IAmTehDave
2013-11-18, 11:19 AM
Hello Playground,
I'm looking for help with some variant rules I'm putting together as a potential campaign to have fun with Tome of Battle.
The setting is based on Feudal Japan a la Samurai Champloo: Edo sort of theme to the world, but with enough anachronism that it's not strictly Japanese. Many base D&D monsters, for instance, would be in the world.
There will, however, be a limit on classes available:
ToB classes, Psychic Warrior*, Some mundane classes if asked for, and certain casting classes. (Wu Jen, Shugenja, Sha'ir, Spirit Shaman, maybe others? Would like some ideas here) Cleric, Druid, Wizard, Sorcerer would all be disallowed.
*-Re-fluffed, all effects are Spell-Like Abilities, subject to SR and anti-magic effects, etc.
Magic items would be limited, if allowed at all. No (or very limited) Flight options, even for casters. I don't plan on including any/many flying enemies anyway, as the campaign is aiming more for wuxia than a traditional sword+Sorcery fantasy.
To compensate for the above, all characters will be given a background feat that works similar to the Vow of Poverty feat. It mostly follows the Vow of Poverty feat's progressions, with the more supernatural elements removed, the Magic Weapon enhancement progression a bit faster, and "Bonus Exalted Feat" replaced by "Bonus feat" at every even level. The armor bonus of this feat will be allowed to stack with mundane/masterwork light or medium armor. (I can't rediscover the thread I found some time ago with the campaign-specific rules for a low-magic campaign with this rule. If someone can link to that thread I'd be grateful.)
In addition, characters can perform a ritual of some sort (or a longer-term test, haven't decided which) to form a bond with a specific weapon. This bond allows the character to add enhancements to the weapon (maximum based on character level) and grants a dodge bonus to AC when wielding the weapon. Spellcasters might be given something different. Each character can only bond with one weapon at a time, and each weapon can only be bonded to one character at a time.
(I have a spreadsheet where I compared the AC bonuses vs. a character starting with 18 str and using the VoP-equivalent chart, and the AC/attack bonus scaling seem to match each other well. I can share the bonus charts if needed.)
Races available:
PHB races, UA variants and Races of X races with 0 LA by DM approval. Some others (Kenku, for instance)
Additional Rules in use:
- Vitality/wound points. (With the exception to this system that critical hits deal their normal crit damage to vitality points, and Half of weapon damage to wound points. I want crits to feel dangerous, but not quite so deadly to characters)
- Mooks - (To go along with the above.) Have class levels, but no Vitality points, and a limited version of the setting's background feat. (This lets me make a few NPCs that can be thrown en-masse at the party with relatively low danger)
- Players make all rolls. (So instead of a flat AC, they make armor checks against a static "Attack DC" per enemy. Enemies have a "Save DC" for each save type, and spells "attack" those saves like normal attack rolls vs. AC. The exception is opposed rolls (Grapple, trip, skills, etc.) which are rolled as normal.
The actual campaign (and the majority of the world itself) I don't really have an idea for yet. Was looking to design the rules of the setting first, then see if any of my fellow players would want to run a short campaign to check it out. Mostly it'd be an excuse to pick up the Tome of Battle and introduce the classes to everyone. (Because our normal DM is a bit wary of the book.)
The setting lends itself to a number of campaign types, from political intrigue (feudal lords feuding, as it were) to exploration, to straight-up monster-hunting adventure.
What I'm looking for:
- Ideas for what classes/PrCs and races to allow (Preferably no Dragon material except perhaps Dragon Compendium)
- CR adjustments (for exp purposes) for Mooks (who have class levels, no Vitality points)
- Thoughts on the Background Feat (I don't know how to post a pretty table, or else I would share what I have. It works out, between different bonuses, to add roughly one's level to AC, slightly more with bonded weapon. Far less to touch AC. Effective weapon enhancement bonus is +1/4 levels.)
- Ideas for a weapon bonding rite or test. to attune a specific weapon to a character. Also, bonuses for this bond. (Martial, Spiritual, or Both)
Thank you for your help, Playground.
(This was originally posted in the wrong forum. This is reposted from the world building forum, as this is much more a mechanics help question)
I'm looking for help with some variant rules I'm putting together as a potential campaign to have fun with Tome of Battle.
The setting is based on Feudal Japan a la Samurai Champloo: Edo sort of theme to the world, but with enough anachronism that it's not strictly Japanese. Many base D&D monsters, for instance, would be in the world.
There will, however, be a limit on classes available:
ToB classes, Psychic Warrior*, Some mundane classes if asked for, and certain casting classes. (Wu Jen, Shugenja, Sha'ir, Spirit Shaman, maybe others? Would like some ideas here) Cleric, Druid, Wizard, Sorcerer would all be disallowed.
*-Re-fluffed, all effects are Spell-Like Abilities, subject to SR and anti-magic effects, etc.
Magic items would be limited, if allowed at all. No (or very limited) Flight options, even for casters. I don't plan on including any/many flying enemies anyway, as the campaign is aiming more for wuxia than a traditional sword+Sorcery fantasy.
To compensate for the above, all characters will be given a background feat that works similar to the Vow of Poverty feat. It mostly follows the Vow of Poverty feat's progressions, with the more supernatural elements removed, the Magic Weapon enhancement progression a bit faster, and "Bonus Exalted Feat" replaced by "Bonus feat" at every even level. The armor bonus of this feat will be allowed to stack with mundane/masterwork light or medium armor. (I can't rediscover the thread I found some time ago with the campaign-specific rules for a low-magic campaign with this rule. If someone can link to that thread I'd be grateful.)
In addition, characters can perform a ritual of some sort (or a longer-term test, haven't decided which) to form a bond with a specific weapon. This bond allows the character to add enhancements to the weapon (maximum based on character level) and grants a dodge bonus to AC when wielding the weapon. Spellcasters might be given something different. Each character can only bond with one weapon at a time, and each weapon can only be bonded to one character at a time.
(I have a spreadsheet where I compared the AC bonuses vs. a character starting with 18 str and using the VoP-equivalent chart, and the AC/attack bonus scaling seem to match each other well. I can share the bonus charts if needed.)
Races available:
PHB races, UA variants and Races of X races with 0 LA by DM approval. Some others (Kenku, for instance)
Additional Rules in use:
- Vitality/wound points. (With the exception to this system that critical hits deal their normal crit damage to vitality points, and Half of weapon damage to wound points. I want crits to feel dangerous, but not quite so deadly to characters)
- Mooks - (To go along with the above.) Have class levels, but no Vitality points, and a limited version of the setting's background feat. (This lets me make a few NPCs that can be thrown en-masse at the party with relatively low danger)
- Players make all rolls. (So instead of a flat AC, they make armor checks against a static "Attack DC" per enemy. Enemies have a "Save DC" for each save type, and spells "attack" those saves like normal attack rolls vs. AC. The exception is opposed rolls (Grapple, trip, skills, etc.) which are rolled as normal.
The actual campaign (and the majority of the world itself) I don't really have an idea for yet. Was looking to design the rules of the setting first, then see if any of my fellow players would want to run a short campaign to check it out. Mostly it'd be an excuse to pick up the Tome of Battle and introduce the classes to everyone. (Because our normal DM is a bit wary of the book.)
The setting lends itself to a number of campaign types, from political intrigue (feudal lords feuding, as it were) to exploration, to straight-up monster-hunting adventure.
What I'm looking for:
- Ideas for what classes/PrCs and races to allow (Preferably no Dragon material except perhaps Dragon Compendium)
- CR adjustments (for exp purposes) for Mooks (who have class levels, no Vitality points)
- Thoughts on the Background Feat (I don't know how to post a pretty table, or else I would share what I have. It works out, between different bonuses, to add roughly one's level to AC, slightly more with bonded weapon. Far less to touch AC. Effective weapon enhancement bonus is +1/4 levels.)
- Ideas for a weapon bonding rite or test. to attune a specific weapon to a character. Also, bonuses for this bond. (Martial, Spiritual, or Both)
Thank you for your help, Playground.
(This was originally posted in the wrong forum. This is reposted from the world building forum, as this is much more a mechanics help question)