Reinboom
2007-08-14, 01:41 AM
Mechanically Fluffy
There is a great divide as to whether one should build with the idea of fluff, or character idea and background, in mind or to build to be mechanically powerful. To further the divide, ordered multiclassing is discouraged with the standard leveling system. Your story may be perfect for starting as a Barbarian - but that is almost entirely inferior to have actually started as a rogue of which you are multiclassing into anyways. This is a variant to the standard starting point of characters as well as a the entire leveling process for skills and feats.
Fluffy Skills
In this variant there are a number of skills and feats labeled as 'Fluff'. These skills and feats become more available and open to your characters during creation and leveling. Fluff skills in this system still fall under the boundaries of the class and cross-class system. For a character's first level in a class or hit die, instead of gaining x4 skill points, they instead gain the standard amount of skill points to their class or race and then an additional 20. In addition, they also begin with 4 fluff skill points (described below). At each level after the character gains a normal amount of skill points and an additional 2 fluff skill points. Fluff skill points may only be used toward the gain of fluff skills and not into alternative uses such as skill tricks.
The fluff skills are standard skills with a simple label of 'fluff' added to them. Normal skill points may still be used on these skills. Fluff skill points have to be used on these skills. The following are the fluff skills:
* Appraise
* Craft
* Decipher Script
* Disguise
* Forgery
* Knowledge
* Perform
* Profession
* Speak Language
Fluffy Feats
At 1st, 5th, and every 5 levels thereafter, a character gains a fluff feat. Just as fluff skills, fluff feats may be obtained via normal feat slots as well. If one is to obtain both a regular feat and a fluff feat during the same level (such as 1st level) the fluff feat is obtained first. The following are fluff feats:
* Acrobatic
* Agile
* Alertness
* Animal Affinity
* Athletic
* Deceitful
* Deft Hands
* Diligent
* Endurance
* Jack-of-all-Trades (Complete Adventurer)
* Investigator
* Magical Aptitude
* Negotiator
* Nimble Fingers
* Open Minded (Complete Adventurer)
* Persuasive
* Run
* Sacred Vow (Book of Exalted Deeds)
* Self-Sufficient
* Skill Knowledge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/alternativeSkillSystems.htm#skillKnowledge) (Unearthed Arcana)
* Stealthy
* Toughness
* Track
In addition to the above any feat that is restricted to 1st level only is considered a fluff feat as well. These feats still may only be obtained at 1st level.
Adjusted Humans and Half-elves
This is a subvariant, and optional in of itself.
Humans and half-elves, under this system, are slightly modified to put them more on par to other races. Humans, an already attractively powerful race for the bonus feat, loses the extra feat and instead gains an additional 2 fluff points at each level. Half-elves, a rather weak race in comparison to the standard races available, gain an extra fluff skill point per level. These changes are to better adjust humans away from the plethora of feats they would've been gaining without significant loss and to bolster the appeal of the half-elves, a rather inferior race.
Base Hit Points
This is a subvariant, and optional in of itself.
To both further encourage the more open allowance of multiclassing offered with this variant and to improve upon the abilities of 1st level PCs as to not let them die in a single random critical, base hp is introduced. A 1st level PC begins with 20 hit points in addition to their normal class or racial hit die. The 1st hit die, in this case, is not maxed as would normally occur for 1st level.
Everyone's a Diplomat
This is a subvariant, and optional in of itself.
Diplomacy is a skill that is extremely subjective to the gamemaster and who's power and allowance are also considerably questionable. It's a skill that can be surpassed by use of player wit and at other times not used at all. In other cases, it can be focused upon and abused in its entire. This subvariant removes the diplomacy skill altogether and replaces it in its stead with a diplomacy action. The DC works as Rich Burlew's diplomacy variant (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/jFppYwv7OUkegKhONNF.html), however, the using character's diplomacy check is equal to their hit die + 2x their Charisma modifier. This both heightens the value of Charisma and assumes diplomacy into each character, as well as allow dwarf to do some speaking needed.
Also, under this variant, class features and most feats do not enhance diplomacy. A character may no longer choose diplomacy for a skill focus and any prestige class, skill tricks, feat or similar that requires diplomacy or skill focus (diplomacy) as an entry requirement has that requirement removed. Bluff still provides a +2 synergy bonus to diplomacy and negotiator still provides a +2 bonus.
There is a great divide as to whether one should build with the idea of fluff, or character idea and background, in mind or to build to be mechanically powerful. To further the divide, ordered multiclassing is discouraged with the standard leveling system. Your story may be perfect for starting as a Barbarian - but that is almost entirely inferior to have actually started as a rogue of which you are multiclassing into anyways. This is a variant to the standard starting point of characters as well as a the entire leveling process for skills and feats.
Fluffy Skills
In this variant there are a number of skills and feats labeled as 'Fluff'. These skills and feats become more available and open to your characters during creation and leveling. Fluff skills in this system still fall under the boundaries of the class and cross-class system. For a character's first level in a class or hit die, instead of gaining x4 skill points, they instead gain the standard amount of skill points to their class or race and then an additional 20. In addition, they also begin with 4 fluff skill points (described below). At each level after the character gains a normal amount of skill points and an additional 2 fluff skill points. Fluff skill points may only be used toward the gain of fluff skills and not into alternative uses such as skill tricks.
The fluff skills are standard skills with a simple label of 'fluff' added to them. Normal skill points may still be used on these skills. Fluff skill points have to be used on these skills. The following are the fluff skills:
* Appraise
* Craft
* Decipher Script
* Disguise
* Forgery
* Knowledge
* Perform
* Profession
* Speak Language
Fluffy Feats
At 1st, 5th, and every 5 levels thereafter, a character gains a fluff feat. Just as fluff skills, fluff feats may be obtained via normal feat slots as well. If one is to obtain both a regular feat and a fluff feat during the same level (such as 1st level) the fluff feat is obtained first. The following are fluff feats:
* Acrobatic
* Agile
* Alertness
* Animal Affinity
* Athletic
* Deceitful
* Deft Hands
* Diligent
* Endurance
* Jack-of-all-Trades (Complete Adventurer)
* Investigator
* Magical Aptitude
* Negotiator
* Nimble Fingers
* Open Minded (Complete Adventurer)
* Persuasive
* Run
* Sacred Vow (Book of Exalted Deeds)
* Self-Sufficient
* Skill Knowledge (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/buildingCharacters/alternativeSkillSystems.htm#skillKnowledge) (Unearthed Arcana)
* Stealthy
* Toughness
* Track
In addition to the above any feat that is restricted to 1st level only is considered a fluff feat as well. These feats still may only be obtained at 1st level.
Adjusted Humans and Half-elves
This is a subvariant, and optional in of itself.
Humans and half-elves, under this system, are slightly modified to put them more on par to other races. Humans, an already attractively powerful race for the bonus feat, loses the extra feat and instead gains an additional 2 fluff points at each level. Half-elves, a rather weak race in comparison to the standard races available, gain an extra fluff skill point per level. These changes are to better adjust humans away from the plethora of feats they would've been gaining without significant loss and to bolster the appeal of the half-elves, a rather inferior race.
Base Hit Points
This is a subvariant, and optional in of itself.
To both further encourage the more open allowance of multiclassing offered with this variant and to improve upon the abilities of 1st level PCs as to not let them die in a single random critical, base hp is introduced. A 1st level PC begins with 20 hit points in addition to their normal class or racial hit die. The 1st hit die, in this case, is not maxed as would normally occur for 1st level.
Everyone's a Diplomat
This is a subvariant, and optional in of itself.
Diplomacy is a skill that is extremely subjective to the gamemaster and who's power and allowance are also considerably questionable. It's a skill that can be surpassed by use of player wit and at other times not used at all. In other cases, it can be focused upon and abused in its entire. This subvariant removes the diplomacy skill altogether and replaces it in its stead with a diplomacy action. The DC works as Rich Burlew's diplomacy variant (http://www.giantitp.com/articles/jFppYwv7OUkegKhONNF.html), however, the using character's diplomacy check is equal to their hit die + 2x their Charisma modifier. This both heightens the value of Charisma and assumes diplomacy into each character, as well as allow dwarf to do some speaking needed.
Also, under this variant, class features and most feats do not enhance diplomacy. A character may no longer choose diplomacy for a skill focus and any prestige class, skill tricks, feat or similar that requires diplomacy or skill focus (diplomacy) as an entry requirement has that requirement removed. Bluff still provides a +2 synergy bonus to diplomacy and negotiator still provides a +2 bonus.