PDA

View Full Version : Home brew advice needed [Tome of magic]



Glyphic
2008-02-11, 11:48 AM
Hi all.

I'm looking to create a few homebrew vestiges for my campaign world; where the PC binder and others will be facing off against once dead Gods/creatures trying to make their way back into the 'prime' plane. The foolish binder on his little quest for personal power, maybe be actively helping one of these Vestige Fragments come into the world. I'm also looking for other nifty things to grant my other pcs (non-binding related, perhaps some spell touched feats and the like), but that's a different topic.


So; I'd like some advice. When it comes to making a vestige, what determines it's level; it's binding DC; how many useful abilities of X level should each vestige have? I've been trying my own thing, but any design thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

I -do- have a list of homebrewed vestiges, but reverse engineering guidelines isn't my forte. (http://forums.gleemax.com/showpost.php?p=10791757&postcount=452)

The Demented One
2008-02-11, 12:42 PM
What I do when making vestiges is to first come up with a concept, work out some abilities that fit with it, typically between four and six, and them just compare it to other vestiges to find a good level for it. There's no good hard-and-fast rule saying that if you give it such-and-such ability or such-and-such spell that it should be of this level, but most of the time making comparisons shouldn't be too hard. As for level, I just look at the range of binding DCs for other vestiges of that level, and find something good.

Glyphic
2008-02-11, 03:47 PM
Alright.. so I had abit of time. I need a few little advice/tweaks, if anyone is willing..And the Fragment stuff relates to me using different levels of the visage to tell it's history to the players that care; thus, I can create different levels/abilities that pretain to the life, goals, history of the visages that are trying to come back into the world. Until I clean up grammar/tense, expect the legend to be less than theatrical (passive voice ftw).

[Fragment] Asperia, cloaked death.
Seal: The seal for this fragment of Asperia is a series of curved serpents, poised to strike.
Target level: 1
Binding DC: 20- If the binder presents an amulet with a pendant in the shape of a tear made from any blue-hued stone, the binding dc is only 16.
Legend fragment: Deep within an earthen cave, pale-blue shade floated amongst the trinkets it'd gathered though conquest and exploration. Thin, ethereal strands began to stream from it's shapeless form; touching each treasure in search of memories. An amulet, bearing a tear-drop aquamarine, pulsed with the energy of a forgotten moment. The shade reached out with a eager tendril...

The vision that came presented the earth and jungles; still young, and blusterous from the cries and calls of untamed land beasts. An age before the void. Among the beaches of a jungle choked in haze, a serpent crept from the water, using a tail thick as a hydra's neck, and glistening with jade scales. The rest of this water spirit, the Naga, was the torso and head of a harpy, but without feather or blemish, for her skin was smooth as the teardrop gem she clutched to her breast. Hungry land-beasts soon came to fear this serpent for it's vicious, unpredictable strikes. The chimera of the sky watched with a passive interest; No other creature possessed her deathly elegance.

The shade formed a featureless smile; this was the un-mother.. the first to escape the pool of life, to leave her body but keep her soul as her own. With amorphous movements, the shade brought the necklace into itself, assimilating the memory, and letting the stone shine with soft glow..

Manifestation: When this fragment is bound, a shapeless cloud forms above the binding rune. Tendrils of this shade reach out to those near by, trying to pull memories from their equipment.

Sign: The bind just needs to wear his replica of the teardrop amulet- if the pact was formed without an amulet, Asperia will lend her own tear, which will float near the binders neck.

Influence: While bound to this fragment, the binder will feel compelled to inspect unfamiliar items for their histories and stored memories. When resting, they will spread newly acquired/important items around them in a small circle.

Granted powers:

Serpentine movements: The Binder may use tumble untrained; While using the tumble skill, he also ignores any ACP.

Vicious strike: When using a Melee piercing or slashing weapon, the binder gains skirmish dice similar to that of a scout. If he moves atleast ten feet in a round, he gains bonus damage and AC according to his EBL.
[Edit: heh. This was almost better or as good as a scout's damage. nixing it alittle. Considering making it 'sudden strike' instead, but that's always struck me as a nerfed sneak attack.]
Lvl 1: 1d6, +0AC
Lvl 5: 2d6, +0 ac
Lvl 9: 2d6, +1 ac
Lvl 13: 3d6, +1ac
Lvl 17: 3d6, +2ac

Lost in time: The binder may always discern North, by concentrating for 1 round.

Forgotten Relic: The binder may empower a non-magical item, for use by himself or others. The item dissolves completely when the pact ends.
Choose one of the following for every five binder levels (lvls 1-9, you still get to choose 1). To use Forgotten Relic the item must fit an approite item-slot. (IE, a ring cannot grant the wearer +1 to hit.)

Choices:
+1 to hit
+1 to damage
+1 deflection AC
+1 to a single save
+2 to a single skill
================================================== ========

So. A few things I'm concerned about.

The first is the legend. It's still a rough draft (and would make more sense if you knew more about the world/asperia. Don't worry too mucha bout it, but suggestions are welcome)

Serpentine movements: ignoring ACP may be cheap; but you still have the penalty if you're attacking in an armor you're not prof with, so it may be okay...

Skirmish dice: I'm AFB and can't remember how it's supposed to progress. May need to make it progress slower/ worse than a scout.. but a scout lives by this. a binder has tons of other stuff he can choose to do that day.

Relic: Seems kinda clunky. (the campaign isn't swimming in magic items, so it may be of the right strength..) I'd also like to see more options so it's useful at higher levels (like say, making it so you can spend more relic points to get a flaming short-sword or whatever.)

:p Any advice will be very appreciated.