Nintendo D20 (looking for homebrewers)

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

Hi forum!

I did a Mario D20 something or other a few years back. It ended up as a thick PDF that I don't think anyone else ever used. I'm itching to try a new project based on the theme of Super Smash Bros (but mechanically still like the Mario RPG games.) There are two things I want to try:

1) Make a modular system that still works as bits and pieces. You shouldn't need to learn an entire new set of rules to use it. I want any DM to be able to pick up any monster, feat, spell, or race, and drop it into a campaign with zero extra work. But the material should be comprehensive enough to run an entire campaign with it.
2) Be system-agnostic. I want everything to work wherever, whether you're using 3.5 edition, D20 Modern, D20 Future, Pathfinder, or 4e (basically, everything should be statted up in 3.5 D20 and 4e D20.) This is to facilitate #1.

I want to start publishing it on Kobold's Keep it as a frequently-updated PDF once I've got about 30 pages of material together. Since it's all Nintendo's IP, it'll be absolutely free and published as fan material under the names of everyone who contributes.

So... Who's interested?

[GnomeWorks]

(basically, everything should be statted up in 3.5 D20 and 4e D20.)

You do realize that 3.5 and 4e are drastically different, right?

That's basically doubling the workload. Saying that material should be compatible with 3.5, d20 Modern, and even Pathfinder is one thing, since they're all nigh-identical anyway.

But 4e is an entirely different ballgame.

[IcarusWings]

Some people started this a while a go, but it seems that it died. Might give you some ideas though.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

You do realize that 3.5 and 4e are drastically different, right?

That's basically doubling the workload. Saying that material should be compatible with 3.5, d20 Modern, and even Pathfinder is one thing, since they're all nigh-identical anyway.

But 4e is an entirely different ballgame.

Don't care, I need the practice. I learned 3.5 edition by doing these sorts of things, and I want to learn 4th edition.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

This is my first attempt at any 4e material whatsoever (this is how we learn, right?) I'd appreciate a complete deconstruction of how I did everything wrong and need to start over.

I've been trying to get tables to work with this, so I can put the 3e rules on the left and the 4e rules on the right, but it seems that the boards don't support multi-line cells.

3e Rules:

Koopa

• +2 Con, -2 Dex
• 20' speed
• Shell (Ex): All Koopas have a soft bony shell. This is treated like light armor which cannot be removed. It grants a +2 AC bonus, has a 5% arcane spell failure chance, no armor check penalty, and no maximum Dexterity bonus. A Koopa's shell may be enchanted like masterwork armor.
• Unsteady (Ex): A Koopa knocked on his back has a hard time getting up. Koopas require a standard action to rise from prone.
• Energy Resistance (Ex): A level 1 Koopa chooses one of the following energy types: fire, cold, electricity, or acid. He gains energy resistance 5 against that damage type.
• Slam (Ex): A Koopa's shell is a natural weapon which deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage.
• Koopas have Endurance as a bonus feat.
• Koopas have a +2 racial bonus to Climb and Jump checks.
• Favored Class: Fighter

Racial Feats

Hard Shell
Your shell protects you as well as metal armor.
Prerequisites: Shell racial ability
Benefit: Your shell's AC bonus improves to +4. Your shell's spell failure chance increases to 20%. Your shell gains an armor check penalty of -2 and a maximum Dexterity bonus of +4. Your shell is treated as medium armor for all purposes.
You do not suffer a speed penalty from your shell.
Your racial energy resistance improves to 10.
Normal: A shell normally grants a +2 AC bonus and 5% arcane spell failure chance. Shells are normally treated as light armor.

Heavy Shell
Your shell protects you as well as plate armor.
Prerequisites: Shell racial ability, Hard Shell
Benefit: Your shell's AC bonus improves to +8. Your shell's spell failure chance increases to 35%. Your shell gains an armor check penalty of -6 and a maximum Dexterity bonus of +1. Your shell is treated as heavy armor for all purposes.
You still can sleep in your shell without fatigue, and do not suffer a speed penalty.
Your racial energy resistance improves to 15.

Magikoopa Training
Prerequisites: Shell racial ability, 4 ranks in Spellcraft
Benefit: Your shell's arcane spell failure chance is reduced by 15%. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell that affects you, you gain a +1 insight bonus to your caster level.
A wizard may take this feat as a bonus feat. (If you are using a setting without the wizard class, any class that gains metamagic feats and item creation feats may add this feat to its list of bonus feats.)

Shell Spin
You can spin your shell along the ground at breakneck speeds.
Prerequisites: Shell racial ability, Dex 13, Run
Benefit: You gain a +10' racial bonus to your speed whenever you run or make a charge attack with your shell. You may treat your shell as a two-handed weapon while charging.
You also gain a +2 deflection bonus to AC on your action while running and charging.
A fighter may take this feat as a bonus feat. (If you are using a setting without the fighter class, any class that gains feats like Power Attack and Weapon Focus may add this feat to its list of bonus feats.)

Spin Trick
Your combat abilities can put most break dancers to shame.
Prerequisites: Shell Racial Ability, Dex 13, Run, Shell Spin
Benefit: Whenever you are prone you suffer no AC penalty. You also ignore the melee attack penalty when attacking with your shell.
If you hit an enemy while prone, you may stand as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity.
Normal: A prone character suffers a -4 penalty to melee attacks and a -4 penalty against melee attacks.
A fighter may take this feat as a bonus feat. (If you are using a setting without the fighter class, any class that gains feats like Combat Expertise and Mobility may add this feat to its list of bonus feats.)


Racial Equipment

Shell Spikes - A character with the Shell racial ability may have armor spikes fitted to his shell, though the process is more complicated (and expensive) than it is for spiked armor.
A spiked shell is similar to spiked armor, but the armor spikes are not treated as a seperate weapon. Instead, they modify the character's slam attack. The character's slam attack deals bludgeoning and piercing damage, the character may slam in a grapple with an opposed grapple check, and the shell is still treated as a primary natural attack.
Armor spikes are a martial weapon, and a character who is not proficient with them suffers a -4 penalty to all attack rolls with his shell until he removes them.
150 gp, 10 lbs.


4e Rules

Koopas

Average Height: 3'10-5'
Average Weight: 120-200 lbs

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 5 squares
Vision: Normal

Langauges: Common
Skill Bonus: +2 Athletics, +2 Endurance
Energy Resistance: Pick one of the following energy types: fire, cold, electricity, acid. You gain resist 5 against that damage type.
Wearable Shell: You treat shell armor as weighing one-half its normal weight for determining your load.
Shell Slam: You can use shell slam as an at-will power.

Shell Slam Koopa Racial Attack Power
You can slam into an enemy with your shell.
At-Will * Unarmed
Standard Action Melee
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs AC
Hit: You deal 1d6+Strength modifier bludgeoning damage. You may choose to shift a number of squares equal to your Dexterity modifier before you attack, but doing so grants your target combat advantage until the end of his next turn.
At 21st level, you deal 2d6+Str mod damage.


Koopa Shells: Koopa shells offer no benefits or drawbacks over regular armor. Any normal armor has an equivalent koopa shell that can be crafted for it. Soft shells are the equivalent of cloth armor, hard bony shells are equivalent to chainmail, and shells braced with steel and spikes are equivalent to platemail. Characters who are not koopas may wear shells as armor, but they will be a little uncomfortable.


Developer's Notes: The 3e Koopa is based on the race that was statted up in the original Mario D20 Project. It was simplified a bit to make it easier to play. The concept is simple: a race of turtles with natural armor who also have a paradoxically fast shell attack.
The original race was based on Warforged from the Eberron Campaign Setting. Both races have high natural armor bonuses, so the rules matched up well. Elemental resistance is included because koopa shells in Super Mario World had different effects based on color, and it makes a good replacement for warforged fortification.
The 4e race is also based on Warforged, but their significantly different. Instead of an armor bonus, they have components. Their toughness is instead based on a "determinator" racial power. Koopas can use component-like armor, but their abilities are more offensive.

No 4e feats or paragon classes yet, I'm still reading up on those.

EDIT: Added developer's notes. I always like reading them, and I hope other people do too.

[Sipex]

I can help with 4e stuff on occasion. I'll watch the thread.

[md20gm]

I've built a few races in 3.5-ish format:

Ninji
Buzzy Beetle
Spiny

If anyone's interested I can share them. Not really interested in the whole 4e thing I'm afraid, but if you want to take what I've done and convert it that's crescent fresh with me.

Also- @Thomar: I've seen Koopas knocked out of their shells (Super Mario World) before- I think the 'can't be removed' might not be accurate. These Koopas often used their own shells as a ranged weapon as well, though it could be argued that this is not an inherent ability.

[Thomar_of_Uointer]

I've built a few races in 3.5-ish format:

Ninji
Buzzy Beetle
Spiny

If anyone's interested I can share them. Not really interested in the whole 4e thing I'm afraid, but if you want to take what I've done and convert it that's crescent fresh with me.

Also- @Thomar: I've seen Koopas knocked out of their shells (Super Mario World) before- I think the 'can't be removed' might not be accurate. These Koopas often used their own shells as a ranged weapon as well, though it could be argued that this is not an inherent ability.

Thread necromancy is frowned upon by the moderators. I recommend you start a new thread and post them there.

Also, I've updated a lot of this.

[Vaynor]

Thread necromancy is frowned upon by the moderators. I recommend you start a new thread and post them there.

The Red Towel: Indeed. Thread locked.