Promethean
2020-07-09, 05:19 AM
Decided I should probably move this here.
Re:"I'm building a custom setting for a campaign, so I've decided to play with some of the mechanics of base D&D to try and make them fit the setting better. I'm probably going to be asking for opinions/help on a few unrelated topics to make sure I'm not about to break something in some unforeseen way."
Changing Alignment (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?614507-Custom-Campaign-Notes-Changing-how-alignment-works)
Distinct weapon styles (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?614816-Campaign-Note-Making-distinct-weapon-styles)
Magic Deflection (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?615250-Custom-Campaign-Notes)
Okay I want to caster classes in a number of ways to make them fit how magic is supposed to work in-setting.
First up, Flexibility. I'm doing away with the spell slot system and either replacing it with a system that mirrors psionics or a custom "Spell-level" system. Both systems have advantages and drawbacks, so I'm still undecided. Both systems are as follows:
Spell Levels: Basically instead of a number of "Slots" a caster can use for spells, they have a mana-pool of spell "levels" that goes down as a character casts spells. How this works is as follows:
1st level spells cost 1 level from this pool, 9th level spells cost 9 "levels", and a caster still need to have the minimum caster level needed to cast a spell(caster level boosters don't count for this).
I've broken down the amount of spell levels casters are able to cast a 20th level based on their total spell slots added together, and it conveniently worked out to(mostly) multiples of 20(wizards had 180, sorcerers had 270, paladins had 30, celrics had 240, druids had 195, etc.). I'm going to give casters a flat +X per level where X=20th level slot total/20(except druids, who I'm giving a flat 10 out of laziness).
Prepared casters are still prepared casters. Wizards, clerics, druids, and any other prepared caster must assign spell level to spells at the start of the day before they can cast them, they are just more flexible in what spells they can assign.
Bonus spells are weird. In normal D&D breaking it down by "level" would result in a +1 through +4 gives an accumulating bonus equal to it + all previous bonuses(+1 bonus =+1 "levels", +2 bonus =+3"levels", +3 bonus= +6 "levels" etc.), but +5 through +9 change their bonus(because they give more than 1 type of spell slot)and +10 onward give a repeating cycle of the same bonuses(because the spell slot bonus starts from 1 level slots again). So I'm just going to scrap that and make it 1/2 the Psionics bonus power points table.
Aping Psionics: Spells work Like psionics with verbal, somatic and whatever other components. It'll work as follows:
Full casters use the Psion table for power points, half-casters use the psionic warrior table.
Prepared casters must assign extra power points to increase a spells caster level beyond the minimum. Spontaneous casters, or spells cast spontaneously by a prepared caster, cast at their full caster level without having to assign extra points.
Prepared casters must still prepare spells.
Metamagic changes the minimum caster level of a spell to match it's new level.
Magic items like the ring of wizardry will have to be re-worked to fit the new spell system.
Second, Reworking clerics. I want to change how clerics work to fit better with how alignments aren't so cut-&-dry in the setting and make them more about the gods they worship. Changes are as follows:
Cleric Class abilities are no longer alignment based, they're based on their chosen domain.
Clerics may choose 1 and only 1 domain. This domain may be changed when a character first levels up, but not at any other time. If a cleric changes domain, they loose All domain related spells and must learn them the normal way.
Clerics no longer spontaneously cast heal or harm based on alignment. Clerics may now Spontaneously cast their chosen Domain spells.
Clerics no longer turn or rebuke undead based on alignment. Clerics may now rebuke creatures fundamentally aligned with their chosen Domain and Rebuke creatures fundamentally opposed to it. What creatures this applies to is at the DM's discretion, but as a guideline this shouldn't be too broad. A cleric of the good domain would be able to turn evil outsiders, but not undead as that would require the life domain. A nature domain cleric may be able to command animals, but shouldn't be able to command magical beasts.
Clerics(and by extension paladins or any other "devoted" class)no longer need to have deities alignment or even be in their general alignment area, with some caveats:
"Devoted" classes count as part of their deity's alignment for the purposes of alignment based effects.
Alignment based domains(good, evil, etc.) require their user not be of the opposite alignment.
Lastly some additions to magic itself in the setting. This is basically a miscellaneous list of changes.
Wish, Miracle, and their equivalents are removed from All spell lists. They now only exist as magic items or can be granted by magic creatures.
Resurrection spells now work on a percentile roll. Creatures have a percent chance of being resurrected equal to their Constitution score + Caster-level of the Resurrection spell. If a resurrection fails, it may never be attempted again. Wish, miracle and the like work without need for a roll.
Genies wishes are changed. If the party acquires a captured genie, they can either acquire it's eternal service(no wishes), get 3 Limited Wishes granted(genie is immediately released to it's home plane), or 1 Wish Granted(same as 3 wishes)
Spell-like, Psi-like, and Supernatural abilities are changed to work like maneuvers from Tome of Battle. They may be used a number of times per Encounter rather than per day and whenever the character wants during down-time, but any magical ability that has a duration other than instantaneous or permanent has it's duration changed to 1 round. Magical abilities with a cooldown longer than a day(such as 1 per week, month or year) are unchanged.
Spontaneous arcane casters now function similar to defiler magic from the "Dark Sun" Setting for 3.x, but instead of destroying plant life the affected area will become an environmental hazard(such as wild magic or those hazards described in frostburn, sandstorm, stormwrack, etc.)
Spell resistance and power resistance no longer force a caster level check, it instead functions as the minimum caster/manifester level required for a spell/power to affect a creature At All.
Re:"I'm building a custom setting for a campaign, so I've decided to play with some of the mechanics of base D&D to try and make them fit the setting better. I'm probably going to be asking for opinions/help on a few unrelated topics to make sure I'm not about to break something in some unforeseen way."
Changing Alignment (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?614507-Custom-Campaign-Notes-Changing-how-alignment-works)
Distinct weapon styles (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?614816-Campaign-Note-Making-distinct-weapon-styles)
Magic Deflection (https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?615250-Custom-Campaign-Notes)
Okay I want to caster classes in a number of ways to make them fit how magic is supposed to work in-setting.
First up, Flexibility. I'm doing away with the spell slot system and either replacing it with a system that mirrors psionics or a custom "Spell-level" system. Both systems have advantages and drawbacks, so I'm still undecided. Both systems are as follows:
Spell Levels: Basically instead of a number of "Slots" a caster can use for spells, they have a mana-pool of spell "levels" that goes down as a character casts spells. How this works is as follows:
1st level spells cost 1 level from this pool, 9th level spells cost 9 "levels", and a caster still need to have the minimum caster level needed to cast a spell(caster level boosters don't count for this).
I've broken down the amount of spell levels casters are able to cast a 20th level based on their total spell slots added together, and it conveniently worked out to(mostly) multiples of 20(wizards had 180, sorcerers had 270, paladins had 30, celrics had 240, druids had 195, etc.). I'm going to give casters a flat +X per level where X=20th level slot total/20(except druids, who I'm giving a flat 10 out of laziness).
Prepared casters are still prepared casters. Wizards, clerics, druids, and any other prepared caster must assign spell level to spells at the start of the day before they can cast them, they are just more flexible in what spells they can assign.
Bonus spells are weird. In normal D&D breaking it down by "level" would result in a +1 through +4 gives an accumulating bonus equal to it + all previous bonuses(+1 bonus =+1 "levels", +2 bonus =+3"levels", +3 bonus= +6 "levels" etc.), but +5 through +9 change their bonus(because they give more than 1 type of spell slot)and +10 onward give a repeating cycle of the same bonuses(because the spell slot bonus starts from 1 level slots again). So I'm just going to scrap that and make it 1/2 the Psionics bonus power points table.
Aping Psionics: Spells work Like psionics with verbal, somatic and whatever other components. It'll work as follows:
Full casters use the Psion table for power points, half-casters use the psionic warrior table.
Prepared casters must assign extra power points to increase a spells caster level beyond the minimum. Spontaneous casters, or spells cast spontaneously by a prepared caster, cast at their full caster level without having to assign extra points.
Prepared casters must still prepare spells.
Metamagic changes the minimum caster level of a spell to match it's new level.
Magic items like the ring of wizardry will have to be re-worked to fit the new spell system.
Second, Reworking clerics. I want to change how clerics work to fit better with how alignments aren't so cut-&-dry in the setting and make them more about the gods they worship. Changes are as follows:
Cleric Class abilities are no longer alignment based, they're based on their chosen domain.
Clerics may choose 1 and only 1 domain. This domain may be changed when a character first levels up, but not at any other time. If a cleric changes domain, they loose All domain related spells and must learn them the normal way.
Clerics no longer spontaneously cast heal or harm based on alignment. Clerics may now Spontaneously cast their chosen Domain spells.
Clerics no longer turn or rebuke undead based on alignment. Clerics may now rebuke creatures fundamentally aligned with their chosen Domain and Rebuke creatures fundamentally opposed to it. What creatures this applies to is at the DM's discretion, but as a guideline this shouldn't be too broad. A cleric of the good domain would be able to turn evil outsiders, but not undead as that would require the life domain. A nature domain cleric may be able to command animals, but shouldn't be able to command magical beasts.
Clerics(and by extension paladins or any other "devoted" class)no longer need to have deities alignment or even be in their general alignment area, with some caveats:
"Devoted" classes count as part of their deity's alignment for the purposes of alignment based effects.
Alignment based domains(good, evil, etc.) require their user not be of the opposite alignment.
Lastly some additions to magic itself in the setting. This is basically a miscellaneous list of changes.
Wish, Miracle, and their equivalents are removed from All spell lists. They now only exist as magic items or can be granted by magic creatures.
Resurrection spells now work on a percentile roll. Creatures have a percent chance of being resurrected equal to their Constitution score + Caster-level of the Resurrection spell. If a resurrection fails, it may never be attempted again. Wish, miracle and the like work without need for a roll.
Genies wishes are changed. If the party acquires a captured genie, they can either acquire it's eternal service(no wishes), get 3 Limited Wishes granted(genie is immediately released to it's home plane), or 1 Wish Granted(same as 3 wishes)
Spell-like, Psi-like, and Supernatural abilities are changed to work like maneuvers from Tome of Battle. They may be used a number of times per Encounter rather than per day and whenever the character wants during down-time, but any magical ability that has a duration other than instantaneous or permanent has it's duration changed to 1 round. Magical abilities with a cooldown longer than a day(such as 1 per week, month or year) are unchanged.
Spontaneous arcane casters now function similar to defiler magic from the "Dark Sun" Setting for 3.x, but instead of destroying plant life the affected area will become an environmental hazard(such as wild magic or those hazards described in frostburn, sandstorm, stormwrack, etc.)
Spell resistance and power resistance no longer force a caster level check, it instead functions as the minimum caster/manifester level required for a spell/power to affect a creature At All.