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NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 04:59 AM
My work of gods know how long (on and off) is finally just about ready to share with other people...

I have created a Stone Age/ Ice Age setting. I'm calling it "Shadows of Time" just to have a name to put on the thread, it doesn't have to be called that.

Flavour is basically "cave-men plus fairy-tales". Society is tribal. There are no metals, no agriculture, and no writing as such, although a few favoured individuals do use symbols of sorts in their spellcasting. With no Magic Shops, I had to think up a new way to give warrior classes a hope against spellcasters at higher levels. My mana system, I hope, goes some way towards that.

For both flavour and balance reasons, big flashy spells are out; even the sorcerer gets a severely restricted supply. I've also eliminated ones that feel artificial to me — most notably invisibility, because the whole thing about the spell ending when you attack is, as far as I'm concerned, tantamount to a flashing neon sign saying "THIS IS TO BALANCE THE GAME! PLEASE METAGAME, NO, GO ON, I BEG YOU!" Instead you get chamaeleon as a 2nd-level spell and greater invisibility is renamed invisibility.

Out of a purely pedantic taste for realism, I've also changed the hit point system to a version inspired by "vitality/wounding". Armour Class would have had to be renamed anyway (armour as such is hard to come by in the Stone Age), so your Defence now rises with your level. It never, ever made sense to me that people would stay just as easy to hit, but get harder and harder to injure, as they gained combat experience.

Similarly, I'm not going to be including hundreds of different species of intelligent "monsters"... not on the Material Plane, anyway. (Speaking of planes, I've cut that down too; there are just three.) There's maybe a dozen intelligent humanoids, plus a few dragons. However, unlike many fantasy settings, humans do not dominate the world, and other intelligent races show just as much cultural variation as them. Shadows of Time happens before all the magical races "fade away".

I'm open to suggestions, but any that contradict the above conditions, or try and sneak around the Stone Age setting (there is no such thing as a stone sword), will be disregarded.

NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 05:00 AM
SHADOWS OF TIME: MECHANICS

DAMAGE
All damage is nonlethal damage. However, whenever a character takes more than 5 damage from a single attack, she loses 1 temporary point of Constitution for every 5 damage dealt, unless the attack was a subdual attack.
When a character's hit points are reduced to 0, she is dazed. When her hit points are reduced to -(1/2 her Constitution score), she is stunned. When her hit points are reduced to -(her Constitution score), she is unconscious.
A subdual attack must be declared before it is rolled. The roll must beat the target's Defence by at least 4 in order to make a successful subdual attack. If the roll is successful, it deals no Constitution damage no matter how high the damage is. If the roll does not beat the target's Defence, it misses as normal. If the roll beats the target's Defence by 3 or less, it deals damage, including Constitution damage, as normal.
Accumulated damage from a continuous condition, such as fire damage from being on fire, is treated as damage from a single attack for the purposes of determining Constitution loss.
Energy Damage
Electricity damage is now fire damage. Sonic damage no longer exists. The formerly untyped damage dealt by the warlock's eldritch blast is now known as eldritch damage. Force damage is also now eldritch damage.
Healing
A cure spell restores one point of Constitution damage due to wounding for every 5 hit points it restores. It does not restore Constitution damage due to extreme temperature, poison, or direct ability damage.

DEFENCE AND PROTECTION
Defence is equivalent in function to Armour Class. A standard D&D character may be converted to the Defence system as follows:
Start with 10. Add size bonus as you would for Armour Class. For any levels in a class (or monster type) which has a good base Reflex save (1/2 x HD + 2), add that base Reflex save. For any levels in a class (or monster type) which is proficient with shields or heavy armour, add a good base Reflex save (1/2 x HD + 2). (Note: Shields and heavy armour do not exist in this setting.) For any levels in a class (or monster type) which has a poor base Reflex save (1/3 x HD) and is not proficient with shields or heavy armour, add a poor base Reflex save. Add Dexterity bonus as for Armour Class. Add any other bonuses to Armour Class except armour bonuses and natural armour bonuses.
Protection is equivalent in function to Damage Reduction. A standard D&D character may be converted to the Protection system as follows:
If the character has no natural armour and no Damage Reduction, her unarmoured Protection score is 0. If the character has nonmagical natural armour but no Damage Reduction, her Protection score is equal to her natural armour bonus - 3 (to a minimum of 0). The protection is negated by piercing weapons.
Any magic that grants a natural armour bonus now grants that same bonus to Protection, with no reduction. If the character has Damage Reduction but no nonmagical natural armour, her Protection score is equal to her Damage Reduction. If the Damage Reduction is negated by certain energy types or materials, so is the protection. (Note, however, that the Shadows of Time setting has different energy types and different materials from the standard D&D universe.) If the character has nonmagical natural armour and Damage Reduction, her Protection score is equal to her natural armour bonus + her Damage Reduction - 5. If the Damage Reduction is negated under certain conditions, so is the protection (the entire protection). Note that armour is hard to come by in this setting. However, if the character has armour, the armour gives her a Protection bonus. The protection granted by armour must be tracked separately from the protection granted by natural armour and Damage Reduction; it is not generally subject to the same negation conditions. The protection bonus of nonmagical armour is negated by piercing weapons.

EFFECTS OF HEAT AND COLD
There are eight categories of temperature: extremely cold, below -29°C (-20°F); severely cold, from -29° to -9°C (-20° to 16°F); cold, from -9° to 6°C (16° to 43°F); cool, from 6° to 16°C (43° to 61°F); warm, from 16° to 26°C (61° to 79°F); hot, from 26° to 41°C (79° to 106°F); severely hot, from 41° to 61°C (106° to 142°F); and extremely hot, above 61°C (142°F).
Under cold conditions, a character must make a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15 + 1 per previous check) or take 1d6 damage and become fatigued. Under severely cold conditions, the character must make the Fortitude save every ten minutes; the effects are the same. Under extremely cold conditions, a character takes 2d6 damage every minute on an unsuccessful Fortitude save, and even a successful save only halves the damage.
If a character reaches 0 hit points due to cold, she becomes exhausted. If she reaches -(her Constitution score) hit points due to cold and falls unconscious, she continues to make Fortitude saves every hour, every ten minutes, or every minute — but, on a failed save, she loses 1 point of Constitution rather than 1d6 hit points.
Under hot conditions, a character must make a Fortitude save each hour (DC 15 + 1 per previous check) or take 1d6 damage and become fatigued. Under severely hot conditions, the character must make the Fortitude save every ten minutes; the effects are the same. Under extremely hot conditions, a character takes 2d6 damage every minute on an unsuccessful Fortitude save, and even a successful save only halves the damage.
If a character reaches 0 hit points due to heat, she becomes exhausted. If she reaches -(her Constitution score) hit points due to heat and falls unconscious, she continues to make Fortitude saves every hour, every ten minutes, or every minute — but, on a failed save, she loses 1 point of Constitution rather than 1d6 hit points.
Large bodies heat up and cool down more slowly than smaller ones. If the character is not Medium, she applies a size modifier to her Fortitude saves against the effects of temperature. This modifier is similar to her size modifier to defence and attack, but reversed: larger characters get bonuses to Fortitude saves against extremes of temperature (+1 Large, +2 Huge, +4 Gargantuan, +8 Colossal), while smaller characters get penalties (-1 Small, -2 Tiny, -4 Diminutive, -8 Fine).
Creatures which are immune to fire damage are also immune to the effects of heat. Creatures which are immune to cold damage are also immune to the effects of cold.

Modifying Temperature
If the heat is due to sunlight, shade lowers effective temperature by one category.
Strong or severe winds lower effective temperature by one category, more powerful winds by two.
Immersion in cold water (including just having wet skin) lowers effective temperature by two categories.
Strenuous activity, such as combat or hustling, raises effective temperature by one category. Eating substantial food raises effective temperature by one category, to a maximum of Warm. For an hour after eating, it also creates a +4 penalty to any Strength- and Dexterity- based activities that would be affected by an armour check penalty (including attack rolls). As with armour check penalties, the penalty to Swim is doubled.
Drinking substantial amounts of water lowers effective temperature by one category to a minimum of Cool.
The fur of most mammals (other than humanoids) raises their effective temperature by one category. If they come from especially cold areas, or if they grow thicker winter coats, fur raises their effective temperature by two categories. If the animal is skinned, its skin will provide a similar bonus to temperature for its wearer. However, the bonus is really due to the wearer's body heat; if she becomes exhausted due to excessive cold, she does not gain this bonus unless an additional source of heat is placed in the fur with her.

Reversing Temperature Effects
A character who has suffered damage due to cold conditions can reverse that damage by entering a warm or hotter environment. She makes a Fortitude save against the effects of cold at the same DC as her most recent save, -5 for each temperature category the environment is above Warm (that is, -5 if it is hot, -10 if severely hot, and -15 if extremely hot). If successful, she regains 1d6 hit points. In an extremely hot environment, she regains 2d6 hit points, and 1d6 even on a failed save. She may make an additional save once per minute thereafter; the DC is reduced by 1 for each successful save. Only once she has recovered all the hit points lost from cold does she need to make saves against damage from heat (though she can still be burned if she touches fire directly).
A character who has suffered damage due to hot conditions can reverse that damage by entering a cool or colder environment. She makes a Fortitude save against the effects of heat at the same DC as her most recent save, -5 for each temperature category the environment is below Cool (that is, -5 if it is cold, -10 if severely cold, and -15 if extremely cold). If successful, she regains 1d6 hit points. In an extremely cold environment, she regains 2d6 hit points, and 1d6 even on a failed save. She may make an additional save once per minute thereafter; the DC is reduced by 1 for each successful save. Only once she has recovered all the hit points lost from heat does she need to make saves against damage from cold.
In either case, since large bodies heat up and cool down more slowly than smaller ones, her size modifier to Fortitude applies in reverse: Large or larger characters get penalties (-1 Large, -2 Huge, -4 Gargantuan, -8 Colossal), and Small or smaller characters get bonuses (+1 Small, +2 Tiny, +4 Diminutive, +8 Fine).

ALIGNMENT
Alignment as such does not apply in the Shadows of Time setting; it is replaced by mana and taint. See below.

MANA
Mana is a spiritual quality of supernatural origin, an energy corresponding to the degree of influence one may wield in the Spirit World. (See post #3: Cosmology and Biology.) To have mana is to have honour and authority. Mana is not exhausted by use, but it can be lost or gained according to one's actions, and it can also be imbued in inanimate objects.
Mana has three main components: Base mana score. To find your character's base mana score, add her Charisma modifier to her level. Merit modifiers. Mana is essentially a moral quality, which can be gained or lost through right or wrong action. Your character's inherent mana score is equal to her base mana plus the following merit modifiers:
{table=head]Action|Modifier

Extraordinary victory* | +2 or more (DM's discretion)

Fulfilling an oath | +1

Completing a quest | +1

Avenging a fallen comrade | +1

Turning aside from a quest | -1

Refusing a challenge (includes insults) | -1

Raising one's Taint score | -1

Breaking an oath | -2

Extraordinary defeat* | -2 or more (DM's discretion)[/table]*Typically, an "extraordinary victory" is one where characters succeed at an encounter of a level significantly higher than their own; an "extraordinary defeat" is one where characters fail at an encounter of a level significantly lower than their own.
Merit modifiers also apply to certain feats. (See post #7: Skills and Feats.) Acquired mana. Objects such as weapons can be imbued with mana. This grants them a certain degree of magical power, and neither raises nor lowers the owner's mana — provided the objects remain in her possession. If such an object is seized, the mana imbued in it passes to the captor. In such a case, the former possessor's mana falls by the amount imbued in the object, while the new possessor's mana rises by the amount imbued in the object. (See post #9: Equipment and Magic Items.)
Mana and Spellcasting
A spellcaster's mana determines how many spells she can have in effect at once. To determine whether a spellcaster has sufficient mana to cast a particular spell, first add up the spell levels of any spells she has cast which are currently in effect, except for those whose duration is Permanent. To this, add the level of the spell she intends to cast (regardless of its duration). If the total exceeds her mana, she may not cast the spell. For this purpose, a spell-like ability counts as a spell, though a supernatural ability does not.

TAINT
Taint is a corruption of the mind and body, originating in the Shadow World. (See post #3: Cosmology and Biology.) It can be contracted by spending time in the Shadow World, or from attacks by Shadow creatures. The Taint is measured in a Taint score, which applies as a penalty to the character's Constitution and Wisdom scores. Thus, if a character with Constitution 14 and Wisdom 13 acquires a Taint score of 5, her Constitution falls to 9 and her Wisdom to 8.
A creature whose Constitution is reduced by Taint appears ill, often coughing and sneezing or breaking out in ugly rashes. If a character's Taint score is higher than her Constitution, she must make a Fortitude save each day at a DC equal to (10 + her Taint score), or apply the balance as a penalty to her Strength and Dexterity scores for that day.
Thus, if a character with Constitution 14 acquires a Taint score of 8, her Constitution falls to 6 and she must make a DC 18 Fortitude save each day or apply a -2 penalty to her Strength and Dexterity for that day. If her Taint score rises to 9, her Constitution falls to 5 and she must make a DC 19 Fortitude save each day or apply a -4 penalty to her Strength and Dexterity for that day.
A creature whose Wisdom is reduced by Taint appears bewildered, often becoming forgetful and irresponsible or else unreasonably aggressive. If a character's Taint score is higher than her Wisdom, she must make a Will save each day at a DC equal to (10 + her Taint score), or suffer the effects of confusion or Tasha's hideous laughter (choose at random) whenever she is under pressure to perform that day (broadly, whenever she would be unable to take 10 on a skill check).
Thus, if a character with Wisdom 13 acquires a Taint score of 7, her Wisdom falls to 6 and she must make a DC 17 Will save each day or suffer the effects of confusion or Tasha's hideous laughter at stressful moments. If her Taint score rises to 8, her Wisdom falls to 5 and the Will save DC rises to 18.

Healing the Taint
Few healing spells can reduce the Taint. A remove disease or remove curse spell will reduce the subject's Taint score by 1 to a minimum of 1; a heal spell will reduce the subject's Taint score by 3 to a minimum of 1. Wish, miracle, and psychic chirurgery can do no better than to emulate heal; no other spell can reduce the Taint at all. Only the healing waters of the Spirit World can completely wash away the Taint. (See post #3: Cosmology and Biology.)

NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 05:03 AM
SHADOWS OF TIME: COSMOLOGY AND BIOLOGY

COSMOLOGY: THE THREE WORLDS
The Shadows of Time cosmology is simpler than that of standard D&D. There are just three planes of existence. They are not separate and distinct entities: all three are coexistent with each other. There are no demiplanes or extraplanar spaces anywhere, and no magic can create or open such spaces.
Legend has it that, when the worlds were being created, they were not three but one; a single plane known as the Dream World. At that time there was no death, no Taint, and all creatures were spirit beings. Then the great elemental dragons arose and warred with one another and with the titans, and from the vast spiritual energies expended in their rage and destruction the Shadow World came into being, and the Dream was ended.
The Three Worlds are: the Earthly World, the Shadow World, and the Spirit World. When a creature dies in the Earthly World, its spirit passes into the Shadow World. Though all spirits have the nature of the Spirit World within them, those trapped in the Shadow World are slowly destroyed by the nature of the Taint. A spirit (or the corpse it once animated) must be consecrated if it is to pass to the Spirit World.

THE EARTHLY WORLD
The Earthly World is the equivalent of the Material Plane. Both the Shadow World and the Spirit World are invisible from it, although the denizens of either may manifest themselves in the Earthly World.
Though equivalent in function to the Material Plane, a casual visitor might mistake the Earthly World for Ysgard or the Beastlands. It has oceans and continents, forests and mountains, and vast open skies. It is populated by plants and animals, the latter including vermin, beasts, dragons and humanoids. Some creatures born in it (notably dragons and fey) are spirit creatures, with connections to the Spirit World. Such creatures are referred to as "earthly spirits".
Being an analogue of the Material Plane, the Earthly World has the following traits: Normal gravity. Normal time. Alterable morphic. Normal magic.
All four elements operate in the Earthly World, though not so powerfully as in the Spirit World.

THE SHADOW WORLD
Nothing that has life or mind truly originates from the darkness of the Shadow World. However, many spirit creatures are trapped there: the ghosts of the dead, the soul fragments known as wisps, and the weird and terrifying coagulations of wisps that are the demons. And then there is the essence of the Shadow itself, which has neither life nor mind, nor indeed shape, but nevertheless preys upon the unwary.
The Shadow World is always dark and foggy. The thick, low cloud that fills the sky admits no light of sun, moon or stars, only a perpetual sickly greenish glow. Landmarks from the Earthly World may be briefly recognisable in twisted and broken form, but the only constant in the Shadow World is change. Each point of the Shadow World does indeed correspond to a location in the Earthly World, but distances and directions between locations are entirely arbitrary.
The Shadow World has the following traits: Highly morphic. The Shadow World is continually changing and flowing. The ground ripples and heaves, throwing adventurers into disarray. (Move randomly chosen areas of the map every 1d8 rounds as in the description of Limbo in the Dungeon Masters' Guide, p. 159; areas that move are subject to the effects of an earthquake spell in that round.) Sporadically negative-dominant. Approximately 10% of the Shadow World has the minor negative-dominant trait; approximately 1% has the major negative-dominant trait. Enhanced magic. Darkness spells, shadow spells, illusions and necromancies are enhanced in the Shadow World. Such spells are cast as though prepared with the Heighten Spell feat (heightened by three levels to a maximum of 9th level), though they don't require higher spell slots. Impeded magic. Elemental spells and healings may fail in the Shadow World. A spellcaster attempting to cast such a spell must succeed on a Spellcraft check (DC 20 + spell level) or it fails. Even if the Spellcraft check is successful, any fire spell cast in the Shadow World has its range halved. Tainted. Each day, a character in the Shadow World must make a Fortitude save against DC 10 + 5 per previous check, or her Taint score increases by 1. If the character has eaten an ounce (1/16 lb.) of salt during that day, she need not make the Fortitude save; it automatically succeeds. If the character eats anything that originated in the Shadow World, she must immediately make a Fortitude save against DC 40 or her Taint score increases by 5. Any character who dies in the Shadow World rises within 1d4 minutes as a ghost; her corpse appears at the corresponding location in the Earthly World. Entrapping. Each week, an earthly creature in the Shadow World must make a Will save (DC 10 + her Taint score) or become depressed, apathetic, and bitter. An entrapped character cannot leave the Shadow World of her own volition and has no desire to do so. Debilitating. Creatures trapped in the Shadow World for centuries lose parts of their spirits over time; the lost fragments appear as wisps. This process is too slow to realistically affect adventurers, however — a Shadow creature typically takes a -1 penalty to one ability score every century.
Interaction with the Shadow World
Creatures in the Shadow World cannot be seen from the Earthly World unless they choose to manifest themselves, which ghosts and demons can do but wisps and shadow ooze cannot. No Shadow creature can manifest in daylight.
Creatures in the Shadow World that manifest themselves are visible but incorporeal in the Earthly World. A Shadow creature cannot affect the Earthly World unless it manifests itself.
When it is night in the Earthly World, its inhabitants can be seen in the Shadow World, translucent and incorporeal but quite visible. If natural daylight falls on an Earthly creature, then — as seen from the Shadow World — the creature disappears and reappears randomly as if subject to a blink spell.
Obsidian items and magic items in the Earthly World have a 50% chance of affecting creatures in the Shadow World + 2% per point of mana imbued in them. Spells cast in the Earthly World to target Shadow creatures have a 50% chance + 1% per caster level of succeeding, unless they are light or positive energy spells, in which case the chance is 60% + 2% per caster level.
Salt (coated on an item, carved into a weapon, or thrown like dust) deals acid damage to Shadow creatures. However, unless the salted item is obsidian or magical, or the salt is taken into the Shadow World by magic, it can only affect creatures that are manifesting.
Areas of the Earthly World can become so Tainted (for instance, by an unhallow spell) that Shadow creatures are able to materialize fully there, becoming corporeal. Even in such places, no Shadow creature can manifest in daylight.
A character who has died and is trapped as a ghost in the Shadow World cannot be raised or resurrected, even by true resurrection. She can, however, be summoned by a raise ghost spell. See post #8: Spells.

THE SPIRIT WORLD
The Spirit World is similar in general appearance to the Earthly World, but it is more excellent in every way. Colours are brighter, mountains are taller, the air is sweeter and more fragrant. Hallowed spirits find their home here, growing more enlightened and more at one with the universe. Visiting characters who are not spirit creatures are overpowered by the intensity of their sensations, suffering penalties as if dazzled (-1 to attack, Search, and Spot).
In the Spirit World, spirit creatures, including Earthly spirits, generate an aura of courage like an experienced paladin: allies within 10 feet (including the spirit creature herself) gain +4 to saving throws versus fear. Spirits who are native to the Spirit World, not Earthly spirits, radiate an aura of menace when angry or in combat: hostile creatures within 20 feet must make a Will save (DC = 10 + 1/2 spirit's HD + spirit's Charisma + spirit's merit bonuses to mana) or take a -2 penalty on attacks, defence, and saves for 24 hours or until they successfully attack the spirit that generated the aura.
Objects without a mana score cannot be brought to the Spirit World by any magical means. Tainted objects or characters cannot enter the Spirit World unless their mana score is higher than their Taint score, and their Taint score applies as a merit penalty to their mana for all purposes while in the Spirit World.
The Spirit World has the following traits: Timeless. Days and nights pass in the Spirit World, but characters do not need to eat or sleep, although they can eat if they wish to do so; certain foods found in the Spirit World have magical effects. Additionally, characters do not age in the Spirit World — but, upon returning to the Earthly World, any lost age catches up with the character instantly. Any corpse brought to the Spirit World, and the body of any character who dies in the Spirit World, is affected as if by a gentle repose spell until such time as it is returned to the Earthly World. Impeded morphic. Any character of Earthly origin attempting to manipulate an object in the Spirit World must make a mana check against DC 20 (DC 15 for Earthly spirits) or find it immovable, unbreakable, and impossible to affect in any way. Similarly, any attack by an Earthly character against a Spirit foe in the Spirit World will bounce off harmlessly unless the attacker succeeds on a mana check against DC 10 + foe's mana (DC 5 + foe's mana for Earthly spirits). Locally positive-dominant. Flowing water in the Spirit World has the minor positive-dominant trait. A drink from a Spirit stream functions as a potion of cure light wounds. Full immersion in Spirit water removes 1 point of Taint per minute, and is the only thing that can reduce one's Taint score to 0. Enhanced magic. Elemental spells and healing spells are enhanced in the Spirit World. Such spells are cast as though prepared with the Heighten Spell feat (heightened by three levels to a maximum of 9th level), though they don't require higher spell slots. Impeded magic. Illusions and darkness spells function imperfectly in the Spirit World, creating only blurriness, not darkness or invisibility. Necromancies with numerical variables are minimized (damage die roll set to 1); necromancies which produce partial effects on a successful save instead produce partial effects on a failed save and no effect at all on a success; necromancies which actually affect corpses or create undead creatures instead fail to function altogether. Entrapping. Each week, an Earthly creature in the Spirit World must make a Will save (DC 10 + 1 per previous check) or become unnaturally calm, at peace, and satisfied with her circumstances. An entrapped character cannot leave the Spirit World of her own volition and has no desire to do so. Enlightening. Creatures who remain in the Spirit World for centuries become attuned to it, developing a form of telepathy that links them to other spirits, so that their identity is gradually merged into the very fabric of the plane. This process is too slow to realistically affect adventurers, however; it generally takes some seven to ten thousand years to complete.
Interacting with the Spirit World
Creatures in the Spirit World cannot be seen from the Earthly World unless they choose to manifest themselves. Unlike Shadow creatures, a Spirit creature can choose to manifest itself selectively, so that some Earthly creatures can see it and others cannot.
Creatures in the Spirit World that manifest themselves are visible but incorporeal in the Earthly World. A creature in the Spirit World can affect only those in the Earthly World to whom it manifests itself. A creature in the Spirit World cannot affect unattended, inanimate objects in the Earthly World unless it manifests itself non-selectively to all Earthly creatures.
Creatures in the Spirit World cannot be seen in the Shadow World, nor can they affect it in any way.
Creatures in the Earthly World are visible, though translucent and incorporeal, in the Spirit World. Creatures who have become invisible by magic are still visible from the Spirit World, just slightly blurred.
Creatures in the Shadow World appear in the Spirit World only as shadows moving over the ground. Tainted areas in the Earthly World, where Shadow creatures can materialize fully, are treated as being in the Shadow World for these purposes — all creatures in them are visible only as shadows in the Spirit World.
Obsidian items and magic items in the Earthly World have a 50% chance of affecting creatures in the Spirit World + 2% per point of mana imbued in them. Spells cast in the Earthly World to target Spirit creatures have a 50% chance + 1% per caster level of succeeding, unless they are eldritch or negative energy spells, in which case the chance is 60% + 2% per caster level.
Areas in the Earthly World can become so sacred (for instance, by a hallow spell) that Spirit creatures can materialize fully there, becoming corporeal. Additionally, nature spirits — spirits who have become mystically bound to a particular feature of the landscape — can materialize fully, becoming corporeal, within 100 yards of their chosen feature.
A dead character who has been consecrated and has passed to the Spirit World cannot be animated as an undead creature. She can be raised or resurrected, but, although she becomes corporeal, she remains a spirit creature (she becomes an Earthly spirit). Such a character must be persuaded to return to the Earthly World by inviting her to participate in a task or quest that she had already embarked on, but not completed, before she died. If there is no such task, the spell fails. When the task is completed, she disappears from the Earthly World immediately, returning to the Spirit World.
Spirits can also be summoned from the Spirit World by certain spells. See Post #8: Spells.

Consecrating a Dead Character
The easiest way to ensure that a character's soul passes to the Spirit World is to cast a consecrate or hallow spell on the area which contains her corpse, or to bring her corpse to an area which has already been consecrated or hallowed. Provided the character's Taint score has not already risen to exceed her mana as a result of the time her soul has spent in the Shadow World, this is all that need be done; once in the Spirit World, her spirit will seek out Spirit waters in which to bathe and cleanse away any remaining Taint.
Characters who cannot cast consecrate or hallow can still consecrate their fallen friends, but it takes a great toll on their souls. The living characters can perform a ritual which takes an entire day (and must be performed in daylight). In the process of this ritual, the living characters spend a total number of XP determined by the dead character's Taint score — including Taint acquired while trapped in the Shadow World after death — according to the following table: {table=head]Taint Score|XP Required

0|1000

1|1400

2|2600

3|4600

4|7400

5|11,000

6|15,400

7|20,600

8|26,600

9|33,400

10|41,000

|etc. (= 1000 + 400 x Taint squared)[/table]If the corpse is not available, the living characters must travel to the Shadow World and track down the anguished soul of their companion. If the living characters do not contribute enough XP, the dead character remains in the Shadow World and the ritual must be performed again, making up the balance of the required XP, before she is freed. The XP cost can be shared out as desired among willing characters.
If the dead character's Taint score is higher than her mana, then this ritual must be performed even if she is brought to a consecrated or hallowed area — but the amount of XP required is determined by the dead character's Taint score minus her mana. Thus, a character with a Taint score of 17 and a mana score of 14 requires 4600 XP to consecrate in a hallowed area.
If some of the dead character's mana is imbued in her possessions, those possessions must be destroyed in the course of the ritual or their mana does not count towards countering her Taint. If she is later raised or resurrected, the broken remains of these possessions will be magically repaired and available for her use.
The ritual of consecration can also be performed upon demons, with the end result that the demon is destroyed. Knowing this, demons resist the ritual with all their (considerable) might.

BIOLOGY: CREATURE CLASSIFICATION
The Shadows of Time setting's creature classification system is quite different from that of standard D&D. Creature types are determined according to their kind and their world of origin. The creature classifications are as follows.

Earthly World Creatures
Creatures originating from the Earthly World are either animals or plants. Most plants are not conscious, and hence are objects rather than creatures. The Earthly World does however include some animate plants, and these have the Plant type.
"Animals" encompass four types (all of whom have the Animal subtype). Most animals in the Earthly World have the Vermin type, but most of those that are large enough to impact on adventurers' lives have the Beast type. Most vermin are mindless, while most beasts have an Intelligence score of 2 or less. Exceptions, though the minority, are not uncommon, and such enhanced vermin or beasts have the Spirit subtype.
Two groups of animals have become so distinct from their Beastly relatives that they warrant separate types: the Dragons, relatives of the Reptilians, and the Humanoids, an offshoot of the Simians. Dragons and some Humanoids have the Spirit subtype. All animals with the Spirit subtype are earthly spirits.
Humanoids can be further divided into five subtypes: Fey, Giants, Goblins, Humans, and Trolls. Fey include the elves and gnomes, and also the more powerful huldu and pixies. All Fey have the Spirit subtype. Giants come in three varieties: common giants, mountain giants, and titans. Titans have the Spirit subtype. Goblins include common goblins, hobgoblins, and imps. Humans are the youngest of the humanoid subtypes, and come in just one race. Trolls vary greatly in size, encompassing dwarves, common trolls (formerly known as orcs), wood trolls (ogres), and mountain trolls (or hill giants). Additionally, some humanoids from every race acquire, or are born with, the Shapechanger subtype.See post #3: Races and post #10: Creatures.

Shadow World Creatures
Nothing that has life or mind truly originates from the Shadow World. However, a number of spirits have their home there. These spirits can be divided into three types: the Ghosts, spirits of the dead; the Wisps, fragments of lost souls; and the Demons, conglomerations of wisps that have gained a will and sentience of their own. All three have the Shadow and Spirit subtypes. All are corporeal in the Shadow World. Ghosts and Demons can manifest themselves in the Earthly World, but are incorporeal there.
Ghosts are recognisable to those who knew them in life, but they are always tortured and often insane due to the horrors of being trapped in the Shadow World. They are the "undead" of the Shadows of Time setting. See post #10: Creatures.
Wisps are small and almost powerless, little balls of sickly green light that float about the Shadow World. Each has just one mood, mindset, or behaviour pattern. They are therefore, strictly speaking, mindless. They can, however, capture and possess the unsuspecting. See post #10: Creatures.
Demons are created when aggressive Wisps attempt to capture and possess each other, thus forming composite creatures with multiple different states of mind — always dominated by aggression. They take various shapes, almost always hideous to behold. See post #10: Creatures.
Finally, the Shadow World contains one more creature type: the Oozes. These lifeless, mindless, formless beings crawl about the Shadow World devouring everything in their path. They have the Shadow subtype but not the Spirit subtype. They cannot manifest themselves in the Earthly World.

Spirit World Creatures
The inhabitants of the Spirit World are noble and august, and are seldom seen in the Earthly World. In their gradual attainment of enlightenment and spiritual power, they abandon distinctions between themselves. For Spirit World creatures, "Spirit" is a type rather than a subtype. That said, any effect which applies to a creature of the Spirit subtype also applies to a creature of the Spirit type.

NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 05:05 AM
SHADOWS OF TIME: RACES
As in the standard D&D setting, players begin character creation by choosing a race. Many of these are similar to those in the Player's Handbook. One major difference, however, is that most Shadows of Time races have fewer special abilities. This is because, in addition to her race, every character has a tribe, and will derive some abilities from that tribe.
For illustration, consider the D&D halfling. Certain of the halfling's racial abilities (+2 bonus on Listen checks, +2 bonus on Climb, Jump, and Move Silently checks) are derived from its physical characteristics (keen ears, agile build). If there were halflings in Shadows of Time (there aren't), they would have these same racial abilities. But the halfling's +1 bonus on attacks with thrown weapons and slings is derived from the halfling custom of throwing and slinging stones. In Shadows of Time, this would be a tribal ability; some tribes would have this custom, while others might have concentrated on the shortbow or the blowpipe. Some suggested tribal abilities are given in post #7: Skills and Feats.
Likewise, there are no racial languages in Shadows of Time; each tribe has its own language. As a rule, allied tribes, who spend a good deal of time interacting with each other, find one another's languages easier to understand than those of enemy tribes. See the Communicate skill in post #7: Skills and Feats.
However, the races do have favoured classes, common to all tribes of that race; despite the tribal variation, each race's strengths and weaknesses make its members more suited for some lifestyles than for others. See post #5: Classes for new rules on multiclassing.
The common races of Shadows of Time are set out below. Spoiler tags are used to reduce length. Only races of LA = 0 are described here. For more powerful character races, see post #10: Creatures.

HUMANSPhysical Description: Humans typically stand from five to six feet tall and weigh from 125 to 250 pounds. Males are noticeably taller and heavier than females. Compared to most other humanoid races, humans have distinctively rounded ears. Human skin ranges in colour from near-black to pale yellowish pink, though there is comparatively little variation within any given tribe.
Human hair is usually black or brown, but in some individuals may be straw-yellow or even (rarely) reddish. Males grow facial hair on the cheeks and chin and between the mouth and nose, and their body hair is generally thicker than that of the females. Both sexes grow long hair on the head, which generally falls to about the mid-back unless it is artificially shortened (which many tribes do, some even shaving it off). Older males may lose this hair partially or entirely.
Personality: Humans are adaptable and inquisitive, but tend towards cynicism and greed. Though humans are quite capable of learning the magical arts, many tribes dislike certain forms of magic and may forbid their practice. Sorcerers, witches, and warlocks, in particular, are liable to find themselves unwelcome in human tribal lands.

HUMAN RACIAL TRAITS Medium size. Base land speed 30 feet. Favoured class: Any.

HUMAN AGE, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT
HUMAN AGE
{table=head]Age Category|Years

Adult (adventuring)|15 (+1d4)

Middle Age|35 + Con*

Old|54 + 1 1/2 x Con*

Venerable|73 + 2 x Con*

Maximum Age|+ 2d20 + Con*[/table]*Constitution is reduced at each new age category (see the Player's Handbook p. 109); use your character's current Con bonus to determine when they enter a new age category. For instance, if she is middle-aged, 54 + 1 1/2 x her current (middle-aged) Constitution bonus determines when she will become old. Ignore temporary ability damage for these purposes.
HUMAN HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
{table]Gender|Female|Male

Base Height|4'5"|4'10"

Height Modifier|+2d10"|+2d10"

Base Weight|75 lb.|110 lb.

Weight Modifier|+(2d4 x height modifier) + (Strength score) lb.|+(2d4 x height modifier) + (Strength score) lb.[/table]


DWARVESPhysical Description: Dwarves stand about four feet tall and weigh about 115 to 200 pounds, with males slightly larger than females. Dwarves are powerfully built, with the large noses, low foreheads, and thick brow-ridges typical of the troll races. Dwarf skin varies from near-black to light brown, with occasional coppery red individuals.
Dwarf hair may be black, blond, or gingery. Both sexes grow shoulder-length head hair; males invariably lose it in older age. Males grow long beards, and older females commonly have tufts of hair around their cheeks and chin.
Personality: Dwarves are more intelligent than most of their fellow trolls, but are still inclined to be gruff and uncouth. They tend to be stolid and poker-faced in the presence of any but their closest tribemates; it takes a good deal of effort to become really good friends with a dwarf. When roused, their aggression is terrible to behold, but it can be slow-burning, as the dwarf takes months or even years to devise the most vicious revenge possible.

DWARF RACIAL TRAITS +2 Constitution, -2 Charisma. Medium size. Base land speed 20 feet. However, dwarves can move at this speed even when carrying a medium or heavy load. Night vision. A dwarf's Spot and Search checks are not encumbered by poor light levels, though she still cannot see in total blackness. (See post #7: Skills and Feats.) Blindsense. A dwarf who is unable to see can still pinpoint the location of any creature within 60 feet to which she has line of effect. Stability. A dwarf gains a +4 bonus on checks to avoid being bull rushed or tripped when standing on the ground. A dwarf also gains +2 to Balance checks when standing on the ground. +2 racial bonus on saving throws against poison. +2 racial bonus on saving throws against spells and spell-like effects. Light sensitivity. Dwarves are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Favoured class: Barbarian.

DWARF AGE, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT
DWARF AGE
{table=head]Age Category|Years

Adult (adventuring)|20 (+1d6)

Middle Age|60 + Con*

Old|92 + 1 1/2 x Con*

Venerable|130 + 2 x Con*

Maximum Age|+ 3d20 + Con*[/table]*Constitution is reduced at each new age category (see the Player's Handbook p. 109); use your character's current Con bonus to determine when they enter a new age category. For instance, if she is middle-aged, 60 + 1 1/2 x her current (middle-aged) Constitution bonus determines when she will become old. Ignore temporary ability damage for these purposes.
DWARF HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
{table]Gender|Female|Male

Base Height|3'6"|4'0"

Height Modifier|+2d4"|+2d4"

Base Weight|90 lb.|110 lb.

Weight Modifier|+(2d6 x height modifier) + (Strength score) lb.|+(2d6 x height modifier) + (Strength score) lb.[/table]


ELVESPhysical Description: Elves are usually about five feet tall, and slim at 90 pounds. There is no difference in size and weight between the genders, and, unlike most humanoids, only a subtle difference in the pitch of the voice (which is always clear and strong). Elves have deep, narrow faces, with downward-angled noses, large expressive eyes, and elegant pointed ears. Elf skin varies more in colour even than human skin, with white, gold, and black being common, and other colours (such as deep green or mauve) rare but not unknown.
Elf head hair is long, often hanging down to the hips or standing out beyond the shoulders. Elves with ligher skin colours tend to have dark hair, and vice versa. Elf hair can be red, golden, white, black, or blue. Males grow short beards on the chin and wisps of hair on the upper lip. Elf body hair is generally very sparse. Older elves, especially males, may have long, bushy eyebrows. No elf of any age suffers from baldness.
Personality: Elves have immense self-confidence, which those who are unfamiliar with them often mistake for arrogance. It is very hard to make an elf feel embarrassment, and they tend to embarrass their companions when among less easy-going people, due to their complete unconcern for trivial social niceties. Elves are quite capable of mastering such things — it's just that, most of the time, they don't care.

ELF RACIAL TRAITS +2 Dexterity, +2 Charisma, -2 Strength. Medium size. Base land speed 30 feet. Twilight vision. An elf can see twice as far as a human in conditions of poor illumination. Immunity to sleep spells and effects. +2 racial bonus on saving throws against enchantment spells or effects. +2 racial bonus to Listen, Search and Spot. Elves treat Listen and Spot as class skills. See post #7: Skills and Feats. An elf's tribal ability may be a 0-level spell-like ability taken from the bard spell list. Favoured class: Bard.

ELF AGE, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT
ELF AGE
{table=head]Age Category|Years

Adult (adventuring)|40 (+3d6)

Middle Age|100 + Con*

Old|150 + 1 1/2 x Con*

Venerable|200 + 2 x Con*

Maximum Age|+ 3d% + Con*[/table]*Constitution is reduced at each new age category (see the Player's Handbook p. 109); use your character's current Con bonus to determine when they enter a new age category. For instance, if she is middle-aged, 100 + 1 1/2 x her current (middle-aged) Constitution bonus determines when she will become old. Ignore temporary ability damage for these purposes.
ELF HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
{table]Gender|Female|Male

Base Height|4'5"|4'5"

Height Modifier|+2d6"|+2d6"

Base Weight|72 lb.|72 lb.

Weight Modifier|+(1d6 x height modifier) + (Strength score) lb.|+(1d6 x height modifier) + (Strength score) lb.[/table]


GNOMESPhysical Description: Gnomes are portly little fey, standing three feet tall and weighing 40 to 50 pounds. Males are, on average, very slightly larger than females. Gnomes have long, narrow noses, startlingly bright eyes, and sharp pointed ears. Gnome skin is usually coffee-brown.
Gnome hair is curly or frizzy, standing out from the head in a round mop. Males grow long beards. Most gnomes are either black or blond-haired, but shades of coppery red or pale blue are not uncommon. Elderly males commonly lose hair from the top of their heads.
Personality: Gnomes are quiet, unassuming, and good-humoured. They do not hold grudges, and, when threatened, prefer to conceal themselves and mislead their foes rather than attack them head on. When members of other races get over-excited or aggressive, it is often gnomes who call for calm and reason. Gnomes greatly appreciate the simple pleasures in life, such as food and good company.

GNOME RACIAL TRAITS +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom, -2 Strength. Small size. Base land speed 20 feet. Twilight vision. A gnome can see twice as far as a human in conditions of poor illumination. +2 racial bonus on saving throws against illusion spells and effects. +2 racial bonus on saving throws against fear effects. +2 racial bonus to Listen. Gnomes treat Listen as a class skill, and may take ranks in Scent (though only as a cross-class skill). See post #7: Skills and Feats. A gnome's tribal ability may be a 0-level spell-like ability taken from the Shaman spell list. Favoured class: Shaman.

GNOME AGE, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT
GNOME AGE
{table=head]Age Category|Years

Adult (adventuring)|50 (+2d6)

Middle Age|120 + Con*

Old|180 + 1 1/2 x Con*

Venerable|240 + 2 x Con*

Maximum Age|+ 3d% + Con*[/table]*Constitution is reduced at each new age category (see the Player's Handbook p. 109); use your character's current Con bonus to determine when they enter a new age category. For instance, if she is middle-aged, 120 + 1 1/2 x her current (middle-aged) Constitution bonus determines when she will become old. Ignore temporary ability damage for these purposes.
GNOME HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
{table]Gender|Female|Male

Base Height|2'8"|2'9"

Height Modifier|+2d4"|+2d4"

Base Weight|36 lb.|38 lb.

Weight Modifier|+(height modifier) + 1/2 (Strength score) lb.|+(height modifier) + 1/2 (Strength score) lb.[/table]


GOBLINSPhysical Description: Goblins stand a little over three feet tall, and weigh about forty pounds. Females are significantly larger than males. Goblins have very long arms, large ears, and snub noses. They quickly grow pot-bellied in times of plenty, but their limbs remain lean and wiry. Goblin skin may be coppery, coffee-brown, gold, dark grey, or greenish.
Goblin hair is straight, coarse, and black; at puberty, the hair on top of the head thins severely, and in males is entirely lost. Goblins do, however, grow long hair from the backs of their heads, and most tribes braid it or plait it. Males grow moustaches and goatees.
Personality: Goblins are inquisitive, flighty, and garrulous. A goblin tribal gathering can be heard miles away. Though they are easily frightened, when faced with a threat they will gang up in large numbers to see it off. Lacking patience, they are easily bored; an adventuring party that includes a goblin must be willing to put up with frequent pranks and reckless behaviour.

GOBLIN RACIAL TRAITS +2 Dexterity, -2 Strength. Small size. Base land speed 30 feet. Twilight vision. A goblin can see twice as far as a human in conditions of poor illumination. +2 racial bonus to Climb, Jump, and Move Silently. +2 racial bonus to Listen. Goblins treat Listen as a class skill. See post #7: Skills and Feats. Favoured class: Tracker.

GOBLIN AGE, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT
GOBLIN AGE
{table=head]Age Category|Years

Adult (adventuring)|14 (+1d4)

Middle Age|35 + Con*

Old|70 + 1 1/2 x Con*

Venerable|100 + 2 x Con*

Maximum Age|+ 5d20 + Con*[/table]*Constitution is reduced at each new age category (see the Player's Handbook p. 109); use your character's current Con bonus to determine when they enter a new age category. For instance, if she is middle-aged, 70 + 1 1/2 x her current (middle-aged) Constitution bonus determines when she will become old. Ignore temporary ability damage for these purposes.
GOBLIN HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
{table]Gender|Female|Male

Base Height|3'0"|2'8"

Height Modifier|+2d4"|+2d4"

Base Weight|30 lb.|25 lb.

Weight Modifier|+(height modifier) + 1/2 (Strength score) lb.|+(height modifier) + 1/2 (Strength score) lb.[/table]


TROLLSPhysical Description: Usually referred to simply as "trolls" (though, strictly speaking, that term applies to the dwarves as well), common trolls grow to six feet or more, and weigh over two hundred pounds. Males are much larger and heavier than females. Trolls are beetle-browed with small, deep-set eyes and immense noses. Their skin shades from pale grey to dark olive green.
Trolls of both genders grow shaggy black or straw-coloured manes over their heads and cheeks, but only males add moustaches and chin beards to this. Males are usually bald on top by middle age.
Personality: Common trolls are gentle and placid creatures, slow to anger or aggression, and patient with difficult tasks. Most are somewhat lacking in intellect. If a troll does become angry, however, it is wise to flee; they are immensely powerful and, once roused, will readily tear their enemies limb from limb.

TROLL RACIAL TRAITS+4 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma. Medium size. Base land speed 30 feet. Night vision. A troll's Spot and Search checks are not encumbered by poor light levels, though she still cannot see in total blackness. (See post #7: Skills and Feats.) Blindsense. A troll who is unable to see can still pinpoint the location of any creature within 60 feet to which she has line of effect. Light sensitivity. Trolls are dazzled in bright sunlight or within the radius of a daylight spell. Favoured class: Brawler.

TROLL AGE, HEIGHT, AND WEIGHT
TROLL AGE
{table=head]Age Category|Years

Adult (adventuring)|18 (+1d4)

Middle Age|48 + Con*

Old|78 + 1 1/2 x Con*

Venerable|100 + 2 x Con*

Maximum Age|+ 2d20 + Con*[/table]*Constitution is reduced at each new age category (see the Player's Handbook p. 109); use your character's current Con bonus to determine when they enter a new age category. For instance, if she is middle-aged, 78 + 1 1/2 x her current (middle-aged) Constitution bonus determines when she will become old. Ignore temporary ability damage for these purposes.
TROLL HEIGHT AND WEIGHT
{table]Gender|Female|Male

Base Height|4'6"|5'0"

Height Modifier|+2d12"|+2d12"

Base Weight|96 lb.|144 lb.

Weight Modifier|+(2d6 x height modifier) + (Strength score) lb.|+(2d6 x height modifier) + (Strength score) lb.[/table]

NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 05:06 AM
SHADOWS OF TIME: CLASSES
The following base classes are available in the Shadows of Time setting. Some are Player's Handbook classes, or slightly modified versions; others are from other sources. The brawler, slayer, tracker and witchdoctor are my own. In all cases, the class has a base defence score that rises with level (see post #2: Mechanics), and class skills should be altered to fit the Shadows of Time skill set (see post #7: Skills and Feats).
The base classes of Shadows of Time are set out below. Spoiler tags are used for classes laid out in full. Regrettably, class abilities cannot be set out properly in tables as this would put the post over the character limit, but all necessary information should be easy enough to find.

BARBARIAN
Applied to Shadows of Time, the term "barbarian" is something of a misnomer — there is no "civilization" to distinguish barbarians from. Most tribal languages' word for this class would translate better as "angry warrior" or "furious one". Alongside fighters, barbarians are the mainstay of their tribes' warrior forces.

The barbarian class in Shadows of Time is distinguished from that of the Player's Handbook by its base defence score (see post #2: Mechanics) and its skill set (see post #7: Skills and Feats). The Shadows of Time barbarian does not gain Trap Sense as a class feature.

BARD
Shadows of Time bards are not merely entertainers and sweet-tongued tricksters — though they fill both roles extremely well. A bard is his tribe's historian and ambassador, and a gatherer and bearer of news. Additionally, the bards of neighbouring tribes typically belong to a bardic brotherhood, who meet in secret in the depths of the forest to sing, tell tales, and share secrets. Whether all the tales are true... now, there's a question many a warrior has had cause to ponder who went to war on the word of a bard.

The bard class in Shadows of Time is distinguished from that of the Player's Handbook by its base defence score (see post #2: Mechanics), its skill set (see post #7: Skills and Feats), and its spell list (see post #8: Spells). Additionally, when using a bardic music ability, a bard adds his merit modifiers to mana to his ranks in the Perform skill both for determining whether he can use a particular ability and for actually making Perform checks.

BRAWLER
The brawler is a specialist warrior, prone to bloodthirsty rages like the barbarian — but nothing stands between her and her foe, not even the finicky pieces of wood and stone that others call "weaponry". She strikes with her fists, elbows, knees, feet, and forehead, and may fling things at her enemies if they are out of her reach. Though brawlers are rare (except in troll and giant tribes), they are highly respected by most warriors.

Hit Die: d10.
Base Attack Bonus: High (=level).
Base Defence Score: High (12 + 1/2 level) — with an added bonus (see below).
Fortitude Save: High (2 + 1/2 level).
Reflex Save: High (2 + 1/2 level).
Will Save: Low (1/3 level).

Class Skills: The brawler's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Jump (Str), Lore (tribal habitat) (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str) and Tumble (Dex).
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st level).

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A brawler is proficient with her unarmed strike and with improvised thrown weapons. She is not proficient with armour. She may enhance her unarmed strike with worn weapons such as spiked knuckle-straps with no penalty for non-proficiency, but, with her hands so weighed down, she cannot strike with a flurry of blows.
Defence Bonus (Ex): When unarmoured and unencumbered, a brawler adds her Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma bonus (if any) to her defence. She must choose one of the three at first level; once chosen, it cannot be changed. At 5th level and every fifth level thereafter, her unencumbered defence bonus rises by +1.
Flurry of Blows (Ex): When unarmoured and in a rage, a brawler may strike with a flurry of blows at the expense of accuracy. When doing so, she may make one extra attack in a round at her highest base attack bonus, but this attack takes a -3 penalty, as does each other attack made that round. A brawler must make a full attack action to strike with a flurry of blows, and she may attack only with unarmed strikes.
Martial Arts Feat: At 2nd level, and at every fourth level thereafter, the brawler gains a bonus martial arts feat. The martial arts feats available to the brawler are as follows:
Level 2: Choke Hold, Circle Kick, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Roll, Defensive Strike, Defensive Throw¹, Deflect Arrows, Dodge, Dwarf Toss, Flying Kick, Grappling Block, Improved Bull Rush, Improved Full-Circle Throw, Improved Grapple², Improved Initiative, Improved Overrun, Improved Trip, Lunge, Melee Throw, Mobility, Opportunist¹, Power Attack, Prone Attack¹, Quick Scoop, Roundabout Kick, Skill Focus (balance, jump, or tumble), Snatch Arrows, Weapon Focus (unarmed strike), Whirlwind Attack.
Level 6: Improved Disarm¹·², Spring Attack¹, Stunning Fist.
Level 10: Improved Critical (unarmed strike).
¹This bonus feat applies only to unarmed attacks; to use it with other attacks, the brawler must take it as a regular feat.
²The brawler need not have this feat's usual prerequisites to take it as a bonus feat.
See post #7: Skills and Feats for further details on these martial arts feats.
Rage (Ex): A brawler can fly into a rage a certain number of times per day, as indicated on the table. A brawler's rage functions much like a barbarian's. Unlike a barbarian, however, a brawler in a rage can use the Tumble skill, but loses any proficiency with weapons other than improvised thrown weapons and unarmed strikes.
If the brawler takes a level in another class that grants rage, her levels from both classes stack for the purposes of determining the number of times per day she may rage — but not for other benefits such as greater rage or tireless rage. All applicable skill and proficiency penalties from both classes apply every time the multiclass brawler rages.
Unarmed Strike (Ex): At 1st level, a brawler gains Improved Unarmed Strike as a bonus feat. She deals damage equal to 1d6 + her Strength bonus with her unarmed strikes, rising to 1d8 at 4th level, 1d10 at 8th level, 2d6 at 12th level, 2d8 at 16th level, and 2d10 at 20th level.
Evasion (Ex): At 3rd level, a brawler gains Evasion (but only when wearing no armour).
Magic Fist (Su): At 4th level and higher, a brawler's unarmed attacks are treated as magic weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 5th level, a brawler gains Uncanny Dodge.
Enhanced Protection (Ex): At 7th level, a brawler gains the ability to shrug off 1 point of damage from each blow or attack. This damage reduction rises to 2 at 13th level, and to 3 at 19th level.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 9th level, a brawler gains Improved Evasion (but only when wearing no armour).
Purified Fist/Tainted Fist (Su): At 10th level and higher, a brawler's unarmed attacks are treated as salted weapons for the purpose of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction. If the brawler has a Taint score, her unarmed attacks are treated as tainted weapons instead. See post #9: Equipment and Magic Items.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 11th level or higher, a brawler gains Improved Uncanny Dodge.
Mettle (Ex): If a brawler of 15th level or higher makes a successful Will or Fortitude saving throw that would normally reduce an attack's effect but not negate it, she takes no damage at all.
Obsidian Fist (Su): At 16th level and higher, a brawler's unarmed attacks are treated as obsidian weapons for the purposes of dealing damage to creatures with damage reduction and overcoming hardness. See post #9: Equipment and Magic Items.
Greater Rage (Ex): At 17th level, a brawler gains Greater Rage.
Tireless Rage (Ex): At 20th level, a brawler is no longer fatigued at the end of her rage.

FIGHTER
Those who cannot summon the blood frenzy of the barbarian or brawler are not necessarily debarred from fighting for their tribes. Subtler or more dogged individuals may gain prowess through long practice and training. Alongside barbarians, fighters are the mainstay of their tribes' warrior forces.

The fighter class in Shadows of Time is distinguished from that of the Player's Handbook by its base defence score (see post #2: Mechanics) and its skill set (see post #7: Skills and Feats).

SHAMAN
The shaman is the intermediary between the Earthly World and the Spirit World. It is he who speaks to the ancestors on behalf of the living, and to the living on behalf of the ancestors. It is he who consults the spirits to request blessings and healings for his tribe and curses for its enemies. Most tribes have either a shaman or a witchdoctor, but seldom both.

The shaman class in Shadows of Time is distinguished from the spirit shaman of Complete Divine by its base defence score (see post #2: Mechanics), its skill set (see post #7: Skills and Feats), and its spell list (see post #8: Spells). Additionally, the following class features are modified:
Spirit Guide: A shaman's spirit guide is a spirit creature which manifests itself only to him. It follows the rules for spirit creatures laid out in post #3: Cosmology.
Spirit Who Walks: A 20th-level shaman becomes an earthly spirit, gaining the Spirit subtype, and gains damage reduction 5/obsidian.

SLAYER
The slayer is a warrior dedicated single-mindedly to the pursuit and destruction of a few hated enemies. Though slayers come from tribal backgrounds, like all Shadows of Time characters, most leave their tribes behind to follow their grim calling. It is not uncommon for a slayer to be the last surviving member of her tribe — on a mission to avenge her people.

Hit Die: d10.
Base Attack Bonus: High (=level).
Base Defence Score: High (12 + 1/2 level).
Fortitude Save: High (2 + 1/2 level).
Reflex Save: Low (1/3 level).
Will Save: Low (1/3 level).

Class Skills The slayer's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Craft (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Lore (all Earthly World habitats) (Int or Wis), Search (Int), and Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st level).

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Slayers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all armour.
Favoured Enemy (Ex): At 1st level, a slayer may select a type of creature from among those given on the table below. The slayer gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Listen, Lore, Sense Motive, and Spot checks when using these skills against creatures of this type, and also a +2 bonus on weapon damage rolls against such creatures.
At 5th level and every five levels thereafter (10th, 15th, and 20th level), the slayer may select an additional favoured enemy from those given on the table. In addition, at each such interval, the bonus against any one favoured enemy increases by 2.
If the slayer chooses humanoids as a favoured enemy, she must also choose an associated subtype. She cannot choose her own type and subtype as a favoured enemy.
{table=head]Type (Subtype)|Special Abilities

Beast (shadow)|Death attack, power attack, protection from taint

Beast (spirit)|Death attack, power attack, protection from spirits

Demon¹|Death ward, dismissal, ghost warrior, protection from taint

Dragon|Aura of courage, death attack, evasion, lightning reflexes, resist energy

Ghost¹|Death ward, dismissal, ghost warrior, protection from spirits

Humanoid (fey)|Death attack, power attack, resist nature's lure

Humanoid (giant)|Aura of courage, death attack, dodge, power attack

Humanoid (goblin)|Cleaving smite, death attack, deflect arrows, dodge

Humanoid (human)|Cleaving smite, death attack

Humanoid (shapechanger)¹|Death attack, discern shapechanger, power attack

Humanoid (troll)|Aura of courage, death attack, dodge, power attack

Plant|Death attack, haste, power attack

Shadow ooze|Haste, lightning reflexes, power attack, protection from taint

Spirit creature²|Dismissal, ghost warrior, protection from spirits

Vermin|Aura of courage, cleaving smite, power attack[/table]
¹For the purposes of this class, wisps are considered to be both demons and ghosts. Likewise, every humanoid with the shapechanger subtype has another subtype as well. In either case, if the slayer takes both as favoured enemies, the bonuses do not stack.
²For the purposes of this class, "spirit creatures" include nature spirits, but not earthly spirits of any other type.

Detect Enemy (Sp): At will, a slayer can detect any of her favoured enemies, as the detect undead spell. A slayer with more than one favoured enemy can detect all of them, and distinguish which each one is, with one use of the ability.
Smite Enemy (Su): Once per day, a slayer may attempt to smite a favoured enemy with one normal melee attack, as the paladin's Smite Evil ability. Her merit modifiers to mana apply to both attack and damage rolls. The extra damage stacks with the bonus to damage rolls that she already gets for her favoured enemies. Each time the slayer gains a new favoured enemy, she may smite one additional time per day. She can smite any combination of her favoured enemies up to her total number of smite attempts; she need not split them evenly between enemy types.
Track (Ex): A slayer gains the Track feat for free, but may only use it to track her favoured enemies.
Special Abilities: At 2nd level, and every three levels thereafter (5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, and 20th), a slayer gains a special ability of her choice from among the following options, provided she has the appropriate favoured enemy (see the table above). With noted exceptions, these abilities function against any of her favoured enemies, but not other creatures. Spell-like abilities use the slayer's class level.
Aura of Courage (Su): A slayer with this ability is immune to fear or nausea effects, magical or otherwise, caused by any of her favoured enemies. Each ally within 10 feet of her gains a +4 morale bonus on saving throws against such fear effects. This ability functions while the slayer is conscious, but not if she is unconscious or dead.
Cleaving Smite (Ex): A slayer who has this ability, and who can smite more than one enemy per day, gains the Great Cleave feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites; however, she can only use it in combination with a smite attack. Each attack she makes during the cleave is a smite attack, and counts towards her limit of smite attacks per day. She is not granted the ability to cleave creatures that are not her favoured enemies as part of the attack.
A vermin slayer with this ability may use her smite ability to clear a single 5-foot square of a swarm.
Death Attack (Su): A slayer with this ability who successfully smites a favoured enemy may, in addition to dealing smiting damage, attempt either to paralyse or to kill the enemy (slayer's choice). If the victim of such an attack fails a Fortitude save (DC 10 + slayer level + slayer's Cha modifier + slayer's merit modifiers to mana), it is rendered helpless for 1d6 rounds + slayer level (paralysis attack) or dies (kill attack). If the Fortitude save succeeds, the attack is just a smite attack. Regardless of her number of smite attacks, the slayer can only make one death attack per day.
Death Ward (Sp): A slayer with this ability may cast death ward on herself as the spell once per day per favoured enemy she has upon seeing, detecting, or otherwise becoming aware of a favoured enemy in her presence. It is effective only against attacks by favoured enemies. Only slayers of 8th level or over may take this ability.
Deflect Arrows (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Deflect Arrows feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This ability functions against any opponent with a ranged weapon, favoured enemy or not.
Discern Shapechanger (Sp): A slayer with this ability who spends an extra round concentrating on an enemy she has detected can examine it and determine whether it is polymorphed, disguised, or transmuted, and what its true form is. If she looks at a shapechanger in its true form, she knows that it is a shapechanger, but cannot determine what other forms it might be capable of assuming.
Dismissal (Sp): A slayer with this ability may dismiss any extraplanar favoured enemy, as the spell, with a successful smite attack. Only slayers of 8th level or over may take this ability.
Dodge (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Dodge feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This ability can only be used against a favoured enemy.
Evasion (Ex): A slayer with this ability who makes a successful Reflex saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the slayer is wearing light armour or no armour. This special ability may be taken twice if the slayer has two favoured enemies that grant it. A slayer who gains the evasion ability a second time, whether from a second favoured enemy or from another class, automatically gains improved evasion (and thus takes only half damage even on a failed Reflex save).
Ghost Warrior (Su): A slayer with this ability may attack incorporeal favoured enemies as normal; their usual 50% miss chance no longer applies.
Great Fortitude (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Great Fortitude feat for free. The bonus applies to all Fort saves, regardless of whether they were occasioned by a favoured enemy.
Haste (Sp): A slayer with this ability can cast haste on herself once per day per favoured enemy she has upon seeing, detecting, or otherwise becoming aware of a favoured enemy in her presence. The effect lasts 1 round/level or until the enemy is defeated, whichever comes first.
Lightning Reflexes (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Lightning Reflexes feat for free. The bonus applies to all Ref saves, regardless of whether they were occasioned by a favoured enemy.
Power Attack (Ex): A slayer with this ability gains the Power Attack feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This feat can only be used against her favoured enemies.
Protection from Spirits/Taint (Sp): A slayer with this ability can use the protection spell in question on herself once per day per favoured enemy she has upon seeing, detecting, or otherwise becoming aware of a favoured enemy in her presence. The effect lasts 1 minute/level or until the enemy is defeated, whichever comes first.
Resist Energy (Su): A slayer with this ability is permanently protected as if by a resist energy spell. The energy type to be resisted must be chosen when the ability is first taken, and cannot be changed thereafter. This ability may be taken more than once if the slayer has more than one enemy that grants it. The effects do not stack; each time, the ability applies to a different energy type.
Resist Nature's Lure (Su): As the druid ability, but applies to illusions and mind-affecting effects created by any of the slayer's favoured enemies.
Bonus Feat: At 3rd level, and again at 9th level, a slayer may take any bonus feat from the list of fighter bonus feats whose prerequisites she meets. Alternatively, she may take either of the rogue abilities Defensive Roll (if she has Dex 13+) or Opportunist.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 4th level, a slayer gains Uncanny Dodge against her favoured enemies.
Improved Track (Ex): A slayer of 6th level or higher gains the Improved Track feat, but may only use it to track her favoured enemies.
Weapon Specialization (Ex): A slayer of 6th level or higher who has the Weapon Focus feat with any melee weapon may take Weapon Specialization with that weapon as a bonus feat.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 7th level and higher, a slayer gains Improved Uncanny Dodge against her favoured enemies.
Lightning Attack (Ex): At 12th level and higher, a slayer adds her Charisma bonus (if positive), and any merit modifiers to mana, to her initiative check when in the presence of a favoured enemy.
Sidewinder Charge (Ex): At 13th level and higher, when charging at a favoured enemy, the slayer can make a number of turns, each of not more than 90 degrees, equal to her Dexterity modifier. The action still counts as a charge.
Deep Impact (Su): Once per day per slayer level, at 16th level and higher, a slayer can make an attack ignoring a favoured enemy's Protection. If the attack misses, the ability is wasted.
Strike Without Hesitation (Ex): At 18th level and higher, a slayer in the presence of a favoured enemy gains a free surprise round, even if the enemy is already aware of her. The only action she can take in this surprise round is a melee attack against a favoured enemy with a weapon for which she has Weapon Specialization.
Whirlwind Attack (Ex): At 19th level, a slayer gains the Whirlwind Attack feat for free even if she does not have the normal prerequisites. This feat can only be used against her favoured enemies.

Code of Conduct: A slayer is dedicated to the destruction of her favoured enemies. She can never knowingly and willingly aid, associate with, or befriend any favoured enemy creature. If she does, she takes a -2 merit penalty to mana, and loses all special abilities granted by that favoured enemy, even if she in fact earned those abilities from a different enemy; furthermore, that creature type is no longer considered a favoured enemy for the purposes of any of her other slayer abilities, and she loses one smite attack per day. In order to regain these lost abilities she must slay the enemy she aided, associated with, or befriended.

SORCERER
The sorcerer is a natural-born master of magic, improving her inborn talents by practice. She casts spells spontaneously and instinctively, learning magic by doing it. Many gain an intuitive affinity with one of the four elements, and attain special power with spells connected to that element. Many tribes, especially human tribes, are leery of the sorcerer's power; they are often found living as hermits in empty lands.

The sorcerer class in Shadows of Time is distinguished from that of the Player's Handbook by its base defence score (see post #2: Mechanics), its skill set (see post #7: Skills and Feats), and its spell list (see post #8: Spells). The following is an additional class feature of the sorcerer:
Elemental Mastery: When a sorcerer adds a certain number of spells of a single element to her Spells Known, she is considered a master of that element. Thereafter, whenever the sorcerer casts a spell of that element, the saving throw DC is increased by 2, while the sorcerer herself gets a +2 competence bonus on saving throws against spells of that element. This bonus stacks with the bonus conferred by the Spell Focus feat. Note that when the sorcerer gains the ability to cast higher-level spells, she loses her mastery unless she learns the requisite number of spells of that element once more.
To be considered an elemental master, a sorcerer must know at least one spell of her chosen element at her highest spell level, at least two spells of that element at her second-highest spell level, and at least three spells of that element at every lower spell level.

TRACKER
The tracker is a tireless stalker of the wilderness, a stealthy sneaking hunter. He follows prey for days, waiting for the right opportunity, then strikes from the shadows. The creatures of the wild are not his friends but his prey; he gains from them not only food, but the respect of his tribe.

Hit Die: d6.
Base Attack Bonus: Medium (3/4 level).
Base Defence Score: High (12 + 1/2 level).
Fortitude Save: Low (1/3 level).
Reflex Save: High (2 + 1/2 level).
Will Save: Low (1/3 level).

Class Skills: The tracker's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Hide (Dex), Jump (Str), Lore (all elements) (Int), Lore (all Earthly World habitats) (Int or Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Swim (Str), Tumble (Dex) and Use Rope (Dex).
Skill Points: 8 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st level).

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: A tracker is proficient with all simple weapons, plus the bolas, longbow, net, and shortbow. A tracker is proficient with light armour.
Poison Use (Ex): A tracker never risks accidentally poisoning himself when applying poison to a blade or arrowhead.
Sneak Attack (Ex): A tracker sneak attacks exactly like a rogue (+1d6 every odd level).
Track: A tracker gains Track as a bonus feat.
Evasion (Ex): At 2nd level and higher, if a tracker makes a successful saving throw against an attack that normally deals half damage on a successful save, he instead takes no damage. Evasion can be used only if the tracker is wearing light armour or no armour. A helpless tracker does not gain the benefit of evasion.
Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 4th level and higher, a tracker gains Uncanny Dodge.
Woodland Stride (Ex): At 6th level and higher, a tracker gains Woodland Stride as the ranger ability.
Improved Track: At 7th level, a tracker gains Improved Track as a bonus feat.
Swift Tracker (Ex): At 8th level and higher, a tracker can move at his normal speed while following tracks without taking the normal -5 penalty. He takes only a -10 penalty while moving at up to twice normal speed while tracking.
Improved Uncanny Dodge (Ex): At 10th level and higher, a tracker can no longer be flanked.
Improved Evasion (Ex): At 12th level and higher, a tracker gains Improved Evasion.
Camouflage (Ex): At 14th level and higher, a tracker gains Camouflage as the ranger ability.
Attunement (Su): At 16th level and higher, a tracker is attuned to the natural environment. Once per day per point of Wisdom bonus he possesses, he may attempt to glean information from his surroundings. The area he may survey is a 60-foot cone-shaped emanation originating from his eyes. The ability can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of common stone, 3 inches of obsidian, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.
The amount of information gained depends on how long the tracker studies a particular area or subject. In the first round, he chooses whether he wishes to emulate detect animals or plants, detect poison, detect pits, or detect snares. The DM then makes a secret d% roll. The base chance for receiving meaningful information is 70% + 1% per tracker level. If this roll fails, the tracker detects nothing. If it succeeds, the tracker becomes aware that the area contains the animal, plant, poison, or snare he is attempting to detect. If the tracker detects nothing, he does not know whether it is because the attempt failed or because the animal, plant, poison or snare in question is not in fact present.
Thereafter, if the tracker is attempting to emulate detect animals or plants, detect pits, or detect snares, the ability proceeds exactly as the spell (except for the reduced range of detect animals or plants). If the tracker is attempting to emulate detect poison, the second round reveals the number of poisoned or poisonous creatures or objects within the area, and the strength of the strongest present ("strength" here means the total number of dice of ability damage the poison deals). The third round then reveals the strength and location of each poisoned or poisonous creature or object. The tracker must make a DC 20 Wisdom check, as normal, to determine the exact type of poison.
Hide in Plain Sight (Ex): At 18th level and higher, a tracker gains Hide in Plain Sight as the ranger ability.
Trackless Step (Ex): At 20th level, a tracker gains Trackless Step as the druid ability.


WARLOCK
The warlock draws his magic from the depths of his own ambitious heart, forgoing the subtleties of spellcasting for the delights of unbridled power. He flings eldritch energy about as easily as others throw stones, and may use his powers indefinitely with no daily limit. Small wonder that warlocks are dreaded above all other classes.

The warlock class in Shadows of Time is distinguished from that of Complete Arcane by its base defence score (see post #2: Mechanics), its skill set (see post #7: Skills and Feats), and its invocation list (see post #8: Spells).

WITCH
The witch is a subtle spellcaster, talented with charms and curses but little versed in the full range of magical power — except for the Arts she specializes in. It is said that witches gain their powers from particularly powerful spirits in exchange for fulfilling sacred duties, and, for that reason, they are often feared. Humans in particular are wary of witches.

Adapted from "Shadowfoot"'s Witch base class on the Wizards forum. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=119098)

Hit Die: d4.
Base Attack Bonus: Low (1/2 level).
Base Defence Score: Low (10 + 1/3 level).
Fortitude Save: Low (1/3 level).
Reflex Save: Low (1/3 level).
Will Save: High (2 + 1/2 level).

Class Skills: The witch's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Bluff (Cha), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Heal (Wis), Lore (gramarye) (Int), Lore (tribal habitat) (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st level).

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Witches are proficient with the club, dart, quarterstaff, and thrown rock. Witches are not proficient with any armour; those who wear armour incur the usual spell failure chance.
Spells: The witch casts spells like the sorcerer, keyed to Charisma, using the sorcerer's Spells per Day progression. Her Spells Known progression is similar to the sorcerer's, but for each Art she has, she adds one further spell known for each spell level that she can cast. The witch's spells are listed in Post #8: Spells.
Arts: At 1st level, and again at 10th and 20th level, the witch chooses a magical Art in which she dabbles. She gains the indicated power and adds the listed spells to her list of Spells Known. If she selects an Art that includes a spell she already knows, she may instead select any witch spell of equal level. There are thirteen Arts, listed in Post #8: Spells.
Duty: A witch must take on certain handicaps. If a witch neglects her duty, she may cast no further spells until she rectifies her error or takes on a different duty; furthermore, she takes a -2 merit penalty to mana, as if she had broken an oath. There are six options, but an individual witch may choose only between three — each is available only to one gender. The duties are as follows: Crone. A female witch may choose to be a crone. A crone may not take more than one move action during a round; she may not run or charge, nor attempt movement-based skill checks such as Balance, Climb, Jump, Swim, or Tumble, without assistance. A crone always appears aged. Earth Mother. A female witch may choose to be an earth mother. An earth mother has at least one child, who must accompany her in her travels, and whom she must protect from harm at all costs. Green Man. A male witch may choose to be a green man. A green man may not use a sharpened tool on any living plant, nor attack any plant creature, nor light a fire or use any fire-based magic. Horned One. A male witch may choose to be a horned one. A horned one may not use any ranged weapon or reach weapon against a beast, nor attack a beast that is caught in a trap, nor eat the flesh or wear the hide of a beast that has been killed by anyone other than himself. A horned one can only cast spells while wearing a pair of horns, antlers, or representations of horns or antlers on his head. Maiden. A female witch may choose to be a maiden. A maiden cannot have relations with males, nor rest in the presence of males, nor converse alone with a male. Sky Father. A male witch may choose to be a sky father. A sky father may not venture underground, nor rest under any form of artificial shelter.Familiar: Like a sorcerer, a witch can summon a familiar.
Brew Potion: At 3rd level, a witch gains the Brew Potion feat for free.
Second Sight (Su): At 5th level, a witch gains a modified form of augury as a supernatural ability. No spell components are necessary, and the casting time is only one standard action. However, the base chance for receiving a meaningful reply is only 50% + 1% per level. She may use this ability a number of times per day equal to her Wisdom modifier.
Bewitch (Sp): At 6th level, a witch may use charm person once per day as a gaze attack. She may use this ability an additional time per day at 12th level, and again at 18th level.
Evil Eye (Sp): At 7th level, a witch may use bestow curse once per day as a gaze attack. She may use this ability an additional time per day at 14th level.
Arcane Sight (Su): At 16th level, a witch gains a permanent arcane sight ability as the spell.

WITCHDOCTOR
The witchdoctor is an arcane healer and abjurer, whose ability to dispel curses and heal wounds derives not from the favour of a spirit but from his own knowledge of magical secrets. At higher levels his detailed knowledge of anatomy gives him an edge in close combat, and he crafts valuable magical talismans for protection and healing. Most tribes have either a shaman or a witchdoctor, but seldom both.

Hit Die: d8.
Base Attack Bonus: Medium (3/4 level).
Base Defence Score: Low (10 + 1/3 level) — with an added bonus (see below).
Fortitude Save: High (2 + 1/2 level).
Reflex Save: Low (1/3 level).
Will Save: High (2 + 1/2 level).

Class Skills: The witchdoctor's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Communication (Int), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Heal (Wis), Lore (all elements) (Int), Lore (gramarye) (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points: 2 + Int modifier (x4 at 1st level).

Weapon and Armour Proficiency: Witchdoctors are proficient with all simple weapons. Witchdoctors are not proficient with any armour; those who wear armour incur the usual arcane spell failure chance.
Spells: A witchdoctor must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time. His spells are keyed to Intelligence, as a wizard's. A witchdoctor uses the druid's Spells per Day progression.
Like a wizard, a witchdoctor may know any number of spells. He must choose and prepare his spells ahead of time by getting a good night's sleep and spending 1 hour studying his runestaff. While studying, the witchdoctor decides which spells to prepare. The witchdoctor's spells are listed in Post #8: Spells.
Runestaff: A witchdoctor records the spells he learns by carving arcane runes into a wooden rod known as a runestaff (see post #9: Equipment and Magic Items). In its use, the runestaff functions exactly like a wizard's spellbook.
Canny Defence (Ex): When wearing no armour, a witchdoctor adds his Intelligence bonus to his defence. Any condition that causes the witchdoctor to lose his Dexterity bonus to defence also causes him to lose this bonus.
Defensive Strike (Ex): If an opponent attacks a witchdoctor and misses while he is using the total defence action, but wearing no armour, he can attack that opponent on his next turn with a +4 bonus on his attack roll. He gains no bonus against an opponent that does not attack him or against an opponent that attacks and does not miss. The witchdoctor may use a defensive strike to make a touch attack if he so chooses.
Literate (Ex): A witchdoctor may use the Communication skill to read messages in carved or painted rune signs. See post #7: Skills and Feats.
Transference (Sp): A witchdoctor may "lose" any prepared spell in order to cast a Conjuration (healing) spell of the same level or lower, provided the healing spell is on his runestaff. The witchdoctor must then make a touch attack on another creature within a number of rounds equal to his Intelligence bonus, thus inflicting the damage healed on the victim. Spells that raise or resurrect the dead cannot be transferred in this way. If the touch attack succeeds, the victim is entitled to a Fortitude saving throw to negate the damage. If the touch attack fails, or the saving throw succeeds, or the victim is immune to the damage dealt, the healing is cancelled and, in addition, the witchdoctor receives damage equal to half the damage he attempted to transfer. Many witchdoctors keep animals such as goats or chickens, or sometimes captive enemies, in order to have ready victims for transferred damage.
Precise Strike (Ex): At 2nd level, a witchdoctor's knowledge of anatomy enables him to make a precise strike with any light or one-handed melee weapon he is proficient with, dealing an extra +1d6 damage. The witchdoctor must study his foe for 3 rounds first, during which time he can take only move actions. Having completed the 3 rounds of study, the witchdoctor must make the strike within the next 3 rounds, or the study is wasted. A defensive strike cannot be a precise strike. The witchdoctor cannot use a precise strike to deliver a spell (not even to transfer damage). At every 4th level thereafter, the witchdoctor adds another +1d6 to damage with a precise strike: +2d6 at 6th level, +3d6 at 10th level, +4d6 at 14th level and +5d6 at 18th level. He cannot make a precise strike against any creature that is immune to critical hits for any reason.
Craft Talisman: At 4th level, a witchdoctor gains the Craft Talisman feat for free. He can create a one-use magic talisman, imbuing it with the power of any spell on his runestaff that is 3rd level or lower. The witchdoctor must provide any material components or focuses the spell requires. If casting the spell would reduce his XP total, he pays the cost upon beginning the process in addition to the XP cost for making the talisman itself.
Spell Turning (Su): At 5th level, witchdoctor who has readied spell turning as an action, or who is using the total defence action, may turn offensive spells back on enemy spellcasters. The witchdoctor must first make a Spellcraft check (DC 15 + the spell's level) to identify the spell. If the check fails, the witchdoctor (if he is the target) must make a save against the spell as normal, at a -2 penalty due to the distraction of making the Spellcraft check. If the check succeeds, the witchdoctor expends a spell slot of the offensive spell's level or higher. If he has no such spells left, he cannot turn the offensive spell, but can make his save against it (if he is the target) as usual; he gets a +2 bonus for knowing what's about to hit him, which merely cancels the -2 penalty for the distraction of making the check. The witchdoctor then makes a caster level check against the spell's usual save DC, adding any merit modifiers to his mana. If the check succeeds, the spell has no effect on its target but instead takes full effect on the caster. If it fails, the witchdoctor has forfeited any saving throw against the spell and (if he is the target) takes full damage.
A witchdoctor may turn any offensive spell or spell-like attack of a level equal to or lower than the highest-level spells he himself can cast, or any supernatural attack effect produced by a creature whose HD is no greater than twice the level of the highest-level spells he himself can cast. For spell-like abilities the DC to the initial Spellcraft check DC is 20 + spell level. For supernatural abilities the witchdoctor must instead make a Lore check at DC 25: Lore (appropriate habitat) if the creature is an animal or plant; Lore (shadow) if it is a shadow creature; Lore (spirit) if it is a spirit being. If the witchdoctor chooses an inappropriate Lore skill, the check automatically fails. The spell slot he expends to turn a supernatural ability must be of a level equal to or higher than one-half the creature's HD, or, for supernatural abilities granted by class levels, one-half those class levels.
The witchdoctor may turn spells and powers targeted on himself or an adjacent ally, or whose effect is to create a ray (ranged touch attack) aimed at himself or an adjacent ally. In these cases, the spell is completely countered as regards its intended target. Spells whose effect is to deceive, charm, or control the target simply fail if successfully turned; other spells affect the original caster as they were intended to affect the target, with no saving throw (but spell resistance and other forms of resistance or immunity still apply). The witchdoctor can also partially turn area-of-effect spells. In such a case, the spell is not completely dispelled, but is cancelled out within a cylinder of 10-foot radius centred on the witchdoctor. The original caster receives the damage the witchdoctor would otherwise have received (again, spell resistance and other forms of resistance or immunity still apply). A witchdoctor cannot turn an area-of-effect spell whose area does not include his space.
Stunning Strike (Ex): At 8th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to stun a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or become stunned for one round. If the saving throw succeeds, the precise strike deals 1d6 less extra damage than a normal precise strike.
Venom Immunity (Ex): At 9th level, a witchdoctor gains immunity to all poisons.
Painful Strike (Ex): At 12th level, if a witchdoctor so desires, the victims of his successful stunning strikes are subject to such debilitating pain that they are nauseated for one round following the round they are stunned. If the saving throw succeeds, the precise strike deals 2d6 less extra damage than a normal precise strike.
Paralysing Strike (Ex): At 16th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to paralyse a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or become paralysed for 1d6 rounds plus 1 round per level of the witchdoctor. If the saving throw succeeds, the precise strike deals 3d6 less extra damage than a normal precise strike.
Deadly Strike (Ex): At 20th level, a witchdoctor may use a precise strike to kill a foe. If the witchdoctor so desires, an opponent struck by a precise strike must make a Fortitude saving throw (DC 10 + 1/2 level + witchdoctor's Int modifier) or die. If the saving throw succeeds, the precise strike deals 4d6 less extra damage than a normal precise strike.

MULTICLASSING
As in the standard D&D rules, multiclassing is as easy as levelling up in an existing class — provided that all your existing classes are within one class level of each other, except for your favoured class. The procedure is different, however, if they are not within one level of each other.
For the purpose of the following rules, an "unfavoured class" is a class which is not your favoured class, is not an NPC class, and is two or more levels lower than your highest class.
If you have achieved sufficient XP to acquire a new class level, but have at least one unfavoured class, Roll d%. Add your Intelligence score (not bonus, score). Add any merit modifiers to mana, multiplied by 5. Spend a number of XP; you may not spend so many that you cannot level up after all. Divide the number of XP you have spent by (10 x your current character level). Add the result to your d% roll. Divide the total by 20 and round down. If the result is greater than or equal to the number of unfavoured classes you have, you may level up as planned. If not, you must take a level in an NPC class instead.Which NPC class you must level up in depends on your character's race, and, if you are human, your highest-level class.{table=head]Race|NPC class

Fey (elves, gnomes)|Adept

Goblin|Expert

Troll (incl. dwarves)|Warrior

Human (barbarian, brawler, fighter, slayer)|Warrior

Human (bard, tracker, witchdoctor)|Expert

Human (shaman, sorcerer, warlock, witch)|Adept[/table]

NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 05:08 AM
Reserved for prestige classes.

NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 05:09 AM
Reserved for skills and feats.

NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 05:10 AM
Reserved for spells.

NakedCelt
2007-10-18, 05:12 AM
Reserved for equipment and magic items.

NakedCelt
2007-10-23, 04:49 AM
Reserved for new and modified creatures.

Criz Reborn
2007-10-23, 09:27 AM
Reserved for witty comment

NakedCelt
2007-10-23, 05:56 PM
Reserved for witty comment

It's coming, OK? I do have a day job...

NakedCelt
2007-11-08, 08:50 PM
Cosmology is up.

Umarth
2007-11-08, 09:35 PM
I like what your trying to do with temp/weather. Have you actually played a game using those rules? How much do they slow things down?

NakedCelt
2007-11-11, 07:45 PM
I like what your trying to do with temp/weather. Have you actually played a game using those rules? How much do they slow things down?

No, but they shouldn't slow things down significantly. The basic rules are adapted from the Dungeon Master's Guide; my additions just make it a bit more specific as to what causes characters to heat up or cool down.

vegetalss4
2007-11-15, 01:12 PM
do you still work on this or is it dead?

NakedCelt
2007-11-20, 02:44 AM
do you still work on this or is it dead?

Like I said,

It's coming, OK? I do have a day job...

NakedCelt
2007-11-22, 02:46 AM
Classes are up.