of their law (which isn't really being enforced by anyone anymore) is up for debate. Anyway, because they are Nauseated after Regeneration for 24 hours, they can only Regenerate once per day unless they can find a way to bypass the condition. It should be worth noting that not all Time Lords are Nauseated after Regeneration (For example, River Song is known for performing acts of awesome immediately after Regenerating. Perhaps she took a feat that let her overcome it?)

Fako
2013-10-03, 10:38 PM
A full-round that provokes... It says it now.

I believe a +3 LA would be reasonable. Canonically, a Time Lord can only regenerate 12 times in their entire existence, but we might find that out to be false soon or if it might just be a law the Time Lords made up to allow them to experience death. Whether it is a manner of their biology or a manner of their law (which isn't really being enforced by anyone anymore) is up for debate. Anyway, because they are Nauseated after Regeneration for 24 hours, they can only Regenerate once per day unless they can find a way to bypass the condition. It should be worth noting that not all Time Lords are Nauseated after Regeneration (For example, River Song is known for performing acts of awesome immediately after Regenerating. Perhaps she took a feat that let her overcome it?)
If you're limiting it to once per day and making it a full-round action, you could bump it down to +2 safely. However, as written there is nothing enforcing the once per day restriction on Regeneration. All it states is that when you are almost dead you may activate it, which heals you to full, removes conditions, and then nauseates you. If there is to be a once per day restriction, then the wording needs to be adjusted.
Regeneration: Once per day, when a Gallifreyan is near death (below 0 hit points, about to die from negative levels or about to die from con damage or drain), they may perform Regeneration. Regeneration restores them to full hit points and removes any status effects from themselves. Thereafter they are considered Nauseated for the next 24 hours and must roll 1d% with a 50% chance of changing size from medium to small and vice versa. A Regenerated Gallifreyan's appearance is never the same as it was prior to Regeneration. Activating this ability is a Full-Round action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

NOTE: Constitution drain is the only one that technically kills you. The other stats leave you a useless vegetable, but you can't actually die from zero str, dex, int, wis, or cha. Source (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/conditionSummary.htm).

As for the 12 regenerations, I personally think the limit has been ignored and/or removed, considering they've announced the 12th doctor, and they have John Hurt playing the "not-Doctor" during the special. He has to count as a regeneration, even if the Doctor tries to ignore his existence.

Cheiromancer
2013-10-05, 11:14 AM
I don't know anything about Doctor Who, but I have some worries about the regeneration ability. It doesn't seem to remove the character from the imminent threat; if the character is nauseated, he or she will probably soon die again from whatever almost killed him the first time. Shadows, or a balor spamming its blasphemy while lesser demons cut you up, or a room filled with water, or what not.

If the regeneration worked like the lich ability, or if there was some kind of time-hop effect built in, that would help. Maybe the character automatically reincarnates 24 hours later, in a safe location? (Or faster, with the appropriate feat)

Oh, and I think even female Time Lords should be called Time Lords. It sounds better than Time Lady.

Network
2013-10-05, 11:56 AM
I don't know anything about Doctor Who, but I have some worries about the regeneration ability. It doesn't seem to remove the character from the imminent threat; if the character is nauseated, he or she will probably soon die again from whatever almost killed him the first time. Shadows, or a balor spamming its blasphemy while lesser demons cut you up, or a room filled with water, or what not.

If the regeneration worked like the lich ability, or if there was some kind of time-hop effect built in, that would help. Maybe the character automatically reincarnates 24 hours later, in a safe location? (Or faster, with the appropriate feat)

Oh, and I think even female Time Lords should be called Time Lords. It sounds better than Time Lady.
I'm not very familiar with the show for never watching it myself, but I think Cheiromancer made a good point about regeneration. Nauseated for 24 hours is harsh ; it's even worse than being disabled. I personally think you may get away with the problem simply by replacing it with a less severe condition, such as sickened.

I don't agree about the female Time Lords things, though, as a google search tells me Time Lady is the right name.

Zaydos
2013-10-05, 03:01 PM
Regeneration does not get you out of danger (and defining about to die from Ability Damage/Drain or Negative Levels is hard but that's a minor complaint) and the nauseated status is far worse than what I've seen in Doctor Who (4th Doctor suffered a heavy Wisdom penalty, 10th Doctor was capable of sword-fighting, 11th Doctor was again fully capable but his mind was scrambled), in fact it seems like they have a reduced Wisdom for the period and some minor physical penalties at most (I have only seen 3 regeneration episodes so my knowledge *is* limited).

Beyond that as currently written the LA is probably too high with 3 RHD, and I'd reduce it to +1. The 1/day limit and full round action required to regenerate seriously limit that ability (the full round more than the 1/day). This means you must be able to see your death coming and cannot do it in response to say suddenly being shot with a black lotus extract arrow or just being mauled by something that does more than enough damage to overkill you by 10. Your Outsider hit dice help a little (Martial Weapon Proficiencies, good BAB) but synergize better with wizard (for PrC purposes) than the telepath level you do get (and losing 5 levels of wizard means it's useless as a wizard). The mental scores help telepath but I don't think they gain enough from the others to justify the number of lost levels.

That said I do like how you did it, especially the choice of Outsider HD to make a large starting ECL more acceptable was an improvement over most attempts at Time Lord I've seen.

Arcanist
2013-10-06, 02:35 PM
I don't know anything about Doctor Who, but I have some worries about the regeneration ability. It doesn't seem to remove the character from the imminent threat; if the character is nauseated, he or she will probably soon die again from whatever almost killed him the first time. Shadows, or a balor spamming its blasphemy while lesser demons cut you up, or a room filled with water, or what not.

If the regeneration worked like the lich ability, or if there was some kind of time-hop effect built in, that would help. Maybe the character automatically reincarnates 24 hours later, in a safe location? (Or faster, with the appropriate feat)

Oh, and I think even female Time Lords should be called Time Lords. It sounds better than Time Lady.

I didn't want to make Regeneration TOO powerful since it is possible to kill someone mid regeneration cycle. A Balor spamming Blasphemy can kill everything and I didn't want Regeneration to be the end all No button to death. Logic would dictate that a Time Lord would prefer to regenerate in a safe place, however I do understand the strifes of adventuring and realize that what would be convenient will rarely happen.

Watch some Doctor Who and you'll understand why I did what I did :smallsmile:


I'm not very familiar with the show for never watching it myself, but I think Cheiromancer made a good point about regeneration. Nauseated for 24 hours is harsh ; it's even worse than being disabled. I personally think you may get away with the problem simply by replacing it with a less severe condition, such as sickened.

I don't agree about the female Time Lords things, though, as a google search tells me Time Lady is the right name.

I'm starting to see where Nauseated would be a bit of overkill. A Wisdom penalty that persist for 24 hours? Not sure. I did like the idea of Sickened since it doesn't make the freshly regenerated Time Lord totally worthless.


Beyond that as currently written the LA is probably too high with 3 RHD, and I'd reduce it to +1. The 1/day limit and full round action required to regenerate seriously limit that ability (the full round more than the 1/day). This means you must be able to see your death coming and cannot do it in response to say suddenly being shot with a black lotus extract arrow or just being mauled by something that does more than enough damage to overkill you by 10. Your Outsider hit dice help a little (Martial Weapon Proficiencies, good BAB) but synergize better with wizard (for PrC purposes) than the telepath level you do get (and losing 5 levels of wizard means it's useless as a wizard). The mental scores help telepath but I don't think they gain enough from the others to justify the number of lost levels.

Augh! I forgot about the penalties from the actual dying condition. If it is an ability that can ONLY be used while dying thus making it impossible to actually use. I suppose I should make it a non-action usable only during the players turn.

So are you suggesting a reduction in LA and an increase in Telepath level?


That said I do like how you did it, especially the choice of Outsider HD to make a large starting ECL more acceptable was an improvement over most attempts at Time Lord I've seen.

Thank you kindly. Sorry I couldn't respond more in depth, but it's Sunday meaning I've got to run around all day making sure the world is still spinning.

Razanir
2013-10-06, 04:14 PM
As for the 12 regenerations, I personally think the limit has been ignored and/or removed, considering they've announced the 12th doctor, and they have John Hurt playing the "not-Doctor" during the special. He has to count as a regeneration, even if the Doctor tries to ignore his existence.

Well is it 12 forms or 12 regenerations? If it's the latter, then becoming Capaldi would be his final regeneration. So it's still to be seen what happens after this one.

Debihuman
2013-10-08, 04:55 AM
I like this a lot. Regeneration could use a bit of tightening up (you switch from singular to plural for no reason):

• Regeneration: Once per day, when a Gallifreyan is near death (below 0 hit points, about to die from negative levels or about to die from Con damage or drain), a Gallifreyan may perform a regeneration. Regeneration restores a Gallfreyan to full hit points and removes any adverse status effects. Thereafter, the Gallifreyan is considered Nauseated for the next 24 hours and must roll 1d% with a 50% chance of changing size from Medium to Small and vice versa. A regenerated Gallifreyan's appearance is never the same as it was prior to regeneration. Activating this ability is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity.

Debby