Talanic
2007-06-10, 02:11 PM
First, a disclaimer. I'm working on this specifically due to an upcoming game I'm running. The party won't be playing by these rules, but a brief portion of the game will include a "land-of-the-lost" kind of place.
From you guys, I need some help. How would you adjust the CR of enemies who use these rules, against normal characters who use regular rules and fine equipment?
Primitive Spells:
At the dawn of magic, those first precursors to today's sorcerers and wizards often had to work with substandard materials, no training, and essentially blind guessing at the nature of magic. Today's spells are greatly refined compared to what they once were...
Primitive spells are treated as one caster level lower for all purposes where it is a disadvantage to the caster. Spells which deal damage or ability damage deal a less powerful die; damage that is not based on a die roll is halved (round down).
Conversely, the spells look more impressive. Primitive Fireball looks like an outpouring of the hells; it wastes most of its energy in that ineffective flashiness. Unfortunately for the primitive caster, this does not really do much in a real fight...
Spells which have a complicated effect (flight, blur, mirror image, magic mouth) are considered one spell level higher. For example, Fly is a 4th level primitive spell, but a third level normal spell. Generally, spells with a costly material component are completely impossible to primitive casters.
Spellcraft checks by a non-primitive caster to identify primitive spells are harder; add +2 to their DC.
Example: Primitive Magic Missile. Below is the text of the spell from d20srd.org, alterations in red.
A missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip and strikes its target, dealing 1d3 points of force damage.
For every two caster levels beyond 2nd, you gain an additional missile—two at 4th level, three at 6th, four at 8th, and the maximum of five missiles at 10th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.
Primitive weapon materials (you can not make armor from these):
Flint weapons are formed by chipping flint stone into sharp edges. It takes years of practice to master the craft. Flint weapons can not be enchanted without a modern, non-primitive spellcaster and a full, custom set of stoneworking tools (a jeweler's store would suffice), as it is impossible to work flint in ways other than flaking without sophisticated tools.
Flint can be made into any kind of weapon that is composed primarily of metal. It is brittle, and easily smashed; Flint's hardness is five, reduced to two by bludgeoning weapons, and it posesses fifteen hit points per inch of thickness.
Masterwork flint weapons provide +1 to damage instead of +1 to hit.
Obsidian weapons are formed by carefully flaking volcanic glass. Obsidian is harder than flint and forms an edge unsurpassed by any other material. Enchanted edged obsidian weapons ignore two points of their target's hardness or damage reduction (only DR/-, DR/piercing or DR/bludgeoning are affected) per +1 enchantment. Like flint, Obsidian weapons can not be enchanted without a modern, non-primitive spellcaster and a full, custom set of stoneworking tools (a jeweler's store would suffice), as it is impossible to work obsidian in ways other than flaking without sophisticated tools.
Obsidian's hardness is eight (four against bludgeoning), and it posesses twenty-five hit points per inch of thickness.
Masterwork obsidian weapons have their critical threat range expanded by 1. This stacks with Keen only partly; the +1 critical range from Obsidian is not doubled by Keen. A Keen Obsidian Longsword would have a threat range of 15-20.. Weapons made from Obsidian cost an extra 1,500 gold.
From you guys, I need some help. How would you adjust the CR of enemies who use these rules, against normal characters who use regular rules and fine equipment?
Primitive Spells:
At the dawn of magic, those first precursors to today's sorcerers and wizards often had to work with substandard materials, no training, and essentially blind guessing at the nature of magic. Today's spells are greatly refined compared to what they once were...
Primitive spells are treated as one caster level lower for all purposes where it is a disadvantage to the caster. Spells which deal damage or ability damage deal a less powerful die; damage that is not based on a die roll is halved (round down).
Conversely, the spells look more impressive. Primitive Fireball looks like an outpouring of the hells; it wastes most of its energy in that ineffective flashiness. Unfortunately for the primitive caster, this does not really do much in a real fight...
Spells which have a complicated effect (flight, blur, mirror image, magic mouth) are considered one spell level higher. For example, Fly is a 4th level primitive spell, but a third level normal spell. Generally, spells with a costly material component are completely impossible to primitive casters.
Spellcraft checks by a non-primitive caster to identify primitive spells are harder; add +2 to their DC.
Example: Primitive Magic Missile. Below is the text of the spell from d20srd.org, alterations in red.
A missile of magical energy darts forth from your fingertip and strikes its target, dealing 1d3 points of force damage.
For every two caster levels beyond 2nd, you gain an additional missile—two at 4th level, three at 6th, four at 8th, and the maximum of five missiles at 10th level or higher. If you shoot multiple missiles, you can have them strike a single creature or several creatures. A single missile can strike only one creature. You must designate targets before you check for spell resistance or roll damage.
Primitive weapon materials (you can not make armor from these):
Flint weapons are formed by chipping flint stone into sharp edges. It takes years of practice to master the craft. Flint weapons can not be enchanted without a modern, non-primitive spellcaster and a full, custom set of stoneworking tools (a jeweler's store would suffice), as it is impossible to work flint in ways other than flaking without sophisticated tools.
Flint can be made into any kind of weapon that is composed primarily of metal. It is brittle, and easily smashed; Flint's hardness is five, reduced to two by bludgeoning weapons, and it posesses fifteen hit points per inch of thickness.
Masterwork flint weapons provide +1 to damage instead of +1 to hit.
Obsidian weapons are formed by carefully flaking volcanic glass. Obsidian is harder than flint and forms an edge unsurpassed by any other material. Enchanted edged obsidian weapons ignore two points of their target's hardness or damage reduction (only DR/-, DR/piercing or DR/bludgeoning are affected) per +1 enchantment. Like flint, Obsidian weapons can not be enchanted without a modern, non-primitive spellcaster and a full, custom set of stoneworking tools (a jeweler's store would suffice), as it is impossible to work obsidian in ways other than flaking without sophisticated tools.
Obsidian's hardness is eight (four against bludgeoning), and it posesses twenty-five hit points per inch of thickness.
Masterwork obsidian weapons have their critical threat range expanded by 1. This stacks with Keen only partly; the +1 critical range from Obsidian is not doubled by Keen. A Keen Obsidian Longsword would have a threat range of 15-20.. Weapons made from Obsidian cost an extra 1,500 gold.