A Whole New Era (PEACH)

[Neoxenok]

Hello and welcome to my little corner of the internet. The reason I am here is because I've had it in my mind lately about making my own version of the D&D game - one where my home brewing would or at least could be entirely official that I could run independently of whether a company like Paizo or Wizards wanted to upgrade to their own edition or whatever. Essentially, I want my own ultimate edition of D&D and Pathfinder.

So, with my own downloaded copy of the SRD, I've had it in my mind that one day I would not only make this game for myself but possibly also sell it to a wider audience with the changes I think the game needs and the changes that others have long voiced as well.

Obviously, opinions will differ on many issues as they will anywhere else, but I'm doing this more for me than any chance to publish the results... but that's neither here nor there.

Why I am here is because I have a lot of ideas on what I want in my ultimate edition and since I have all the time in the world to eventually to put pen to paper (and because I won't have the time anytime soon anyway due to nursing school), I want to discuss my ideas and see what may be viable and what might not be viable.

Now, my opinions of the problems of 3.5 edition D&D and Pathfinder may differ with many from this forum, but that doesn't mean I don't respect those opinions. I welcome all input I get on this forum to discuss my ideas and the strengths and flaws of a number of these d20 systems as well as the merits of the many ideas I'll soon present to you.

Before I get to the nitty-gritty though, we can't discuss how I want to make my own version of D&D without discussing what problems I think exist and how I intend to solve them. In other words, let me discuss with you the problems that I recognize and the problems that I have that may or may not necessarily be represented well by the community here.

Problem 1: The Casters are too Powerful!

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I highly doubt that we can talk about 'fixing' D&D without talking about the old "mundane vs. magic" and "codzilla" and other such things. My opinions on what constitutes problems and such in regards to magic in D&D seems to differ with that of the community on many levels, so let's discuss this a moment.

According to the 'why things are in their Tier', the "tier one" classes are tier one because of two things - versatility AND power. That is to say that the classes in that tier aren't there just because they are powerful or because they are versatile. I don't mind at all that the wizard can do a little of everything. To me the problem isn't versatility and that the wizard has the most of it - that's the draw of being a wizard or whatever.

The problem is that they can use that versatility to be powerful - more powerful than even other classes that specialize in doing that particular thing, according to that explanation.
That, I think, is where I should focus my efforts. The wizard isn't the problem. The versatility isn't the problem. It's the spells and the power behind them.

My solution to solving this problem isn't to strip the casting classes of their versatility or alter them so much that they become unrecognizable from the traditional D&D classes (such as what 4th edition and many pet homebrews do).
My solution is to make several small changes across the whole system. First, to make the mundane classes more quadratic, the casting classes less able to to outdo the other classes at what they're good at, and numerous other things. This is as opposed to radically altering the casting classes, banning the casting classes, or any other blanket changes that don't directly address the problem.

Problem 2: CoDzilla

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I can't say much here that I didn't already say in regards to casters in general. The things about the cleric and druid that annoy me are less balance concerns rather than simply annoyance over some design choices.

One of the most valid concerns about the divine casters in my view is that they have immediate access to all spells of every spell level. That is to say that a wizard would have to find a scroll of a new spell in order to scribe it or wait until he leveled up to make it one of the two new spells he gets as he levels up. The cleric and druid gets it all immediately.

The biggest issues for most people from 3.5 edition seem to be wildshape and the animal companion for the druid but I honestly think that Pathfinder dealt with that problem in the most effective manner. Pathfinder's channel energy is also something I want to keep (and that the cleric no longer gets heavy armor proficiency automatically).

My changes at this point would mostly be cosmetic other than the changes I would make to magic, spells, and magic items in general.
However, there is one issue that remains - Persistent Spell.
Honestly, I like this feat and since it's in the SRD, I want to keep it and the function it has. I think the fix for it would be even simpler than my global fixes for casters in general though if that proves to be too much of a headache, than I have no problem forgetting that it ever existed.`

Problem 3: Levels

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Character levels, caster levels, spell levels, level adjustments, effective character level, racial hit dice, class levels, and probably one or two I'm forgetting. As DM, I've had to explain the difference and interactions between these on more than one occasion in basic definition and how they interact with one another.

Monster hit dice also seems to get out of hand with some creatures in that in order to make up for poor hit points and/or base attack bonus, the designers weren't above simply overloading a creature with hit dice until the attack bonuses and such were where the designers wanted them to be.

AC also doesn't scale with level which lets some people believe that it becomes irrelevant after a certain point against even regular attacks, not to mention touch and ranged touch attacks - the bane of heavy armor characters and high natural armor (but nothing else) creatures. If I'm not mistaken, many people like to mention the unfortunate vulnerability that dragons of any age category have against the shivering touch spell and the devastating effects of enervation and energy drain against such targets.

Problem 4: Epic Levels and Deities and Demigods

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Epic spells. Enough said. I love the open-endedness and design of epic spells but even with the ability of DMs to veto epic spells, there are huge balancing problems here - both in terms of overall power (some seeds do too much for too cheap) and simply bad taste (you can get a spell to kill someone for a far-too-high DC and resurrect them as an ally undead but getting a basic blasty spell to do serious hit point damage is balls expensive?)

Then there is how epic levels of classes and prestige classes change over the BAB and Save advancement from 20 to 21 regardless of which class or classes you take beyond that point... unless it's racial hit dice. That's right, your 120 hit dice monster uses the pre-21 rules but 21+ levels in a character class changes things entirely. It's needlessly complicated.

Epic levels are a mess in several other ways - epic monster design, all-too-common immunities, and the fact that linear/quadratic nature of progression from problem 1 is made worse in virtually every way - epic spells notwithstanding.

In regards to Deities and Demigods, I love the book but except in the very rare instance of 'extreme epic' campaigns, the book and all the neat stuff in it is virtually useless.

Problem 5: Magic Items

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Nightsticks, Karma Beads, Dust of Choking and Sneezing, random item of skill +30, wands of knock, and numerous others are often cited as major problems with 3.5e and, to a lesser (but not by much) extent, pathfinder.

I have my own issues as well with magic items - most armors and shields other than fortification armor are virtually useless. Spell resistance armor, for example, does almost nothing to protect against magic and even those that can require a lot of money to provide diminishing returns. This is also related to magic in general for the same reason.

Then there are ability bonus items - people often cite hit points as becoming over-inflated vs. regular damage at higher levels and +constitution items can quickly render whatever hit dice your class offers nearly irrelevant.

Magic item creation is also problematic - it's only available to spellcasters and craft wondrous items is just a random clump of miscellaneous items that even overlaps with several other crafting feats.

I think the whole thing needs a massive overhaul in organization and certain magic items definitely need to be rewritten.

Problem 6A: Magic (General)

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I've honestly grown to dislike caster levels, caster level checks, and how it interacts with spells and such. I think the game can be improved (as in, simplifying the game without really taking anything away) without it.

I also dislike how the schools of magic are defined. I dislike how the subschools are organized. I dislike mind-influencing effects encompassing a quarter of all spells and yet an eighth level spell is able to neutralize all of it and it's even a fairly common high level monster immunity. True seeing and illusions have the same issue.
At least protection from energy and other such spells merely reduce the damage (or render you immune for a limited amount of points of protection) instead of granting you outright immunity.
Heck, even the energy immunity spell from the spell compendium doesn't single-handedly grant immunity to a whole school of magic.

I very much dislike how necromancy is just a jumbled assortment of 'scary/evil/borderline evil spells' like the undead creating spells and there are a lot of spells that simply seem out of place - much less the more famously misplaced/problematic spells like the orb spells and cure spells.

Conjuration has too many spells that it shouldn't.

Therefore, I think that better defining the spell schools and adding some additional subschools would alleviate several headaches amongst other systemic changes.

Problem 6B: Magic (Spells)

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I've already hinted at a few problematic spells, but the problem is much more systemic than that. Protection from (alignment) grants you immunity from compulsions and charm, which may as well be mind-influencing effects entirely.

Then there's freedom of movement, death ward, shape change, mind blank, force cage, and many more spells that have been problematic both individually and in combination with one another. Non-core spells only make things worse.

Then there's sleep and deep slumber, where sleep is only useful during a very specific time and deep slumber, which is very nearly useless at any time.

Many spells, powerful or not, often are can vary in usefulness so widely that it can be game-changing on a failed save or a waste of a standard/full round/whatever action on a successful save.

Then there are the spells that offer no saving throw at all, despite being very powerful (enervation and energy drain).

So spells need an overhaul here in many subtle ways and some overt.

I think pathfinder did a good job on polymorph type spells but I'd like to model summoning spells off of astral construct to give them a much greater game balance. There's a lot to do here and a lot of the balancing of casters I think needs to be 50% here at least with the remainder being divided between feats, skills, and class features.

Problem 7: Races

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Some are simply better than others. In 3.5e, the elf, half-orc, and half-elf are all poorly designed. Pathfinder made changes I largely like but I don't want to go in that exact direction.

I'd like to simply eliminate the half-races and replace them with others. The half-orc with the orc and the half elf with a completely different race. I prefer the idea that a half-orc or half-elf might exist, but they would be a very rare occurrence and would be more powerful than either parent (rather than less powerful, like in 3.5e's iteration of both).

Problem 8: Monsters

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In 3.5e, the monster manual is as much a DM tool as it is a shopping guide to the adventuring spellcasters (and druid.) That in and of itself is a problem, but there are many here and it's just as bad as with spells in regard to the work that I feel that I need to put into it.

Since AC doesn't scale, creatures often have to have an absurd natural armor just to remain viable against player characters, except mages who can more often successfully land a hit with devastating ranged-touch spells even over the dedicated archer.

Since some creatures are stuck with caster-type racial hit dice, such as fey and undead, they often need absurd amounts of hit dice just to hit someone or survive a fighter's hit in melee.

It's annoying to have a different save DC for every individual spell-like ability and especially having to look up the spell just to see what level it is so I can figure the saving throw DC even if I already know what the spell itself actually does. This is worse given that spells can have a different level depending upon the class that uses the spell.

I know monsters can be more or less challenging based upon the circumstances and ability in which they are used, but every now and again, there is a creature where you just have to wonder just how the designer justified a creature's challenge rating. I think that there should be a better standard for determining monster balance.

I also get annoyed when a creature's challenge rating is out of whack with its hit dice - especially if its challenge rating is higher than its hit dice (looking at you, ogre mage).

Speaking of ogre mage, how about when a creature has access to spell-like abilities of spells far too high for a caster of an equal CR could cast. It doesn't matter if it's a combat spell or not - this raises all sorts of problems if it's used in any meaningful way.

Problem 9: Classes

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Most of the classes are problematic in some manner or another.

The barbarian is one of the better designed classes in the game for what it does but in the sense that it needs to be made more 'quadratic', there are numerous things that could be improved to make it more of the furious and definitely brute it was meant to be - especially at higher levels.

The bard doesn't really do anything particularly well - even as party support, it is only lackluster.

The cleric's turn undead is needlessly complicated, it gets almost as many spells/day as the sorcerer, has access to its whole spell list (in that it can prepare from that whole spell list at no additional cost, unlike the wizard), can cast in armor, has a medium base attack bonus type hit dice progression, and can spontaneously cast advantageous spells despite being a preparation-based caster.

There is no spontaneous divine caster in the core game.

The druid's wildshape is, thanks to the availability of powerful creatures to wildshape into, very powerful on its own, can cast in armor, can prepare its spells from its entire spell list (unlike the wizard), has a medium base attack bonus type hit dice progression, numerous class features, a powerful spell list (more than the cleric but not as much as the wizard), can spontaneously cast the rather powerful summon nature's ally line of spells, and a very powerful animal companion thanks to the availability of powerful animals in the various monster manuals.

Just to note though, I actually don't mind the existence of natural spell. The problem isn't that the druid can cast in wildshape, but rather that wildshape is very powerful.

I think pathfinder's changes to the druid are adequate but I do want to make a few other alterations here.

The fighter doesn't get feats as powerful as most class features, particularly spells. The fighter isn't better with his selection of feats than any other class with the same feats. The fighter is not at all versatile.

The monk's class features don't mesh well and are frequently underpowered. The class has numerous issues and likely needs to be better defined as to the purpose of its abilities and it should be able to use those abilities to excel at what it's supposed to do. As it is now, it's just a way for wisdom-based character to get a really good AC and a boost to all saving throws.

The paladin has few useful class features after 6th level, the smite ability is underpowered and hit-or-miss - it's too easy to waste the ability. The paladin's class features are mostly useful for charisma-to-saves and a few quick immunities (disease and fear). The paladin is underwhelming as a frontline warrior compared to any other melee class in core.

The ranger has many abilities that apply in few situations individually. Many of its class features have to be devoted to an ability (two weapon fighting) that requires many such abilities just to function properly. Its animal companion is completely useless due to being based on half the ranger's level.

The rogue has few notable class features beyond its skills and sneak attack - making the rogue easily replicable for anything other than its core set of unique skills. Its sneak attack guarantees that it'll only be useful when it can sneak attack, which is something that is about the only useful armor quality and something that many creatures possess immunity to.

The sorcerer and wizard are powerful but receive so few class features that any prestige class that offers advancement to casting at every (or nearly every) level becomes very attractive to take because of how little you loose when you advance in a prestige class.

Now, those problems doesn't include necessarily all of them, but this should give you all a general idea of what I'm going for here. We also haven't seen any of my solutions here.

Speaking of which, let's talk about the new version of 3.5e D&D I have in mind.

[Neoxenok]

Abilities and Conditions

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I intend to add several new conditions and replace several others - most notably negative levels would be replaced with the "enervated" condition and the "energy drained" condition. The penalties incurred by these condition would resemble being level drained by two and five levels, respectively but it would be independent of hit dice, so you could be 'energy drained' as a first level character without dying and being enervated multiple times wouldn't stack.

Other changes might be subtle and others might be added as well, but the other changes wouldn't be significant other than as a representation of changes elsewhere in the game.

The Basics

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There wouldn't be many changes here, but a few of them are notable. Constitution would be redefined to represent the fact that a creature has a body rather than a metabolism.
This means that constructs, undead, and virtually everything will have a constitution score.
Dexterity will also give a bonus to damage with ranged weapons. This damage would be defined as precision damage - the same type of damage that sneak attack does and has similar (but fewer) restrictions.

Things won't otherwise be much different here.

Carrying and Exploration

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Few things will change here other than that Force will be a defined substance, which will have purpose in other areas where it should matter.

Classes (Part 1 - Archetypes)

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Here is the first and most important series of changes.
In order to better balance the classes, hit dice (hit points, saves, and other such basic parts) are separated from class abilities and made into a separate thing to be decided upon when making a character.

The name of these things are to be determined at another time (we'll call them 'archetypes' for the time being) but after you select your race, ability scores, and class, you would be confronted with a new choice - your archetype. Your archetype determines your hit points, attack bonus, saves, skill points, and how many of your abilities from your class selection you get.

Your archetype determines a major part of how you participate in the party and there are three such choices in which to choose from - the warrior type, the average type, and the skilled type (such names are filler TBD also).

The warrior type grants you the following things:
d10 hit dice
full base combat bonus (unlike base attack bonus, base combat bonus applies to AC, attack bonus, AND initiative)
additional attacks at 6th, 11th, and 16th level (unlike irative attacks in 3.5e, there are no penalties - all attacks made at full attack bonus)
+2 to saves/skill points (see below)
primary ability at 1st level and every two levels thereafter (see about abilities below)
secondary ability at 2nd level and every four levels thereafter
tertiary ability at 4th level and every four levels thereafter

The average type grants you:
d8 hit dice
3/4 base combat bonus
additional attack at 11th level
all average saves/skill points (see below)
primary ability at every level except 2nd level at every four levels thereafter
secondary ability at 2nd level and every two levels thereafter
tertiary ability at 3rd level and every four levels thereafter

The skilled type grants you:
d6 hit dice
1/2 base combat bonus
no additional attacks
-2 to saves/skill points
primary ability at every level
secondary ability at 1st level and every two levels thereafter
tertiary ability at 2nd level and every two levels thereafter

Skills and Saves - what you get bonuses in and what you don't as well as the number of skill points you receive at every level is something you have a choice in now regardless of which class you select. You start with all average saves and average skill points where warrior types give you an overall advantage and the skill type gives you an overall disadvantage.

Base Saving throws are all based on half your level +2 or -2 (if good or bad, respectively) with average being no bonus or penalty. Average skill points is 4 + intelligence modifier per level. 2 + int is "bad" skill points and 6 + int is "good" skill points.

When you make a character with the average archetype, you can choose to remain to have all averages (0 + half your level base saving throws to fort, reflex, and will saves and 4 + intelligence modifier skill points) or you can choose to have a bad save or SP to have a good save or SP elsewhere. So I can choose to take a -2 to will saves to have a good fort save and perhaps knock down my skill points to 2 + int/level to have a good reflex saving throw.

Alternatively, you could get 6 + int skill points by taking a bad fort save or any number of other combinations. The warrior and skilled archetypes start with a +2 or "good" save/SP somewhere and a -2 save/SP, respectively. So, for example, a "skilled" archetype character would have to have a bad save or skill point (SP) total before making any other decisions (in this case, we'll pick skill points and keep the saving throws at all average.

You cannot have better than "good" (2 + half level save/6 + int skill points) or worse than "bad" (-2 + half level save/2 + int skill points). Your minimum overall bonus for saving throws is +0, even if your base penalty would bring it to negatives (so your bad base save wouldn't become +1 until 6th level).

Primary/Secondary/Tertiary abilities - I'll explain more of this in the next section, but the archetype determines how many and how often you get class abilities. It's currently set up in such a way as to allow a minimum of one ability per character level.

Now I know what you might be thinking - the skilled type gets the most class abilities - this is a back step in consideration of the balance between mundane types and spellcaster types that have their spellcasting advancement at every level (their primary abilities) AND new abilities at every level.

Well... yes and no. The new system will work toward better balance between the mundane types and caster types in just about every other way - for casters, this involves spells, magic items, and other areas. For the mundane types - this is class abilities, skills, and feats.

The balance here is that the archetypes are paying for their advantages with class features and what will balance a warrior type and skilled type is that despite having fewer abilities, those abilities will take advantage of features in such a manner as to even out their ability to contribute in an adventuring party. In other words, it'll all even out because the class features you select for those primary, secondary, and tertiary abilities will take advantage of the archetype's various combat advantages better.

Classes (Part 2 - The New Class Structure and Abilities)

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All classes will be structured around a new formula. Like 4th edition, the classes will all follow the exact same formula. Unlike 4th, the classes will still be very different from one another.

All classes start play with 6 feats. These are your proficiencies and other basic goodies. I've decided to take a queue from the neverwinter nights game and make 'simple weapon proficiency', 'martial weapon proficiency', and 'exotic weapon proficiency' one feat for all such weapons instead of one feat for one weapon. Having all three feats gives you proficiency in all such weapons.

Armor and shield proficiencies will also be merged into one another - light armor proficiency grants light shield and buckler proficiency, medium armor prof grants heavy shield prof, and heavy armor prof also grants tower shield/extreme shield prof.

All characters will have 'basic weapon proficiency', which will include weapons that take no skill at all to use (basically wizard-type proficiencies.)

All classes will also have a unique trait - negative and positive. For example, the rogue's trait is that he gets two extra skill points/level but perhaps his AC bonus from his base combat bonus is one step lower than normal (3/4 if warrior type, 1/2 if average type, none if skilled type).

All classes will have 20 primary, 10 secondary, and 10 tertiary abilities, or rather abilities that can take advantage of all 20 primary, 10 secondary, and 10 tertiary and will have a mix of such abilities that allows them to fulfill multiple roles or the same role in more than one way.

This is especially important for warrior-mages and skilled fighter types and other such combinations.

Other than that, the classes receive class skills, feats (one every odd level like in pathfinder), ability points (every forth level as normal), but combat maneuver bonus/grapple bonus/combat maneuver defense are all eliminated. They will be subsumed into the saving throw mechanics (mostly reflex) in order to further simplify those mechanics.

Classes (Part 3 - The Character Classes)

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The classes will be broken up into four major types, which are (unlike 4th ed) largely informal but will give me as the lead designer the direction I need for their overall design. There will be twelve classes in all - Barbarian, Bard, Cleric, Fighter, Monk, Mystic*, Paladin, Psion, Ranger, Rogue, Sorcerer, and Wizard.

*= The "mystic" is the replacement for the druid, which will be a spontaneous divine caster akin to the favored soul, mystic, or oracle. The actual name is TBD so it's just a filler.

The four types are -

Frontline - Barbarian, Fighter, Paladin
Support - Cleric, Bard, Mystic
Skirmish - Monk, Ranger, Rogue
Magical - Psion, Sorcerer, Wizard

Front liners must be good at getting into the thick of combat and disabling, defeating, distracting, and discombobulating enemies regardless of archetype. warrior-front liners will be good at connecting attacks and taking hits, but skilled front liners will have a wider variety of techniques to use (which will be save-based instead of attack based).

Their class abilities will make them the most resilient of all of the classes - highly resilient to various forms of harm. The barbarian would be the most resilient to physical damage whereas the paladin is more resilient to supernatural and magical attacks. The fighter would be able to wear armor like a second skin and be somewhere in between the barbarian and paladin in resilience depending upon the feats he selects. The fighter will be the most capable with 'techniques' as well - sundering, grappling, and the like as well as weapons in general. The barbarian will be the best at applying pure brute force and damage-dealing ability. The paladin's offensive abilities will consist of the more evil-fighting supernatural variety.

Supporters will have abilities that help their allies through healing, recovery, combat enhancement, and various utilities that can help both in and out of combat. Their abilities tend to shine regardless of which archetype they possess.

The bard will receive more of everything in regard to performances and should mechanically elicit a much greater variety of emotions. The cleric/mystic spell list will be severely reduced to a bare minimum, which the cleric will have automatic access to when preparing spells. When the cleric or mystic select a deity or philosophy (more on this in a moment), he gains all of the domains that god/philosophy grants and that becomes his spell list. The cleric must acquire spells from these domains as a wizard would his spells and scribe them into a 'prayer book.' The mystic would select them as spells known as normal.

Philosophies would replace the idea of a set of 'core gods' that the 3.5e player's handbook or pathfinder core rulebook both offer. Instead, it'll be a broad set of philosophies like 'nature' or 'honor'. They will be explained in their descriptions and offer a set of domains - all of which the divine casters have access to. Those domains will grant powers that can be selected as secondary and possibly tertiary abilities or both. The spells the domains grant will be expanded and 'bonus domain spell slots' will be eliminated - instead, the spells will be accessible as a normal part of the cleric/mystic spell list.

The 'trait' of clerics will be defined by the philosophy the cleric selects. The druidic tradition and paladin's code will be available as philosophies (the paladin's spell progress will be the class's tertiary ability and will have to select it by default.

What separates the mystic from the cleric has yet to be defined. I know I want a divine spontaneous caster but I don't want it to just be a spontaneous cleric. This could mean a unique set of domain-like abilities (like the oracle) and associated powers or it'll have it's entirely own spell list and powers (like the druid) or something else entirely. I'm not entirely against just having the druid be a spontaneous caster with its own unique spell list but I also like having the idea that the 'druid' could be either and is selectable as a philosophy that grants those spells and abilities upon either divine class.

Also note that I'm fine with eliminating the idea of a deity's favored weapon. I can understand that some gods are known for having a particular weapon, but every god? Even the pacifist gods and lust/love gods? That's just silly.

Skirmishers are light combat types that tend to be good at a particular type of combat or facing particular types of enemies or using a particular set of skills. This category could also be called "scouts" or "specialists". Their abilities can shine regardless of their archetype.

The monk and ranger have always been problematic. In 3rd edition, they had no useful abilities beyond 1st level - it was just an easy way to grab warrior proficiencies and two weapon fighting. The monk was an easy way for wis-based characters to get a permanent and sizable boost to saves and armor class. Even with Pathfinder and 3.5e's improvements, the monk's abilities just don't mesh well together. The ranger is (in my opinion) a very decent class but I'd have to say that it's main flaws is that its best combat bonuses are outside the purview of the player. These classes are all supposed to be pretty versatile but virtually unparalleled at what they do.

My improvements to the monk would involve improving their mobility (not simply their speed) and giving them abilities that allow them to participate in 3-dimensional combat (something all mundane classes need to some degree), resist all sorts of attacks (especially magical ones), and probably a number of other things that I could mine from the bajillion and one fixes for the monk around the internet.

The ranger, I think, needs fixes that can make them a better survivor man sort of class. At higher levels, this would involve them essentially being immune to bad environments. They should be expert trackers, experts at dealing with their favored enemies in their favored environments, but also have a generally superior ability to survive and navigate dangerous territory. One good idea from 4th edition involved their ability to essentially designate a foe in combat. I think this ability could be adapted and expanded as such that they could designate a target (for whatever reason) and receive their favored enemy benefits (maybe other benefits as well) against that foe until a new target is designated or that target is dead.

I think the ranger should have improved healing abilities as well - like the paladin's lay on hands.

The rogue needs to be able to do a variety of things and have abilities support it. 3rd edition had the advantage of being able to redefine the thief to fulfill a variety of other roles as the rogue - diplomat, spy, dungeoneer, and so on. I think this should be expanded - like how pathfinder did so by giving them special abilities right from 2nd level (whereas in 3.5 you'd have to wait until 10th level) but they need more such abilities.

Magical types would remain as the most versatile - able to solve a variety of problems with their magic.

The Psion is the most notable change here in that I'm including them as a class available right from core - no need for a bonus book to have psionics. However, I don't want them to be simply a casting class that uses points instead of spell slots. My ideas would result in the class being essentially a combination of the warlock from the complete arcane and the soulmelding type classes - but mostly warlock. They would get fewer powers but those powers would each be much more versatile and advance in trees - like a tech tree from civilization.

Another notable change I'd like to do is give each casting class (including the cleric, mystic, and all secondary casters in some form or another) a pool of manna points. By default, these points could be used for class features - channel energy/turn undead for the cleric for example and a unique ability for the sorcerer and wizard. The sorcerer would be able to spend points to cast a spell it doesn't have known and the wizard can use it to retain a spell as it casts it.

These points are there, however, mostly for metamagic feats and perhaps other abilities as well. These feats will no longer be increasing a spell's effective level - instead the MM feats will be more like the sudden metamagic feats from the complete arcane except instead of being 1/day each, they expend points from the class' manna pool. Heighten spell would no longer be considered a metamagic feat.

The sorcerer would otherwise look very much like it does in pathfinder as would the wizard with any fixes directed at minor or subtle problems with secondary and tertiary abilities. The balancing factors I've discussed earlier would be directed more at spells, feats, and magic items instead of the classes themselves.

A class can have any number of abilities, but they are defined by and advance through the number of such abilities that you gain. For example, fighters might gain a bonus combat feat with every primary ability that they gain but the rogue might gain sneak attack at 1st level (which advances by 1d6 per two additional primary abilities) and a 'special ability' with every two primary abilities but no class is going to gain an individual, unique ability with every primary/secondary/tertiary ability that they gain.
The design goal here is to provide something interesting at every stage of an ability - so that even if all you consider is primary abilities at every level, you still have something interesting to gain at every character advancement level.

Classes (Part 4 - Multiclassing, Prestige Classes, Templates, Powerful Races, and So On)

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Here is where the benefit of the extra 'archetypes' mechanic comes in and one of the benefits of 4th edition can benefit my version of 3.5e/pathfinder.
There are now two different and equally valid ways in which to multiclass.

I will introduce a feat (name TBD) that I will call the "multiclass feat" which has the sole purpose of using one archetype to hybridize two separate classes (akin to 4e's feat-based multiclassing except that you only need one feat). Once you take the feat, you can replace the secondary abilities of your class with the primary abilities of another class. Tertiary abilities will be replaced by secondary abilities from both classes. You also gain the six starting feats of every class, but unlike 3e multiclassing, you don't get them all automatically - instead you must replace abilities with these feats (two feats per ability replaced until you get all six) before you can take a primary ability in any class.

You can also multiclass the same way you could in 3e - by just taking levels as another archetype-class and it won't require a feat, but you are still subject to replacing abilities with feats until you get all of them. (You won't have to take the same feat twice - You must still replace an ability with a feat even if it's only one feat but you can actually just take the feats as regular feats.) If you already have all six feats, you don't need to replace any such abilities.

I'm not sure how unique traits will be handled by this multiclassing. One way would be to have it only gained once for the primary class and that's it. Another way would be to have it gained whenever and however you multiclass - applying only to the number of levels in your archetype/class combo to which it applies.

You can also use the MC feat to have the option of replacing secondary with primary abilities (to the limit of no more than one/level) and tertiary abilities with secondary abilities.

The setup for multiclassing can also be used for templates and as a guide for balancing prestige classes adding templates to player characters or NPCs, which can simply displace secondary and tertiary abilities. This is also how 'level adjustment' is replaced - by essentially either being their own class or set of abilities.

Classes (Part 5 - The Whole Bloody Affair)

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This is a lot to take in, but look at what all this does -

Using this system, I can now balance abilities more closely with one another on their own merit unrelated as to whether it belongs to a fighter-type class "well, look at how the monk gets all good saves and such - so this is why its abilities are the way they are).

This system also completely eliminates the need for theurge-type classes. Any such unique abilities can instead be replaced by feats available to the classes by default (such as those by Pathfinder's mystic theurge).

Now, this is all still at the idea stage, so there are likely many issues to address and gaps to fill in but I think this is a very strong start here for positive change. Now, this isn't as simple as just having 12 classes like 3.5e, but it does simplify many other issues that come up later in the game and even if it all comes up even in terms of relative complexity, then I consider it a win.

Combat

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A lot of the rules of combat will remain largely the same as pathfinder's unless otherwise noted with one major exception.

Swift and immediate actions will be added to the core gameplay if pathfinder didn't add them already.

Ability burn (from psionics) will be added as something that can happen.

That major exception is special techniques (such as bull rush, grapple, and the like) will have the most changes. They will all be save/DC based dependent upon qualifying feats and other factors (grapple would be strength based while trip might be dex-based.) If a technique has ongoing effects, they will be resolved with opposed rolls, skills, and/or continuing saves.

New techniques will be added to add variety and to techniques based on certain abilities.

[Neoxenok]

Epic Levels, Divinity, and Powers Beyond

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20th level is the cap for all hit dice - racial, class, and everything else. Nothing can have more than 20 hit dice, 20 skill ranks in a particular skill, and so on.
However, you can still advance past 20th level in a manner that many here on the boards are familiar with. Epic level advancement will more closely resemble E6 (E20 actually) than it does the core epic levels. Feat advancement will continue at the odd levels (with feats only available to those of 21st level and higher) but you'll gain 'epic abilities' at every even level that will, in power and function, closely resemble salient divine abilities. You will still gain skill points and hit points, but at a severely reduced rate (1 hp/level for skilled characters, 2/level for average, 3/level for warrior - no bonuses for con). There will be a similar restriction for skills, but the exact nature of that is TBD.

Epic spells will exist but they'll more closely resemble 'normal' spells. The design-your-own epic spell system in place will be stripped out of the game entirely. Instead, you'll have a list of epic spells that are available if you can cast 9th level spells and possibly other prerequisites (including a feat). How you gain an epic spells is still up in the air at this point, but I'm considering something similar to neverwinter (you take a feat for each spell) or you can take a feat for epic spellcasting in general and you can simply write said spell into a spell book (like a normal spell - just exceptionally - even prohibitively expensive). Otherwise, I do also want to eliminate the necessity of having ranks in the spellcraft and knowledge (arcana) skills from being able to cast epic spells.

Even if you never intend to play epic levels, the rules and such will need to be laid down for creatures and such that are CR/Level 21 and above.

There will not be a 'maximum level' to the game but many abilities will 'cap out' at a certain point, other than stackable feats. In fact, all abilities dependent on hit dice cap when you hit 20 hit dice. All other abilities will involve flat bonuses.

Feats

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There are a lot of changes to make here - first is to make more of them available, second is to make them more powerful, third is to at least try to make them all roughly the same power - some will always be better than others, but I'm also increasing their overall power as well as hopefully eliminate feats with diminishing returns (in that they do not have diminishing returns - not simply eliminating the feats).

This also means I want feats to do things that were normally considered taboo, which is something many epic feats do. I will also make many epic feats into non-epic feats available at high level or for those with certain ability scores.

At actual epic levels, 21st level and above, epic abilities will more closely resemble salient divine abilities and similarly powerful abilities.

Some changes I've had in mind:

Dodge (like in PF) grants +1 dodge to AC. Unlike in PF, you can take the feat multiple times - its effects stack.
Weapon Finesse (requires dex 13) - as normal except you can also add your dex to a finesse-able weapon's damage as precision damage
Weapon Focus adds +1 to attack and damage +1/4 levels (max +5). Half that benefit (rounded down, minimum +0) applies to all weapons within a weapon group.
Armor Skin (requires 13 con) adds +1 natural armor to AC. You can take this feat multiple times. Its effects stack.
Great Strength adds +2 to strength. Unlike in the 3.5e rules, you can only take this feat once.
Improved Grapple lets you attempt to grapple a foe within your threatened range as a standard action - the target makes a save DC 10 + 1/2 your level + your strength modifier. If the target fails the save, he and you both are considered grappled (but you are considered the grappler.) Those without the feat can still grapple, but do not get the 'half level' bonus on the saving throw DC or some other restriction.
Silent Spell lets you cast a spell silently at the cost of one mana point.
Fast healing (requires con 19) lets you fast heal as per the ability we all know and love.
Regeneration (requires fast heal, con 21, and being level 15 or better) lets you regrow limbs and do all the stuff regeneration does.
Epic Dodge (requires dex 19, level 11 or better) lets you negate a single ranged or melee attack of any kind.
Great fortitude lets you upgrade your fort save from bad to average or average to good and when you successfully save against an effect for a lesser effect, you negate that effect.

The item crafting feats will be eliminated from the game. Instead, there will be one feat "craft magic items" that is available to anyone - spellcasters or otherwise but it's not usable by itself. In order to craft a particular item, you must possess a particular skill, such as craft (jewelry) in order to make rings, bracers, amulets or craft (alchemy) in order to brew potions (which will be expanded to include area spells, usable as grenades) or craft (weaponsmithing) in order to make melee weapons and so on. The exact skills aren't decided at all yet. I may leave scribe scroll as is own unique feat.

Leadership will be heavily redone in a similar manner as the animal companion to druids was done in pathfinder - in that you can build your own cohort within relatively limited options instead of being able to essentially make a second character. The companion will likely be an NPC class with some 'cohort abilities'. Animal companion, familiars, and similar allies will be modifications of this feat (and thus you cannot have a cohort AND an animal companion as it would be like having the feat twice.)

Skills

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Skills will be condensed in a manner similar but not quite the same as pathfinder. Autohypnosis will be added as a skill (and fly like pathfinder). Knowledge (psionics) will be added to knowledge (arcana) and psicraft into spellcraft.

Trained skills will also mean more than a mere +3 when you have a rank in the skill.
At every X number of ranks, you get something akin to 3.5e's skill tricks that benefit the character.
For example, having 20 ranks in climb lets you climb any surface at any angle or perhaps balance/acrobatics lets you air walk similarly to the spell. 20 ranks in survival might let you track through air and water (like the epic functions of track since you can't have more than 20 ranks anyway.

This will be done for every skill.

I'm not 100% on this particular change, but either way, the desire is to make skills a little more quadratic as well - perhaps putting epic level skill uses for high level characters instead of inventing a whole new mechanic.

Magic Items

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This is something that will also foster a series of major changes.

Magic items will be divided into five major categories -
Minor
Moderate
Major
Epic
Artifact

Magic items would be drawn from a pool that includes epic magic items as well, but many pre-epic limitations will be observed. A lot of epic items would thus be converted (in many ways, but not all) into pre-epic items.

All magic items will have functions that extend to all five of those levels (and thus many magic items that are essentially more powerful versions of others) will be folded together and extended in order to fit across all five categories.
This would be easy for your rings of protection, but more difficult for your bowls of elemental command, but not impossible.

The enhancement bonuses for weapons, armor, and shields will be integrated into the special ability granted by those items. In other words, they will no longer be their own separate function of these magic items. Instead, more emphasis will be placed on special abilities.

For example, you could find a 'minor keen scythe' or a 'major keen scythe' as a magic weapon. You could also say +1 keen scythe or +3 keen scythe, but 'minor' and 'major' also describe the 'keen' property as well. Perhaps the "minor keen" property adds +1 to the weapon's threat range where a major keen weapon adds +2 to the threat range of the weapon and adds +1d6 precision damage on all normal attacks.

In other words, the enhancement bonus of the weapon/shield/armor is tied to the special ability and no longer has its own consideration with weapons, shields, or armor. You can still have such an item with an enhancement bonus and no special abilities which would halve the price.

The "animated" special property for shields will be redesigned in such a manner as to not at all replace actually using a shield.

The spell resistance and invulnerability properties of armor and shields will be made useful (the reason why will be explained later).

Inherent bonus tomes and such will be eliminated from the game.

bracers of armor will be repurposed to do something other than act as armor. This function for mages will be replaced by clothing enhanced by armor and robes (which will add many such abilities to armor special properties that can be given to anyone.)

The function of wands will be repurposed from being simply the bulk purchase of scrolls at a discount into something entirely different. (What that is is still under consideration.) My favorite idea right now is that wands would have 50 charges and be 'attuned' to a particular spell of up to 4th level (artifact level). Wands will save you manna when you expend it on that spell, using up charges as you go. It'll also help with other spells of lower levels, but not as well. How this'll all work mechanically will have to be worked out later.

I'm heavily considering altering, eliminating, nerfing, or otherwise changing ability enhancement items. My favorite idea right now is restricting them to +2 and no higher. (My decisions here will also affect spells of a similar nature.)

The shirt, vest, and armor slots will be combined into one magic item slot. You can only have one 'unslotted' item slot. Eyes, face, and head slot will all be combined into one item slot.

Metamagic rods will all be combined into one item that enhances metamagic feats you know and doesn't give you free access to ones you don't know.

Items that grant bonuses to skills will be limited to +10 and will be more expensive.

Numerous other items will also change according to new game mechanics and gameplay issues - there are many to list but the above will hopefully give you the direction I am going.

The pricing of items will change drastically - with all costs based around minor magic items
Minor (x1)
Moderate (x2)
Major (x5)
Epic (x25)
Artifact (x500)
So for example, an artifact armor will cost 500 times that of minor armor.

The reason I call the most powerful items "artifacts" is because only the most powerful of mortals and least of gods is the minimum required to make such powerful items. The difference between an artifact (like the sword of kas) and an artifact keen weapon is that the former would be a unique item (and uniquely powerful). "Unique" items would have qualities that would take the place of traditional artifacts except it would expand to every "level" of the new magic item categories.

Monsters

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Monsters will obey the same rules as player characters but with looser restrictions. The ones that follow those rules more closely might be available as player races.

The balance will be as such that CR = racial hit dice = effective character level. This is, however, in recognition that the balance of certain abilities is different for NPCs and creatures than it is for PCs.

Spell-like abilities will all collectively have the same spell level - dependent upon the CR of the creature or NPC that uses it. All saving throw DCs of SLAs will be based upon 10 + 1/2 racial hit dice + charisma modifier. There is no caster level (some of this will make more sense later, when magic and spells are covered.)

Creature types will be entirely re-categorized as (or something akin to) thus:

Aberrations (Creatures beyond understanding)
Living (Earthly mortals)
-Animals
-Intelligent Humanoids
-Plant
-Vermin
Fey (Creatures connected to the world but not quite of it - immortal)
-Seelie
-Unseelie
-Elemental
Outsiders (otherworldly creatures created of belief)
-Anarchic
-Axiomatic
-Celestial
-Fiendish

Subtypes:
Magical, Swarm, Undead

Creatures will also be balanced against either adventuring class NPCs or commoner class NPCs depending on their abilities.

Since AC now ascends with the base combat bonus, natural armor bonuses will be set to a standard equivalent to that of armor (in that creatures with naturally high natural armor will be given a bonus equivalent to actual armor instead of being arbitrarily high enough for its CR.)

There will likely be numerous other changes here to accommodate the new and altered rules but nothing otherwise out of the ordinary.

NPC Classes

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The NPC classes have a CR of half its character level.
They have few class skills (craft, profession, and a few others), no abilities (primary, secondary, or tertiary), no trait, and only half the starting feats (3).

The commoner, expert, and aristocrat are effectively folded into one another. The three starting feats will be selectable from a very limited list of feats.

NPCs will not have access to the skilled or warrior archetypes. they are, by default, average.

Magic and Psionics (Part 1: Overview)

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I would like to make counter spelling an easier and generally more attractive option. I just don't know how to do that.

Caster levels are eliminated. Instead, spells get more powerful depending upon the spell's level and the highest spell level you have access to - regardless of the origin of that spell level. The spell's abilities cap out two spell levels higher than the spell's spell level. I'm sure youc an imagine that this makes heighten spell more valuable as a a feat.

Spells will, as a general rule, have a secondary effect that happens when you successfully save against a spell targeted against you. This won't be the case for all spells or spells that use an attack roll. Obviously, spells that don't force a saving throw (such as dancing lights) won't have any such effect.

Spell Resistance will be divided into three categories - spell resistance, improved (or greater) spell resistance, and spell immunity. Spell resistance allows you to negate any effect upon a successful saving throw against a spell. Improved/Greater SR allows you to take the secondary/successful save effect on a failed saving throw and negate any effect on a successful saving throw. Spell immunity leaves you unaffected by a spell entirely.

Great fortitude, iron will, and lightning reflexes are now similar to spell resistance in this manner (as you might have guessed in the feat entry) but is not limited to spells. Improved versions of these weren't mentioned but will be available to high level characters.

The concentration skill will change in a manner similar to pathfinder's change.

The schools of magic will be better defined so a few of them (like conjuration) won't have such broad functionality. Each school will have a multitude of subschools with similarly specific functions.

Abjuration: Absorbs, redirects, deflects, and dispels energy - magical and otherwise.

• Absorb: drain/dampen energy (resist energy)
• Deflect: redirect energy (spell reflection)
• Dispel: dismantle energy into base components (dispel magic)
• Ward: prevents energy/person/place/thing from acting on a warded thing (protect from evil)

Conjuration: Moves people, places, and things from one place to another.

• Calling: Opens a direct, persistent link from one place to another (gate, phase door)
• Summoning: Pulls a person/place/thing from one plane to another (plane shift, summon monster)
• Teleportation: moves a person/place/thing from one place to another on the same plane (teleport, dimension door)

Divination: Pulls information from places unknown

• Awareness: Extends your awareness and heightens your senses (true strike, true seeing)
• Communication: Opens a link to another creature for communication or information (contact planar ally)
• Knowledge: Looks beyond time and space for answers (identify)
• Scry: creates a magical sensor that throws your conciousness and/or your senses elsewhere (scry, clairvoyance/clairaudience)

Enchantment: Mental and emotional influence and control.

• Compulsion: Manipulates the mind in order to control (command, dominate person)
• Emotion: creates an emotional influence in a target (scare, rage, fear, charm person)
• Sensitivity: Your mind is sensitive to certain aspects of other minds (detect thoughts)

Evocation: creates and directs energy

• Creation: Create an object or material (minor creation)
• Energy: Create and direct energy or motion (burning hands, daylight)
• Invocation: Control energy or forces that already exist (control weather)

Illusion: manipulates lights, sounds, and the senses of others to fool people

• Figment: Alters, controls, or manipulates light, sounds, or other (Minor Image, Magic Mouth, Invisibility)
• Glamor: Changes the sensory perceptions of things that already exist (Hallucinatory Terrain)
• Pattern: Creates figments that affect the senses and minds of those who perceive it (hypnotic pattern)
• Phantasm: Alters the senses and sensations of an individual (phantasmal killer, dream)

Necromancy: creates, summons, and manipulates life energy and lives

• Affliction: You manipulate the life/unlife energy of a creature to create an affliction upon them (contagion, bestow curse)
• Death: You create and/or channel negative life energy (inflict light wounds, enervation)
• Life: You create and/or channel life energy (restoration, cure moderate wounds)
• Spirit: You can manipulate the spirit and/or soul of a creature (magic jar, astral projection)
• Undeath: Manipulate/Control/Create undead using both life and unlife energies (animate dead)

Transmutation: changes people, places, and things from one thing into another

• Alteration: Change a creature or object into something else (polymorph, alter self)
• Enhancement: Infuse a creature with magical energy to enhance/empower (bull's strength, animate objects)
• Rearrangement: Rearrange existing materials into a new product (make whole, fabrication)

Universal: Not a single school but represents the gaps between schools that can allow a caster to use elements of one to fulfill another (such using mental control from enchantment to pacify and control a summoned creature) even with prohibited schools. Also exists for spells that don't fall into a normal school.

The descriptors acid, air, chaotic, cold, darkness, death, earth, electricity, evil, fear, fire, force, good, language-dependent, lawful, light, mind-affecting, sonic, and water will be largely the same ~ though some may be altered, merged, or otherwise changed in the final product, but I haven't put too much thought into it just yet. I do know that mind-affecting will not be as common of an immunity as it was in 3.5e and especially epic 3.5e, but using that particular descriptor will continue to exist as some creatures might still be resistant to it. I will most likely also create other descriptors as well. I like the idea of 'body-affecting' and 'soul-affecting' as descriptors as I can see certain creatures resistant or immune to spells of that nature. The alignment descriptors will be stripped from nearly every spell (if not every spell) that doesn't directly affect or require alignment. For example, protection from good (might) be an evil spell, but animate dead will not be.

Psionics will have a number of significant changes but I haven't put much effort into defining those changes just yet. The Psion itself will resemble a cross between the original psion (3.5e expanded psionics version), the warlock, and the soulmelding classes. A lot of psionic powers will become class features and those that remain will be grouped into powers with a similar function and will advance somewhat like skills or a civilization-style tech tree. That's the desire anyway. The psionic disciplines (telepathy, metacreativity, etc) will all remain and determine most of the powers and class features. It will not be transparent to magic.

Saving throw DCs of all spells, spell-like abilities, and other such things will all be calculated as:
10 + 1/2 your character level/hit dice + ability score modifier relevant to the spell (Charisma for spont casters, wisdom for divine prep-casters, int for arcane prep-casters).

Backlash will be introduced as a spell component of certain powerful spells. This will be similar to backlash damage from the epic level handbook, but only in function. The form it will take will be very different. There will be light backlash, moderate backlash, serious backlash, critical backlash, and deadly backlash.

Magic and Psionics (Part 2: Spells and Powers)

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The changes to magic in general will alter the placement and categorization of many spells - such is to be expected.

The biggest change to spells individually will be the complete removal of caster level as a mechanic in the game as mentioned earlier in the magic overview.

Other changes include:
Spells that offer blanket immunities will be severely nerfed or made otherwise more reasonable. The biggest offenders off the top of my head in this department are freedom of movement (immunity to grapple and movement-related impediments), death ward (immunity to death effects, negative energy, and other things), mind blank (immunity to mind-affecting fx and therefore ALL enchantment spells, illusion spells, numerous psionic powers, and many supernatural abilities of creatures), true seeing (makes illusion school irrelevant to anyone but noncasters), and a few others I'm likely forgetting. The easiest change would be based on the 'powers by spell level known' mechanic that is replacing caster level - perhaps true seeing only works on effects equal to or lower than one spell level below the highest spell level you can access up to two higher than your spell's current level or perhaps true seeing just lets you 'interact' with illusions and such and get a saving throw the moment you see them (at a bonus) - still subject to failure. Death ward could grant a mettle/evasion-like protection against death effects instead of outright immunity. All of these things are considered and there are many options here that make them good choices because whatever it is - it has to leave the spell useful and maybe still powerful - just not overwhelmingly so.

Summoning spells will be reworked from all angles. I like how summoning worked in Neverwinter Nights in that summon monster 1-9 summoned one creature that stayed with you for 24 hours. I think that plus making summon monster spells more like astral construct in the build-your-own creature instead of being able to pick out the least intelligently designed creature from a catalogue and using that to break someone's campaign or especially to outshine your own allies at the thing they're good at. "All angles" include the casting, the creature summoned, the control the caster has on the creature, the control the caster has over the creature, and so forth. I don't have too many specific ideas here, but the desired result is for the summon spells to never outshine a PC of equivalent level to the casting spellcaster. This will come from the summon spells themselves as well as any summonable creatures, among any other limitations I can think of.

hit dice and hit point specific things on spells will be removed. I've always found this bit from certain spells a bit meta-gamey, too hit-or-miss, and sometimes too powerful (huge caster level increases + holy word? very powerful), so something obviously needs to change. This also applies to things like power word stun or power word kill that use game mechanics instead of in-game justifications for what they do.

"Force Damage" will be eliminated in favor of weapon-type damages (bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, or some combination of those).

Healing spells will, by and large, be returned to the necromancy school.

Fewer clerics and other divine casters will have easy access to spells that raise the dead. The spell, raise dead, will remain as will its counterparts but the more advanced versions will be placed in a domain (likely the healing domain or the life domain - which I may create for this game). Raise dead will have the chance of bringing back the dead correctly, incorrectly, not at all, will bring back the wrong person, or will create a new being entirely (as in full metal alchemist type new being - a template will be involved, but DMs will have the option of ignoring anything other than 'success/fail.'

Spells that do the same work as skills will be nerfed. Knock, for example, will automatically unlock locks of a DC of 10 +2 per spell level you have access to up to two levels higher than this spell's current spell level (or something to this effect.) Invisibility and Silence will improve stealth in a similar manner as my knock example - perhaps invisibility works by giving the user a minimum perception/spot DC (of 20, just like in the core game) but also a boost to their actual stealth modifier, if it's higher - perhaps a mere +2~+10.
The successful spotter/perceiver can locate the individual's square and act on it but cannot discern a precise location. Silence will work in a similar manner with sounds - dampening instead of eliminating sound.
... or something. The point being is to eliminate invisibility working even against creatures that could practically see through concrete with how awesome their spot/perception checks are.

Well, I could be writing in this section all day with the spells that need to be altered or changed in some manner. I don't have ideas on nearly all of them but there's plenty of places I can go and look through to see all the things that people don't like about them that I could use to inspire changes in this version of the game.
I do believe, however, that spells (even with the wizard being as versatile as it is) are allowed to be good and even fairly powerful. It's okay to have good spells. What's not okay in my book is when the casters are better than non-casters (or at least that perception). Always. Not all spells will need to be nerfed and even some powerful spells can remain because it's okay to have and use powerful spells as long as they're within the scope of gameplay and don't render player characters other than the caster irrelevant.

The spell descriptions will be attempted to be made more intuitive and user-friendly.

Races

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Not much to say here except that I'll be using races closer to the 3.5e style of races with a neutral set of ability score adjustments. Races will involve two choices - the actual race and the cultural trait of the race, which you can select like a feat (but not actually a feat).

The half-orc and half-elf will be removed from core gameplay in favor of a completely rewritten orc and renamed half-giant (who will not be a 'half-giant' so much as a giant-giant. The actual name TBD but the idea is that I'd rather have a set of (mostly) unique races instead of the bastard children of two-pre-existing races and another that's half a race that's not available to player characters by default. Plus, I think half-breeds should have many of the best qualities of their parents instead of the worst or half-half and should be exceptionally rare either due to cultural differences or cross-species infertility.

Well, this is, for the most part, my preliminary for the 'new' game. So what I want from you now is constructive criticism of my system, of d20 in general, 3.5e, 3e, pathfinder, and other such games. I'd like to know what you'd like to see in a new d20 game, the ideas you endorse from my suggestions, the ideas you dislike (and why), and things of that nature. When I do finally get around to putting 'pen to paper' on this project, I'm going to use every resource I can get my hands on to make this system be the best for me and for anyone else that might want to use it.

Keep in mind that all of these ideas are simply preliminary and not "set in stone" in any fashion. Anything can change in the time between now and when I actually start working on this project, likely some time from now.

I'd even like to chat about our experiences with the system that could be used to make a better game.

I welcome ideas and discussion as long as we're all being respectful to one another. Thank you for taking the time to read everything I've written and even if you didn't, I'm more than happy to address concerns, answer questions, or just discuss this new system or any of the older systems.

I also welcome links to work other people have done for ideas to incorporate into my new system.

Thank you.

[Neo Tin Robo]

Here are my scattered thoughts on the Problems section.

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I strongly agree with the caster issue. They need to have cool and powerful spells or else what's the point? It's only when they transcend the need for a party that it hurts the game.

Have to diverge a bit on the topic of clerics, however. Clerics don't learn spells and really don't even think of them as such. Clerics are all about using a strong faith in a deity or ideal to see them through in a time of need - prayer, in other words. It makes sense that they have access to all these things because if someone needs healing, they'd pray for healing, or if a dragon is burning their friends to death, they'd pray to be shielded from the flames. It's silly to have them say, "I don't know how to pray for that thing cause it's not in my hymn book."

Skipping ahead a bit, I'd like to see the domains return to something closer to the old spheres, which included more than just one spell per level, but all spells of a similar theme. Clerics would then have access to all spheres of their god, and this would determine their final spell list. Furthermore, why not make the cleric into the 'missing' spontaneous divine caster? Doing all of their praying ahead of time is kind of nonsensical when you really think about it.

Have to agree again that monster HD tend to be grossly inflated later on, and hopelessly so at epic level of play.

Touch AC should just be abolished altogether. If a spell relies on striking a target with something to deal damage, full AC should apply. In all other cases, it should invoke a saving throw instead of an attack roll.

I would also like to salvage the epic spell creation, but I just don't see any way of making it work as intended. Try to make a simple blasty spell for in combat and it pales compared to 9th level spells. On the other hand, make a crazy powerful long term buff spell you cast maybe once a month and it's easy as pie and costs next to nothing. There's not even an official minimum cost for pity's sake! It's just hopelessly broken as a system.

I haven't looked at Deities & Demigods in ages, but the biggest problem with it is the fact that they're statting gods to begin with. A god's avatar might have stats that would be relevant in a game, but the god itself is beyond all that.

Magic items - along with spells and feats - are one of the biggest sources of bloat in the game. You could cut out at least 30% of them without losing anything of value. These things mainly fill out splat books so people will keep buying them. That infamous table in the DMG needs a big bold header that it is for DM use only and not a means for players to make overpowered items for dirt cheap.

There are two major problems with spells. There are those that were just made to fill up new books with little regard to good design. Then there are others that were copied and pasted from older editions without stopping to think how they would work within the new systems. Many spells need rewriting.

Not much to say on races. Mostly agree and would like to see how those ideas pan out.

When I've run games, determining the potential challenge of a monster has always thrown me off. I've had parties curbstomp what looked like a big bruiser, and other times had to refrain from wiping the group with what was meant to be a lesser encounter. I would love a useful alternative to CR. I'd also like to see the random encounter tables fixed cause they often throw things wildly out of the party's league if you actually use them.

As for PC classes, I think Pathfinder did an admirable job with most of them. The Bard did seem like it lost more than it gained, though. And I'd still prefer the Monk to officially have full BAB and the Ranger to get a full-strength animal companion. I've been toying with the idea of wizards just picking one spell school to learn from and gaining class features based on it - basically expanding on the direction Pathfinder went with bloodlines. The Paladin's smite evil and the Ranger's quarry were great improvements as well.

[Neoxenok]

Have to diverge a bit on the topic of clerics, however. Clerics don't learn spells and really don't even think of them as such. Clerics are all about using a strong faith in a deity or ideal to see them through in a time of need - prayer, in other words. It makes sense that they have access to all these things because if someone needs healing, they'd pray for healing, or if a dragon is burning their friends to death, they'd pray to be shielded from the flames. It's silly to have them say, "I don't know how to pray for that thing cause it's not in my hymn book."

Skipping ahead a bit, I'd like to see the domains return to something closer to the old spheres, which included more than just one spell per level, but all spells of a similar theme. Clerics would then have access to all spheres of their god, and this would determine their final spell list. Furthermore, why not make the cleric into the 'missing' spontaneous divine caster? Doing all of their praying ahead of time is kind of nonsensical when you really think about it.

The problem with that interpretation is that turning the cleric into a spontaneous caster doesn't really fit that bill either because it would imply that the cleric would come up empty trying to pray for the protection/smiting/curing provided by a spell that isn't on the cleric's spells known list or even something not provided by a cleric spell at all.

I've always thought of the cleric praying ahead of time as not necessarily praying for a particular spell (like in order of the stick) at all in the sense that it's the god sending the cleric individually requested spells but rather that the cleric makes his prayers for guidance and the god sends the cleric a slathering of magic based on the god's knowledge and foresight (making any cleric worry when he suddenly has the magical energies he needs for a raise dead spell) or something to that effect.
The favored soul, in this instance, has a more direct tap on his or her god's power and perhaps has more control over his or her spell choices - the spells known list would be the ones that the favored soul has learned to tap into.
The oracle might not even know where his/her magic is coming from.

I suppose ether way, using a prayer book doesn't make much sense when your access to magic is dependent upon another being essentially giving you magic (as opposed to wizards having spellbooks and doing all the ritualistic legwork themselves.)

If you haven't seen my solutions section in regards to 'fixing' the cleric, then I'll tell you that we're definitely of two minds with domains. My idea is that the cleric's spell list (sans domains) would be stripped down to a bare minimum of spells that could be applied to any deity (like bless and aid) and bare-bones access recovery/life/unlife magic. Domains would be expanded (many of them would grant more than one spell at each level) and each deity or philosophy would have no more or less than five domains. The cleric would get all of them and it would go straight to their spell list. No bonus spell slots specifically for domains.

Each casting class also gets a pool of manna points equal to 1/2 their character level + their casting stat modifier. Metamagic feats and certain class features (channel energy and some domain powers) would all be powered by manna - but perhaps it would be suitable for clerics to be able to use them to spontaneously cast a spell they didn't prepare (something sorcerers will be able to do also because of their inherent intuition with spells).

Do you think that might be equitable? Now that I think about it, the whole problem we've had with the divine casters is that they have unlimited free access - limiting new cleric spells to new domains and never expanding the core list seems to do that without having to give them their own spellbooks. Being able to use manna points to spontaneously cast a spell would cover the "pray for protection on the fly" theme that seems perfectly logical for clerics.

Our own divergence here I think would be that I think the cleric should still be able to prepare spells or at least there should be a spontaneous divine caster and still a preparation divine caster for the same reason that the game should include both the sorcerer and wizard.

Touch AC should just be abolished altogether. If a spell relies on striking a target with something to deal damage, full AC should apply. In all other cases, it should invoke a saving throw instead of an attack roll.

I honestly don't think that would be necessary - at least with some of the changes I've been proposing.
The problem I've always had with touch AC has had to do with the fact that many creatures simply haves an inflated natural armor and Touch AC effectively negates more of your AC bonuses than flat-footed does.

Touch AC negates natural armor, armor, and shield bonuses
Flat-footed AC negates dexterity and dodge bonuses.

My solution was to have AC scale with hit dice and remove shield bonuses from the list of things that touch AC negates. I think it creates a good dichotomy - each of them negates two things. The scaling AC won't be negated and will displace natural armor as being as inflated as it was with most creatures, so I'm hoping that'll make "touch AC" more balanced in this regard.

Do you think this might be enough to alleviate your concerns?

The main reason I think I have to keep it is just because I think the mechanic has tactical merit if done properly but if it doesn't make sense to keep it as it is, then I'll reconsider keeping it or try to work something else.

I would also like to salvage the epic spell creation, but I just don't see any way of making it work as intended. Try to make a simple blasty spell for in combat and it pales compared to 9th level spells. On the other hand, make a crazy powerful long term buff spell you cast maybe once a month and it's easy as pie and costs next to nothing. There's not even an official minimum cost for pity's sake! It's just hopelessly broken as a system.

A lot of the problems I felt I had with the 5-year long forgotten realms campaign I ran involved epic spells and the things that I ended up allowing or ignoring that came to bite me down the road - far more than the "abuses" of the 0-9 level spells and I was guilty of some of the stupid things that can come of it as well.

After the campaign was over, I put a lot of thought into how the epic level spell mechanics might be fixed. The solution of just treating epic spells like more of the same pre-epic spells (in that they come pre-packaged) is more of a nuclear option in this regard because it chucks out a mechanic that does have some potential even if it was handled badly.

Some of the ideas that I came up with included placing level-based upper limits to the spells you could create. I think being able to add to the save DC ad infinity and having the power of the spells you create based on your skill bonus in spellcraft to be a huge mistake. Overall, the idea would be to essentially place far stricter limits on what seeds can do and hopefully the end products will be in roughly the power level they should be.

That only scratches the surface, but it can be a chassis to use to make an overhaul. If nothing else, it might be worth the attempt down the road.

I haven't looked at Deities & Demigods in ages, but the biggest problem with it is the fact that they're statting gods to begin with. A god's avatar might have stats that would be relevant in a game, but the god itself is beyond all that.

Absolutely. There was barely anything usable in that book. I found it to be an interesting read and it did offer some good sets of gods that could be the backbone of a homebrew campaign but statting the gods as these ridiculously powerful beings and then statting out their avatars as beings barely different and leaving you to figure out a bunch of the changes on your own made much of it completely useless.

My concept of gods in fantasy games is such that they are essentially omnipotent and invincible within their own sphere - their home plane and the aspects of the universe that they control. Outside of that element (perhaps the god of magic and the god of movies decided to meet at a neutral location to destroy the last copy of The Sorcerer's Apprentice at a neutral location - perhaps the prime material plane. There, their powers are limited and they must exist in mortal bodies that naturally limit their power and can make them vulnerable (relatively speaking).

In such a case, I think stats are necessary. I do think gods should have stats and it allows for sweeping epic stories about mortals that can truly contest the gods themselves. I think they should be statted among the most powerful beings in the game (if not the most powerful - there are beings even the gods fear.)

So I think it should remain possible to use gods in a campaign somewhere but in a much more logical way than what Deities and Demigods attempted.

Magic items - along with spells and feats - are one of the biggest sources of bloat in the game. You could cut out at least 30% of them without losing anything of value. These things mainly fill out splat books so people will keep buying them. That infamous table in the DMG needs a big bold header that it is for DM use only and not a means for players to make overpowered items for dirt cheap.

There are two major problems with spells. There are those that were just made to fill up new books with little regard to good design. Then there are others that were copied and pasted from older editions without stopping to think how they would work within the new systems. Many spells need rewriting.

No argument there. Most of the work is going to be involved in these three things.

When I've run games, determining the potential challenge of a monster has always thrown me off. I've had parties curbstomp what looked like a big bruiser, and other times had to refrain from wiping the group with what was meant to be a lesser encounter. I would love a useful alternative to CR. I'd also like to see the random encounter tables fixed cause they often throw things wildly out of the party's league if you actually use them.

As a DM in running encounters, my biggest problem, I think, is that I tend to confuse "challenging" with "nearly killing all of you." It's something I've only recently started to turn around and it's taken me a long time to get that through my thick skull.

To be perfectly honest, I think the Challenge Rating system is going to, by far, be the most difficult thing in the entire game to improve.

4th edition managed this because of the way they altered the PC classes and homogenized them and the way the NPCs and Creatures work in that game is more conductive to balance due to that (though I hear it's still a problem, but far better than 3rd).

I can understand why this is - even a relatively inflexible 3.5e class like the barbarian (you can change the ability scores, skill point allocation, and feats, but little else - the other classes get other class features that you can alter) and that can radically change the kind of PC you have and how they deal with challenges - must less the variables involved in an entire adventuring group - much less how this meshes with the monster's/NPC's abilities.

A party of adventurers built one way could curbstomp one encounter but that same encounter might be able to curbstomp another adventuring party purely because of their choices in character creation - much less situational things like terrain, favorable conditions, who knows what about what's going on, and numerous other things.

Honestly, fixing the epic spellcasting system is like reading a preschool-level children's book compared to CR.
The best solution I have in this regard is twofold - the fix to hit dice (archeotypes and fixing CR to hit dice) and balancing creatures in a similar manner as PCs and NPCs (although it won't be exactly the same.)

I've always treated CR as an approximate value (that still required you to gauge the creature against the PCs - still very imperfect) and adjust the xp rewards according to the actual challenge to the players. It doesn't fix the problem at all, but rather I just never expected much of it to begin with.

Otherwise, I'm honestly at a loss with CR.

As for PC classes, I think Pathfinder did an admirable job with most of them. The Bard did seem like it lost more than it gained, though. And I'd still prefer the Monk to officially have full BAB and the Ranger to get a full-strength animal companion. I've been toying with the idea of wizards just picking one spell school to learn from and gaining class features based on it - basically expanding on the direction Pathfinder went with bloodlines. The Paladin's smite evil and the Ranger's quarry were great improvements as well.

I agree for the most part here, though I've felt that the bard was nerfed in some ways, I've felt it was needed. Giving the bard infinite-duration skill rank-based save DC magical effects was something I'm honestly glad is gone. Not that it was particularly game-breaking for the bard to have it, but it's something that no other class could get away with without people screaming about how overpowered it is. I think the overall changes are positive, even with bardic music being nerfed.

Also, I did always think it was weird that the ranger didn't get a better animal companion than the druid. Hell, "beast master"-style prestige classes and abilities have always been ranger-centric anyway. The druid getting one always seemed superfluous.

Let me know what you think of the "archetypes" I've made as a solution.

Sorry for the long post and thanks for responding. Keep in mind -and this goes for anyone else viewing this thread - that we don't have to talk about everything I've proposed above all at once. We talk about one or a few topics and go from there.

[Neo Tin Robo]

The problem with that interpretation is that turning the cleric into a spontaneous caster doesn't really fit that bill either because it would imply that the cleric would come up empty trying to pray for the protection/smiting/curing provided by a spell that isn't on the cleric's spells known list or even something not provided by a cleric spell at all.

Well every cleric has his own faith, loosely defined by the domains/spheres they possess. So no, they wouldn't be able to do everything, but isn't that the idea? After all, I don't foresee the evil clerics routinely praying to protect the weak and feed the hungry.

I've always thought of the cleric praying ahead of time as not necessarily praying for a particular spell (like in order of the stick) at all in the sense that it's the god sending the cleric individually requested spells but rather that the cleric makes his prayers for guidance and the god sends the cleric a slathering of magic based on the god's knowledge and foresight (making any cleric worry when he suddenly has the magical energies he needs for a raise dead spell) or something to that effect.

I don't really care for that interpretation as it implies the successes and failures of the character are not his own. Say you really needed a Word of Recall to escape certain doom, but you don't have one. Now if the cleric never asked for one, he was ill-prepared, but if the deity chose not to provide one despite this "foreknowledge" then apparently he just wanted the character to fail. But this is again averted by spontaneous spell access.

If you haven't seen my solutions section in regards to 'fixing' the cleric, then I'll tell you that we're definitely of two minds with domains.

Really? Cause it sounded like the rest of that paragraph was in agreement with most of what I said.

Each casting class also gets a pool of manna points equal to 1/2 their character level + their casting stat modifier. Metamagic feats and certain class features (channel energy and some domain powers) would all be powered by manna - but perhaps it would be suitable for clerics to be able to use them to spontaneously cast a spell they didn't prepare (something sorcerers will be able to do also because of their inherent intuition with spells).

Do you think that might be equitable? Now that I think about it, the whole problem we've had with the divine casters is that they have unlimited free access - limiting new cleric spells to new domains and never expanding the core list seems to do that without having to give them their own spellbooks. Being able to use manna points to spontaneously cast a spell would cover the "pray for protection on the fly" theme that seems perfectly logical for clerics.

It's certainly well-named in the cleric's case. It could cover the concept well enough.

Our own divergence here I think would be that I think the cleric should still be able to prepare spells or at least there should be a spontaneous divine caster and still a preparation divine caster for the same reason that the game should include both the sorcerer and wizard.

I don't actually have a strong opinion on this, I just figured if a spontaneous divine caster was needed, why not let the cleric be that? If anything, I'd expect the Oracle to do the prepared casting, since they deal in prophecy and omens.

I honestly don't think that would be necessary - at least with some of the changes I've been proposing.

I'm merely looking at it from the logical standpoint, because I like the game to make sense and be consistent with it's own rules. You mentioned three spells in particular that were a problem and involved Touch AC: Shivering Touch, Enervation, and Energy Drain. All of these effects should be Fort saves instead of attack rolls. As the SRD says, "These saves measure your ability to stand up to physical punishment or attacks against your vitality and health."

Now if you were to chuck a glob of acid at an armored enemy, that is rightfully an attack roll, but the armor should apply (even natural armor) because it still serves as a barrier between the attack and the vulnerable bits. If the attack overcame the AC, then the acid splashed or burned through. Otherwise the armor did its job.

Some of the ideas that I came up with included placing level-based upper limits to the spells you could create. I think being able to add to the save DC ad infinity and having the power of the spells you create based on your skill bonus in spellcraft to be a huge mistake. Overall, the idea would be to essentially place far stricter limits on what seeds can do and hopefully the end products will be in roughly the power level they should be.

Any attempt would probably have to do something like this, but the really tricky part is keeping them desirable over extremely-metamagicked non-epic spells without blowing the roof off the game.

My concept of gods in fantasy games is such that they are essentially omnipotent and invincible within their own sphere - their home plane and the aspects of the universe that they control. Outside of that element (perhaps the god of magic and the god of movies decided to meet at a neutral location to destroy the last copy of The Sorcerer's Apprentice at a neutral location - perhaps the prime material plane. There, their powers are limited and they must exist in mortal bodies that naturally limit their power and can make them vulnerable (relatively speaking).

In such a case, I think stats are necessary. I do think gods should have stats and it allows for sweeping epic stories about mortals that can truly contest the gods themselves. I think they should be statted among the most powerful beings in the game (if not the most powerful - there are beings even the gods fear.)

That's what avatars are for (literally). They can have all the stats they want. But when the Lord of Battles actually has stats, suddenly you've got people coming into his castle, punching him in the face, and giving him a wedgie. Now that might work if the mantle of divinity were passed to whomever was most worthy, but that's not a standard model...

No argument there. Most of the work is going to be involved in these three things.

Work that I don't envy of anyone.

To be perfectly honest, I think the Challenge Rating system is going to, by far, be the most difficult thing in the entire game to improve.

Oh certainly, by far. It's no surprise that the designers were as stumped by it as we are.

I agree for the most part here, though I've felt that the bard was nerfed in some ways, I've felt it was needed. Giving the bard infinite-duration skill rank-based save DC magical effects was something I'm honestly glad is gone. Not that it was particularly game-breaking for the bard to have it, but it's something that no other class could get away with without people screaming about how overpowered it is. I think the overall changes are positive, even with bardic music being nerfed.

What isn't overpowered, according to most players? It's far too easy to make a knee-jerk reaction just because someone combined 3 books of material in an unexpected way. I don't think the music was ever a problem unless someone deliberately set out to make it one.

Let me know what you think of the "archetypes" I've made as a solution.

I was going to get into that stuff but then I wound up typing this monster. I'll delve into that in another post, but briefly, it seems to have potential. I'm concerned it may inflate character creation time, which classes are designed to mitigate, but perhaps it's too soon to tell.

[Neoxenok]

Well every cleric has his own faith, loosely defined by the domains/spheres they possess. So no, they wouldn't be able to do everything, but isn't that the idea? After all, I don't foresee the evil clerics routinely praying to protect the weak and feed the hungry.

Good Point.

I don't really care for that interpretation as it implies the successes and failures of the character are not his own. Say you really needed a Word of Recall to escape certain doom, but you don't have one. Now if the cleric never asked for one, he was ill-prepared, but if the deity chose not to provide one despite this "foreknowledge" then apparently he just wanted the character to fail. But this is again averted by spontaneous spell access.

Well, you know what those religious-types say to things that seem counterintuitive. It's all in Mystra's plan. It's not a perfect fluff solution, but there are a lot of ways we could go here. I'm not especially attached to it that's just how I've always seen it to work for divine preparation-based casting... though I suppose it would be more fate-based casting.

Really? Cause it sounded like the rest of that paragraph was in agreement with most of what I said.

I am. I wrote that response while trying to stay awake and for some reason I thought that "of two minds" meant being in synch with one another as opposed to differing in opinion. No biggie.

It's certainly well-named in the cleric's case. It could cover the concept well enough.

Definitely. I decided to call it manna mostly because that's how most fantasy RPGs name it, though "magic points" or "spell points" might be more appropriate for the arcane casters. The psion has always had psionic power points so that's an easy one.

I don't actually have a strong opinion on this, I just figured if a spontaneous divine caster was needed, why not let the cleric be that? If anything, I'd expect the Oracle to do the prepared casting, since they deal in prophecy and omens.

I'm not opposed to something like that. It could even be something along the lines of the mechanics behind the spirit shaman from the complete divine. I'm all for differentiating the mechanics in subtle ways to make each of the classes more unique from one another.

I'm merely looking at it from the logical standpoint, because I like the game to make sense and be consistent with it's own rules. You mentioned three spells in particular that were a problem and involved Touch AC: Shivering Touch, Enervation, and Energy Drain. All of these effects should be Fort saves instead of attack rolls. As the SRD says, "These saves measure your ability to stand up to physical punishment or attacks against your vitality and health."

Now if you were to chuck a glob of acid at an armored enemy, that is rightfully an attack roll, but the armor should apply (even natural armor) because it still serves as a barrier between the attack and the vulnerable bits. If the attack overcame the AC, then the acid splashed or burned through. Otherwise the armor did its job.

I agree completely. Were I to revise those spells right now, enervation would be a ranged touch spell that, when you hit, would require a fortitude save for a lesser effect if you succeed. I would revise acid splash to work almost exactly like throwing a flask of acid. The spell would create a glob of acid that you can suspend in your hand for a moment (or 'empty flask' is a material component) that must be hurled at an enemy - requiring a ranged attack roll and a reflex save for nearby enemies against splash damage.

My only argument here is just keeping 'ranged/melee touch' as a mechanic to be used by some (as in, fewer overall than 3.5e) spells and certain forms of attack that warrior-types can perform under special circumstances.

What I want to remove from spells in a very general sense is the idea of 'no save, no SR' spells.

Any attempt would probably have to do something like this, but the really tricky part is keeping them desirable over extremely-metamagicked non-epic spells without blowing the roof off the game.

There are many ways to approach this problem and considering the solutions I've already covered, I'm not as worried about 'extremely metamagic'd spells' as I would be if we were talking about 3.5e epic by default.

In the games I've played and ran, characters with 21st level spell slots filled with those grossly enhanced spells is... well, expected from any character that had even a few base metamagic feats - heighten spell, improved heighten spell, and quicken spell, for example. This would be exacerbated more by characters that invested more of their resources in metamagic.

Metamagic in the game I'm creating here would not have 'level increases' as it did in 3.5e. Instead, using metamagic requires manna/spell/power/whatever points from the manna pool I discussed earlier. More powerful metamagic feats would require more points - likely the same number of points as they had formerly in level increases.

This would allow casters to enhance their most powerful spells even with powerful metamagic like quicken or persistent spell, but there'll be a hard limit as to how much you can do this (and you won't be able to use that pool for your other class powers as well.)

I've also changed saving throw DCs for spells to be based off half your character level (which is limited to 20th level, even if you're considered a higher level character) as a way to simplify the mechanic. Saving throws are likewise limited, so there's no incentive to use higher than 9th level spell slots just to have spells keep up with saving throw bonuses.

Considering those changes, I don't see any need to even have the mechanic to give you higher-than-9th level spell slots. I don't imagine there'll be much need for competition between pre- and post- epic spells. In other words, we can remove "improved spell capacity" as a selectable epic feat.

In fact, if I treat epic spells simply like 10th level spells (as in, you can't create them with seeds - it's simply the next and final level of spells), then it stands to reason that you can enhance them with metamagic like 9th level and earlier spells as well. In fact, I think even if we revamp the epic spell creation system, that it should be stripped of all the options for metamagic-like enhancements in order to allow for metamagic to be used with them. I think that would be important to keep things simple and intuitive assuming epic spells can be balanced to allow for this.

That's what avatars are for (literally). They can have all the stats they want. But when the Lord of Battles actually has stats, suddenly you've got people coming into his castle, punching him in the face, and giving him a wedgie. Now that might work if the mantle of divinity were passed to whomever was most worthy, but that's not a standard model...

Sure - and it wouldn't work in campaign settings where PCs have also gotten similarly powerful on a semi-regular basis - like in the forgotten realms where - while exceptionally rare - there are mortal characters that are as strong as gods themselves. In that case, you can't have the avatar of the god of battle to be easy to beat - even by mortal characters of a similar power.

No, but even in the established settings, defeating a god and getting their divinity is certainly possible and it's a staple of heroic fantasy and ancient myth. The crime here with Deities and Demigods I think is the assumption that gods have stats by default at one level of power and avatars are simply lesser version of that - so I think that anything that gets away from that will definitely be a positive step - **especially** if it's something that you can use in an actual campaign as DM or player - even if it's rare (because epic level play is uncommon).

What isn't overpowered, according to most players? It's far too easy to make a knee-jerk reaction just because someone combined 3 books of material in an unexpected way. I don't think the music was ever a problem unless someone deliberately set out to make it one.

Oh, I definitely don't think it's overpowered the way it was in 3.5e. I suppose I'm just going about explaining my argument the wrong way. It's not that I felt it was too powerful so much as it's a messy and fairly limiting mechanic.

If I were to fix the bard to be more like it was in 3.5, I would have to be very careful as to what new and interesting bardic songs I give them because the bard can use a single bardic music use out of his one per bard level (+4 if he takes the extra music feat) and do that thing forever.

Naturally, if I wanted to give the bard more music and/or music that does something new, I would have to be prepared for the consequences when the player of that bard can do it at all times.

I think limiting bardic music in the way that pathfinder did opens up new avenues and ideas for how bardic music can be used in a game. That is to say that bardic music can do things that are more powerful and more magical in a way that "magical music" is often depicted in fantasy and even fiction in general as opposed to 'countersong' and 'inspire competence.' Hell, barring the use of 'non-core' things like the words of creation (which doubles the benefit of bardic music) and certain music-enhancing spells, even inspire courage is rather underwhelming when you consider that it's basically Greater Heroism except not as good.

Pathfinder took the opportunity to power up some of the bardic musics and adding a few that would be far too strong for the 3.5e's bardic music the way it was set up in the manner of soothing performance or deadly performance. In other words, I think it has or allows greater potential that PF didn't fully take advantage of (but had a really good start).

I think, however, that if we go in that route that pathfinder did that we could go even further in that direction and really give bards all the goodies they deserve or at least would be more thematically appropriate.

I'll delve into that in another post, but briefly, it seems to have potential. I'm concerned it may inflate character creation time, which classes are designed to mitigate, but perhaps it's too soon to tell.

That was my concern as well but I'll wait for your response to talk about that.

[Neo Tin Robo]

Continuing on with part one.

Spoiler

Show

I like the energy drain condition idea quite a lot. I remember low level battles with vampire spawn being completely ruinous. Even if you won, you still lost.

I'm on board with the ability changes as well. A golem made of stone or iron should have tons of CON. Precision DEX damage sounds so obvious now that I think of it. You'd think someone would have done that before now.

I assume you mean Force would have a certain hardness and number of HP per inch of thickness? This would be nice for things like Wall of Force and Forcecage. They could give an inch per however-many caster levels, and a determined attack could eventually break it down. Magical weapons required, though.

Archetypes, like I said, there's potential there, I think. Hard to say much definitively when it relies so heavily on the class abilities which are yet undefined. Sounds like a min/maxer's paradise though (which isn't necessarily bad). I'd be interested to test it out sometime.

I actually thought the combat maneuver defense was one of Pathfinder's greatest additions. It unified several mechanics into an easy formula, and it allowed all characters to have some hope of resisting, whether by strength or dexterity or skill (BAB). I also used it whenever a player wanted to perform an action that had no defined rules of its own. I find it a much more useful mechanic than Touch AC.

The class list looks fairly standard. 'If it ain't broke, don't fix it' and all that. I never was a fan of the psion though, mostly because it always felt like it came from a totally different game and was just tacked on. Hopefully the redesign makes it 'fit' better into the game at large. I'm pleased to hear about the warlock influence as it was one of my favorite classes that never got a satisfying Pathfinder conversion.

The multiclassing sounds like a fair trade-off, again pending the class abilities' definition. I won't be sorry to see level adjustments go. It does indeed seem that overall balance will be improved at the cost of added complexity; not always a bad trade.

[Neoxenok]

I don't have time to make a full response right now (I'm starting school tomorrow) but when I do, I'll post something in the next three days that makes better sense of how archetypes interact with classes.

I've also had some thoughts on simplifying spell descriptions and bookkeeping for casters and I'll include that as well.

[Neoxenok]

Okay, let's talk about archetypes, but in order to talk about archetypes, we need to talk a little bit about classes.

When I first came up with the concept, I had to look at class design in a completely different way. Archetypes, as I've conceived them, split classes according to a sort of tier system of abilities.

Primary abilities of a class are the abilities that define the class. The bard's music, the barbarian's rage, the wizard's spellcasting progression - these are the things that define the class as what it is.

Secondary abilities are thematic to the class and help define the class but aren't necessarily following what the primary abilities are doing. They can be complimentary to the primary abilities but don't need to be. The bard's spellcasting ability or the druid's wildshape ability could be defined as this.

Tertiary abilities are more than filler but certainly less than secondary or primary abilities in regard to fully defining the class. This is where you might flesh out a class or define the class' least important or defining features.

What's interesting when looking at the classes like this from the standpoint of how class features define a class and the various balance issues I've already addressed above is how classes do and don't break down like this.

Take four classes - the bard, the druid, the fighter, and the wizard.
Three of those classes easily break down in this manner. For the purpose of this discussion, we're addressing D&D 3.5e and not pathfinder unless otherwise stated.
The primary abilities -
The bard has bardic music, the druid and wizard have their respective casting ability, and the fighter has its bonus feats.
The secondary abilities -
The bard has its casting ability, the druid has its wildshape abilities and its animal companion, the wizard has its familiar and its ability to pick a specialty school. The fighter has nothing.
The tertiary abilities -
The bard has bardic lore and in pathfinder, several other 'jack of all traits' abilities that could qualify as secondary or tertiary. The wizard has its bonus feats. The druid has poison immunity, a thousand faces, and a few others. The fighter has nothing.

The barbarian and paladin have obvious abilities that also fall into these categories, but it's also obvious the disparity of the relative power and utility of these abilities, even if you entertain the idea that they should get fewer and/or less powerful such abilities for having the more advanced hit dice progression (d10 hp, full BAB, and etc) and it shows just how much of a disparity there is.

So much of the revision of classes won't just be for any sort of power disparity - but also to accommodate the new mechanics behind archetypes.

All classes must start with six feats and a trait (which gives a benefit weighted with a drawback that would help define the class and differentiate itself) regardless of which archetype is chosen.

For the example we'll be using to showcase archetypes, we'll use the 3.5 edition Paladin. Now, in order to work the paladin into an archetype, we need to group and classify its abilities according to the importance of such abilities in defining a paladin.
Primary - Smite Evil, Detect Evil, Various Auras, Divine Health, Divine Grace, Lay on Hands
Secondary - Paladin Spells
Tertiary - Special Mount, Turn Undead, Remove Disease

Now obviously, some people might place certain abilities in different categories, than I might, but bear with me for the time being. Now, let's say that the paladin in the 3.5e PHB is also defined as using the 'warrior' archetype - but instead, we want a more well-rounded paladin with more powers at the sacrifice of some combat ability.

So we select the "Average" Archetype - gaining d8 hit points at every level, 3/4 base attack, AC, and initiative progression, and all average abilities.

I want a good fort save and I want to keep 4 + Int skill per level, so I knock down my reflex save to "poor" progression (-2 + 1/2 level base save modifier, minimum +0) and improve my fort save to "good" (2 + 1/2 level progression). Will saves and skill points remain average (1/2 level save progression and 4 + int bonus skill points per level).

I still start with all the usual paladin feats (simple, martial weapon profs, light, medium, heavy armor profs, and shield proficiency.) I also start with a paladin trait - perhaps I get divine grace (charisma to saves) but I have to obide by the paladin's code and cannot stray from the LG alignment without costing me my paladin powers.

Now that I've defined my primary, secondary, and tertiary abilities and given that I've selected a less combat focused archetype, I now get 50% more of all my abilities.
According to the progression, I now get 50% more smites per day and can likewise deal more damage and I can now heal 50% more hit points - because I now get 50% more primary abilities which defined how often I get those abilities. This will also define how soon I get those abilities and I may get access to some high level abilities that I previously didn't have access to.

I now get twice as many secondary abilities, which means my paladin spell progression may allow me to get access to more and higher level spells (perhaps up to 5th level).

The Average archetype has the same tertiary ability progression as the warrior archetype, so there wouldn't be any change here. Were I to select the "skilled" archetype, I would start getting tertiary abilities at 2nd level instead of 4th and, like secondary abilities, I would get twice as many.

From the other direction, let's use the wizard as another example.
The wizard's casting ability and ability to specialize will be defined as primary.
The wizard's familiar will be the secondary ability.
The wizard's bonus feats will be the tertiary ability.

Now, let's be the classic warrior-mage and select the warrior archetype with the wizard as my class.

Now, since the 3.5e wizard has the weakest HD progression, let's say the default assumption here is the skilled archetype.
So the warrior type would have half of every such progression - by 20th level, the wizard would have up to 5th level spells, a familiar that has abilities of up to "10th level" as defined by its description and two wizard bonus feats.

It traded all of that for three additional attacks, full BAB, Full AC/Initiative bonuses, better saves and skill points. The starting feats and traits would be the same (six feats and a trait).

The "multiclass" feat could also allow this warrior-mage to replace secondary abilities with primary abilities and tertiary abilities with secondary abilities. So this warrior mage could cap off 20th level with 8th level spells (3/4 casting level progression) and keep a half-power familiar or get rid of the familiar and keep the two bonus feats (the tertiary abilities.)

So that's basically the skivvy behind archetypes and how they interact with classes. At first, I can understand some question in regard as to how this'll work in regard to skilled-fighters and similar things. In this respect, classes will have to be redesigned to varying degrees around this concept.

Some of the solutions do address this but others will have to come with as-of-yet undefined changes to class abilities to all classes. If this isn't enough to render some judgments on archetypes, then I'm not sure what else to add. I suppose I could try to get a pre-preliminary on what a full class in this new system might look like but as it stands, this is about all I have in this regard for the time being but I have done very little but address very broad concepts behind what I want classes to do and mostly as balancing measures.

The biggest change in class abilities in regard to archetypes has mostly to do with re-categorizing them than inventing new class abilities (most of which would come with new balancing measures anyway) so that skilled-fighters and warrior-mages and other "odd" combinations would be more palatable.
For example, the sorcerer and wizard (pathfinder versions) in this new game would very likely be among those that change the least in this new game I'm conceiving.

----------------

Okay, I've also had some thoughts about magic.

Now, I've played a lot of spellcasters - especially arcane casters.

I've already mentioned by desire to add backlash damage and ability burn into the game (off of the epic level and psionics rules, respectively), but I've been thinking about ways to simplify bookkeeping and possibly the individual spell write ups.

The idea is that, as a general rule, I would state that all spells use Verbal and Somatic components and use inexpensive material components (and leave which components for which spells undefined - I might write up a description in the general magic portion of the rules saying that the components tend to be tailored to the individual or perhaps the school of learning or the DM could define certain things to be required for magic or individual spells but ultimately, material and focus components would no longer be defined by the rules as it was in 3.5e or pathfinder.

Instead, it would be generally assumed that one or the other would be used for ALL spells UNLESS the description of that spell states otherwise.

This means that, instead of keeping track of individual components - focus or material - the game will assume that the character, as long as he purchased a material components pouch, has all the necessary components - replacing, trading, and buying such components "off screen" and the spells would simply remove those descriptions unless the spell doesn't require a particular component.

I would also like to replace expensive components with backlash, which will be defined by five levels -
light, moderate, serious, critical, and lethal. In addition to damage, an unavoidable status effect (fatigue in most cases, but the more powerful backlash will have additional status effects. Lethal backlash will go straight to exhaustion and the save will reduce to fatigue.) I'm sure I'll fit ability damage/drain/burn in there as well.

I've also been considering eliminating the "one round" casting time of some spells in order to avoid confusion between "full round" and "round" casting time.

Considering that this only helps casters get away with avoiding Attacks of Opportunity, I've decided on another change.

I'd also like to add a general rule that, at a character's prerogative, he can sack a move action to (as an immediate action) follow someone's 5ft step.

Later on, I'll talk about my ideas for the psion and how it'll resemble the warlock, but I'm out of time right now.

[Neoxenok]

Okay - my ideas about the psion.
I've had an idea much like this before in an attempt to update psionics to pathfinder, but when Dreamscarred introduced their own psionics book, I abandoned the project.

Here are my very rough ideas for how psionics will work in this new game. I'll also present the psion to you in a way that I might do so for classes in general so as to give you an idea of what that might look like as well.
As I write this, keep in mind that this is all very rough and preliminary.
Since I don't have feats and skills "set in stone for this new system yet, I'll use 3.5e's versions of feats unless otherwise stated.
The skill list will also be 3.5e, plus the Fly skill from Pathfinder and Endurance from 4th Edition. This may all change as much as anything.

PSION
Class Skills: Concentration (Con), Craft (Any) (Int), Knowledge (Psionics) (Int), Profession (Any) (Wis), and Psicraft (Int).
Starting Feats: Imprint Stone, Iron Will, Psicrystal Affinity, (Other three feats defined by discipline)
Trait: (Defined by Discipline)

Primary Abilities:
Psionic Power Points: You possess a pool of psionic power points equal to half your psion level plus your primary ability score (determined by your selected discilpine). You use these power points in order to manifest your psionic powers.
Psionic Powers: You gain two psionic powers known. One must be from your selected discipline. The saving throw DCs of all of your psion abilities is equal to 10 + 1/2 your psion level + the ability modifier of the primary ability modifier of the ability score of your selected discipline.
Each time you gain an additional primary power, you gain a new psion power known.
Psychic Blast (Sp): When you gain your first primary ability, you gain the ability to manipulate pure psionic energies out to a short range. You can do little other than throw the energy outward from you until you refine your technique. The ability has a close (25ft + 5ft/2 levels) range. This ability deals 1d6 points of damage but it improves by +1d6 damage for every two additional primary abilities you gain.
Primary Discipline: When you gain your first primary ability as a psion, you must choose a primary discipline in which to focus your abilities. This choice will determine many other powers and abilities you have access to with this class and your primary ability score that you will use to determine your bonus power points, saving throw DCs, and any other ability keyed off of your primary ability score. When you select your discipline, you gain the following:
Egoist (Psychometabolism)

• Primary Ability Score: Wisdom
• Additional Class Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Climb (Str), Endurance (Con), Fly (Dex), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex) Jump (Str), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Spot (Wis), and Swim (Str).
• Additional Starting Feats: Improved Natural Armor, Rapid Metabolism, Toughness
• Trait: Can survive in extreme environments and on less food due to body regulation but this fatigues the body faster, so -3 to all saves vs fatigue and exhaustion.

Kineticist (Psychokinesis)

• Primary Ability Score: Charisma
• Additional Class Skills: Autohypnosis (Wis), Balance (Dex), Bluff (Cha), Disable Device (Int), Intimidate (Cha), Search (Int), and Spot (Wis).
• Additional Starting Feats: Combat Casting, Point Blank Shot, Weapon Focus (Psychic Blast)
• Trait: Psychic Blast deals Cold, Electricity, or Fire damage and damage increases to d8s when those energy types are used. -1 AC plus -1 AC per five character levels.

Nomad (Psychoportation)

• Primary Ability Score: Intelligence
• Additional Class Skills: Balance (Dex), Climb (Str), Escape Artist (Dex), Fly (Dex), Jump (Str), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Planes) (Int), Search (Int), Speak Language (xx), Survival (Wis), Swim (Str), and Tumble (Dex).
• Additional Starting Feats: Dodge, Lightning Reflexes, Speed of Thought
• Trait: Never Impeded by Difficult Terrain. At 9th level, your movement becomes resilient to impediments as a continuous freedom of movement spell (Su). At 13th level, you can blink (as the spell) for 1 round/level (nonconsecutive). You take a -1 to all fortitude saving throws. This penalty increases to -2 at 8th level and to -3 at 12th level.

Seer (Clairsentience)

• Primary Ability Score: Wisdom
• Additional Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Autohypnosis (Wis), Decipher Script (Int), Knowledge (Any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Search (Int), Sense Motive (Wis), Speak Language (xx), Spot (Wis), Survival (Wis), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Psionic Device (Cha).
• Additional Starting Feats: Dodge, Improved Initiative, Lightning Reflexes.
• Trait: Spend a psionic power point to gain a +1 bonus/2 Character Levels to one knowledge skill as an immediate action. Considered "Trained" in all knowledge skills. Always distracted (considered flanked) against opponents within 30ft except against one designated opponent.

Shaper (Metacreativity)

• Primary Ability Score: Intelligence
• Additional Class Skills: Appraise (Int), Forgery (Int), Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int), Knowledge (Engineering) (Int), Knowledge (Geography) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nature) (Int), Search (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha), and Use Psionic Device (Cha).
• Additional Starting Feats: Boost Construct, Craft Magic Item**, Open Minded
• Trait: Crafting times of all craft skills reduced to one standard action, except when creating magic items. Must make a fort save DC 10 + Ranks in craft skill or become fatigued whenever this ability is used. This ability is supernatural.

**= This is a change from the 3.5e rules - one "craft magic item" feat allows you to craft items based on craft skills insead of one feat for a large but related set of magic items.
Telepath (Telepathy)

• Primary Ability Score Modifier: Charisma
• Additional Class Skills: Bluff (Cha), Diplomacy (Cha), Gather Information (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (History) (Int), Knowledge (Local) (Int), Knowledge (Nobility) (Int), Listen (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), and Speak Language (xx).
• Additional Starting Feats: Negotiator, Persuasive, Skill Focus (Sense Motive)
• Trait: Blindsense 5ft/character level. -1 saves vs. emotion spells/FX and add'l -1 per 6 character levels (maximum -4)

Secondary Abilities:
Bonus Powers: Every time you gain a secondary ability, you gain a bonus power from your primary discipline.
Discipline Ability: A psion gains a discipline ability at your second secondary ability and an additional ability every additional two secondary abilities you gain. The powers you gain depend upon the discipline you selected.
Egoist (Psychometabolism)

1. Formless Face (Su): Egoists can change the features of their body in order to look like another of their own species. When used to create a disguise, it gives a +1 circumstance bonus to all disguise checks per secondary ability you gain.
2. Psychic Claws (Su): Egoists can channel their psychic blasts into their unarmed strikes or natural attacks.
3. Enhance Form (Su): Egoists can channel their psychic blast into their own bodies, giving them various enhancements to ability scores or other abilities.
4. Fast Recovery (Su): Egoists can use their power points in order to swifty recovery from injuries and gain a temporary fast healing, recover ability damage, or (with some expense) recovery ability drain.
5. Formless Body (Su): Egoists can use their psychic blast in order to assume liquid, gaseous, or even incorporeal form.

(The other four disciplines would have similar descriptions below. The nomad would have speed and time based powers. The Kineticist would be able to manipulate telekinetic, energy-based, and other blasty-type powers more proficiently, and so on.)

Tertiary Abilities:
Bonus Feats: A psion can select a bonus feat (Any psionic feat and/or from a list of specific feats) when he gains his first tertiary ability and an additional bonus feat every two tertiary abilities the psion gains.
Secondary Discipline: A psion can select an additional discipline as a secondary discipline. The psion does not gain the class skills, starting feats, or bonus powers of the secondary discipline. Instead, the psion only gains the discipline powers of the secondary discipline.

The similarities to the warlock would revolve around the psionic blast ability. Each discipline would be able to alter it according to their style. The kineticist would be able to deal more damage to more than one target and other damage-dealing energy power tricks with it whereas the telepath would be able to "mind crush" opponents (and force a will save instead of needing to make an attack roll) for example.
Psionic powers would work much like the warlock invocations, slightly modified for this version of the psion. There would be three such major types of psychic powers.
You would have your 'blast shape' powers that modify the psychic blast ability in some manner.
You'd have your at-will/continuous powers that are always active as long as you have the power as a 'power known' or can be activated without using other powers or power points at any time, simply requiring an action to do so.
Finally, you'd have powers that would require one or more power points to use.

Like I said before though, the abilities above is merely a very rough preliminary draft of the psion but the final product would very likely be similar in design to this one but I hope this gives everyone an idea of how the psion would look and how a class writeup would look like.
So, for example, you might be able to see how a warrior-psion or average-psion or skilled-psion might look like were you to make such a character and many powers an feats and such would be made to support any such choice.

[Vadskye]

How much research have you done on earlier attempts to fix these problems? There have been many, many fixes to the problems you the problems you cite, with varying degrees of comprehensiveness. What makes your contribution unique from what has come before?

[Neoxenok]

How much research have you done on earlier attempts to fix these problems?

I've been either running or playing in a d20 system game for roughly 13 years, since 3rd edition was released in 1999~2000. I ran one game continuously for roughly 5 years from 1st level to 40th level and I've played several others with the same level range.

So that's my experience with the system.

Some of what I've posted above was once a successful houserule of mine and those that weren't exist to be part of a much more exhaustive set of fixes that can't be done with a few houserules.

There have been many, many fixes to the problems you the problems you cite, with varying degrees of comprehensiveness. What makes your contribution unique from what has come before?

I don't have extensive knowledge of everything that came before and although I've seen a few 3.5e rewrites, including yours and Pathfinder, I don't necessarily agree with all of the changes made in those systems.
I'm not shooting for uniqueness, in fact, I've posted all this here to draw on the experience and knowledge of others in addition to my own exhaustive experience.
I'm shooting for solutions that solve the problems while keeping the system fundamentally compatible with 3.5e and pathfinder - at least to the extent that those two are compatible with one another. Uniqueness is nice, but I'm looking for working, effective solutions regardless of how unique they may be.

I believe a lot of the changes I've cited do that - if not individually then as a whole and there are at least a few that I haven't seen on these or any other boards.

[Neoxenok]

Hmm... well, I guess I'll talk about how my archetype idea interacts with prestige classes, templates, powerful races, and class archetypes (like those of pathfinder) since the change of my archetypes affects all of those in a similar way.

Standard races work as they did before in regards to how they interact with archetypes. You select a race and gain all their abilities before moving on to selecting a class and then selecting an archetype.

One of the things I seriously disliked about 3.5 edition and all the bloody prestige classes was how most of them were "theurge" type prestige classes in some fashion or another. I can name three fighter/mage prestige classes off the top of my head (eldritch knight (DMG), spellsword (complete warrior), and the Abjurant Champion (Complete Mage) with several more that could easily qualify as being for fighter-mages. In addition to classes (duskblade and hexblade), variant classes (battle sorcerer), and numerous feats that could allow you a 1000 and 1 ways of making that gish you've always wanted. In the case of the abjurant champion, you could gain all the benefits of fighter hit dice without actually loosing any caster levels (one of the things I hated about the abjurant champion).

All of this essentially exists to fix something that 3.5e actually does worse than 2nd edition - multiclass - because being a fighter 5/wizard 5 is not the same as being a 10th level character single-classed and your wizard abilities cannot actually be used against any opponents with any resilience to magic.

Two of my fixes completely reverse this. Archetypes, obviously, but also my elimination of caster levels. Spells will, instead, increase in power based on the highest spell level you have access to (to a limit of two higher than the spell's level). Spell resistance will work more like evasion in that there are three levels of spell resistance - spell resistance, improved spell resistance, and spell immunity.

Spell resistance allows you to save for none (as most spells will have a safe-for-lesser-effect. Improved Spell Resistance will allow you to save for the lesser effect on a failed save instead of the primary effect. Spell immunity allows you to completely ignore the spell. It simply does not effect you.

This will obviously change a lot of other things in the game, but those will also be made to compensate, but this change makes many, many aspects of this game simpler.

This also has major implications for multiclass characters, even for the fighter 5/wizard 5 I mentioned earlier - making such a combination more palatable.

Archetypes also give you, by default, any theurge combination you desire, filled in with selectable feats that may grant some former gish/theurge class features that enhance such combinations further.

This leaves prestige classes to fill a more distinct role, which many had but almost half of them were theurge-type classes in some fashion or another. Pathfinder's archetypes I think should also have a presence in my system as well and what I can do with each of them is define exactly what they're supposed to do and how they do it.

So, this is my thought:

Prestige Classes
The purpose of prestige classes will be to allow a class to specialize in a particular set of skills or abilities (assassin), acquire unique abilities (arcane archer, shadow dancer), emphasize an ability or set of abilities you already have (loremaster), or any number of other things - the point being that prestige classes will not alter the fundamental nature of the class that qualified for the prestige class.
Prestige classes in this version of the game will be defined as to replace secondary and tertiary class features only. They will never alter primary abilities.
In essence, all of the prestige classes that allowed you to continue with abilities your classes already get (loremaster, psionic fist) will be models for how prestige classes will look like in this game and this will apply to every class.

Class Archetypes (like Pathfinder's, not mine)
A version of pathfinder's archetypes will be in this game as well (hopefully with a more distinguishing name for either concept) and like pathfinder's archetypes, they'll alter the classes they're associated with, however, they will be made more distinguished from prestige classes in function.
Unlike prestige classes, they will alter the fundamental nature of the class they're modifying. In essence, they'll be like new classes entirely without being entirely separate (because they're still fundamentally more similar than different.)
In 3.5e, this would be the role of the blackguard prestige class or the anti-paladin archetype in Pathfinder.
In this game, it would primarily alter primary abilities (but secondary and tertiary abilities would be fair game).

Templates and powerful races, like those that granted level adjustments, possessed racial hit dice, or whatever will follow similar rules as multiclassing. Sort of.

In 3.5e, the "savage species" book always listed a progression, similar to actual classes, but of monsters and powerful races in order to allow a player to play a powerful race while still being competitive (instead of overpowered) compared to other players who may or may not have chosen similarly powerful races. (Whether the book met with that lofty goal is irrelevant to the point).
However, this always met with several problems.
It was complex due to the interaction between three different things:
1) Racial Hit Dice.
2) Level Adjustment.
3) Class Levels.
Just by making a character, you're already jumping through several extra and sometimes complicated hoops especially compared to a character that just selected a standard race and class combination.

On top of that, you would often have a lower hit dice than other characters and the actual balance of what kind of creature you are would vary wildly level-by-level and depending significantly on your race/class combination much more than if you were a standard player race.

Now, because of how archetypes work and how monster design will change, all of this will be simplified.

All player-available "powerful" races will have their abilities broken down and set up exactly like a class and split into a set of abilities that can be assigned to the primary/secondary/tertiary setup.
In their "Monster Manual" listing, they'll have a default archetype, but similarly to how races are set up in 3.5e and Pathfinder's "beastie books", they'll have a column where their abilities are broken down like a class entry, allowing a player to pick an archetype and if some abilities are open (say it has available feat slots and an open primary ability), then it can even start off with primary abilities from a selected class using the same rules as multiclassing.

Templates, such as vampire or half-dragon, will work the same way.
They will be listed as a set of abilities that, as a DM applying them to a creature, can just select an archetype and add them to a pre-existing creature as though multiclassing.
Player characters and/or NPCs with class levels can do the same or displace primary/secondary/tertiary, or even available feat slots with them.

Mixing and matching abilities between classes and powerful races can itself get quite complicated, but that's only an option that can be available for the more... expert of us that don't mind the extra legwork but I don't really consider it more complicated than multiclassing already - but this could be considered a lateral change.
The important change that DOES simplify and/or improve the game is that your template or powerful race or monster all follow and add on to one another like multiclassing does and they all follow the same rules.

Also, this involves several improvements in playability as both a player and a DM when using these items.

As always, thanks for reading. I hope some of these things here spark some kind of discussion. I really don't want to just be posting to myself here.

EDIT: Barring any other interesting topics, my next post will concern magic and more specific thoughts on what I think needs to be changed and a few example spells to showcase how they might look like.

[Neoxenok]

Magic

When most people write or post about what's wrong with D&D, Pathfinder, and all the previous editions and derivatives, the most common themes come down to the issues of magic. Before I get into all of the changes I wish to make, let's talk about what really needs to be changed here.

I find it really difficult to talk about magic on my usual forums, including this one because of what I call "the consensus." The consensus is a sort of general agreement that magic and wizards are overpowered. Period. End of story.
While that isn't the case for everyone, as things often are, I find it difficult to find people with nuanced arguments because of this rather blind agreement.

You can see it when you compare the discussions people have between something like "wizards vs. fighters" type threads and "monks are overpowered!" type threads.
The former would inevitably devolve into
Person A: Fighters can sometimes beat wizards!
Person B: Never. Wizards with access to more magic items than a campaign would give, meta-knowledge of all the fighters strengths and weaknesses, rules interpreted to dubiously favor the wizard/player, and carefully selected feats, spells, and abilities across thousands of dollars of splatbooks wins. Automatically. End of discussion.
Person A: That's unrealistic!
Person B: That's never unrealistic because DIVINATIONS! means he knew about it the day before last Tuesday when he spent thousands of gp and wrestled with insanity to speak to the cosmos like he does every morning about anything and everything.
Person A: Where is he getting all this money?
Person B: Spells, of course! I interpreted these spells to give me infinite money, so I have it. Also, I use this money on things because everything is always available and that makes me immune to everything my own magic does to me.
Person C: I made a fighter once that beat the party wizard at doing something!
Person B: That wizard is clearly incompetent because he didn't use [whatever] from splatbooks A, B, D, Pie, and 12. He was clearly underplaying his obvious omnipotence.

The latter would inevitably dissolve into
Person A: The monk in the group I'm DMing can do AMAZING THINGS! These abilities are problematic for me because it makes him WAY too powerful.
Person B: Really? Did you see the Tier list? They're pretty low so everyone else must be from a lower tier.
Person C: Yeah. Try WIZARD (TM) Brand NPCs. They're the win-button. COD-ZILLA (TM) Brand NPCs is sold separately.

I understand that this is hyperbole but you have to understand that there isn't that much hyperbole here. There are genuinely helpful people who would provide sensible answers to the issues above, but for me trying to sort things out for my purposes of determining the actual problem with the idea of trying to solve said problems, I'm left with little in the way of really helpful thoughts.
The fact is that even with the more helpful souls out there, the examples above are more pervasive and it becomes difficult to sort out the crap from the truly helpful information.

Then there's the fact that so many of these people to ascribe to the "consensus" do so with little regard to the question of "how powerful should magic be?"
People are so wrapped up in how much more powerful the wizards are that they rarely stop to consider to say, hey maybe the wizard being able to teleport is powerful but not really overpowered.

What that means is that I believe that yes, the druid, cleric, and wizard (and really all magic-users) should be powerful and should have powerful abilities. I think the same thing about all the classes but that kind of power doesn't necessarily have to be equivalent to one another and that's also getting into a somewhat different subject.
This does mean that I'm fine with teleporting, divining, blasting, death-spelling mages and their death-defying cleric and nature hippy buddies.

In terms of addressing problematic spells, this does not mean I wish to ignore many of the issues brought up here or elsewhere. I want to create a game that people other than myself wish to play as well.
I bring all this up because I feel that many people have trouble discerning "being good at doing something" or "doing something unique" (or both) with "overpowered."
My desire here is to be objective and not overdo my changes. I want all of my changes to have purpose and solve actual problems with concepts and game balance and not just change to a particular play style because I listed too much to someone whose playstyle tends to hate spells above 3rd level.
I do not want to change the fundamental nature of the game - I want the wizard to cast spells in a vancian style that ultimately still looks and plays like 3.5e or pathfinder but without the issues - to have them surgically removed but I do not wish to be afraid to go as far as necessary to achieve my goal of making a better game.
People often accuse pathfinder of having good ideas, but not going far enough (thus either exacerbating the problems in some areas or ignoring others) thus resulting in a game that isn't different enough from 3.5e to be considered "better" overall. (I disagree with this, fundamentally, but not on all issues.)

So anyway, let's talk about...

Magic (General)

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• No More Caster Levels
• verbal, somatic, and material components as well as casting time of spells are all standardized
• Backlash and Ability Burn is introduced into the general rules
• experience, expensive material components, and expensive focus components are (for the most part but not completely) eliminated from the game (replaced by backlash, but some spells will still have expensive components and greater/smaller casting times)

All of this is entirely for simplifying spells - both in use and the actual individual spell entry and magic-related book-keeping.

Eliminating caster levels leaves me to have spell advancement depend on both regular character level for some thing and the highest spell level you have access to as another.

I decided to eliminate caster levels to simplify caster level contests with both spell resistance and dispel magic. Dispel magic itself is convoluted and takes forever to execute in combat because of all the caster level conflicts that need to be resolved and keeping track of which spells have what caster level DCs. The problem with spell resistance is that, well, some spells render it completely useless (all those SR: No spells) even in core. You can also find easy ways to raise your caster level to bypass it and unless you get the kind of spell resistance that scales with your level, it's completely meaningless. An armor that gives you spell resistance is not only ludicrously expensive for a small chance to negate a spell, but it's benefit diminishes as you become more powerful and face more powerful opponents.

The fix to dispel magic will require a rewrite of the spell - I'm thinking of having dispel magic just auto-dispel all spells of a certain level or lower. Spell resistance will be folded into the saving throw mechanic - working like evasion or mettle but only against spells. It'll also have an improved version and a version that makes you completely immune to spells.

This will result in fewer necessary rolls and GREATLY speed up combat when these things are involved.

By standardizing V, S, and M components in all spells, I believe it'll become less of a hassle to filter through all spells to find the few that don't' have those components (of either V or S) and material components will only matter depending on whether or not you have a spell components pouch or not (or eschew materials feat.) This way, spells also won't have to have entries describing what (inexpensive) material component they use. I'll just leave it up to the player if he wants to say that Haste uses a hair of a quickling or a toke from a smoked blue hedgehog.

I'm also considering eliminating expensive material components, expensive focus components and experience point components as well given that the effects of backlash will give opportunity costs (it prevents the caster from abusing a spell too often in combat) and resource costs (it can cost money to mitigate the effects of the more detrimental backlash damages) so that is something else that can be eliminated, I think, from the game and simplify things without really taking anything away.

Shape Altering and Summoning Magic

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Let's be honest here. When most people talk about 3.5e's magic being broken, this is the first place those individuals go to when citing examples.

The problem shapechange is the same as the problem with gate in a very fundamental way as it is with all similar magic. There are numerous monster manuals with targets an aspiring mage can either summon or polymorph into or both and either way, as many people say, the wizard can, with only a few spells, fill a multitude of roles better than their "mundane" counterparts and even gain benefits that would normally be reserved for other (and sometimes higher level) spells, such as alter self granting flight or a superior natural armor bonus depending on the forms available to alter self. This gets worse when you're able to use the supernatural abilities of the creature you polymorph into.

The summoning and calling spells are just as bad for the same reason, though calling spells are the worse of the two because some of those creatures are quite powerful - particularly to the dedicated summoner who can summon in bulk.

So, I think there should be three parts to fixing these abusive spells but those fixes already exist... at least the components of it. My fix will be different but likely highly similar to the ones pathfinder made to shapechanging magic. Summoning spells, however, will look like a sort of hybrid between the astral construct power of the shaper (metacreativity psion) and pathfinder's shapechanging spells with a little bit of the summoner's eidolon.

Each summoning spell will have its own pre-made creatures for those not willing to spend the time and energy into making their own, but the option will exist for a build-your-own summoned creature similarly to astral construct.

You'll choose the general shape of the creature (four-legged, humanoid, serpentine, aquatic, centauran (for merfolk and centaur-type creatures). The creature type will depend on the summoning spell (construct for astral construct, outsider for summon monster, animal for summon nature's ally... plus others that may fit into those catagories like elemental or fey.) Then you can select an assortment of feats and other abilities to fill them out. Their hit dice, number of abilities, and the power of those abilities will depend on the power of the spell or power used to summon them.

The big change here is that each summon spell will represent one creature. Once you select a creature to summon, you'd have to write a whole new version of summon [whatever] for a new summoned creature.

The calling spells/powers will be like the polymorph of the summoning spells in that you can bind/planar ally any one creature of a certain power or lower. This will even allow you to summon something from the monster manual (though it involves greater risks and costs). Creatures from the monster manual will be rebalanced to be closer in power to PCs but unlike the current calling spells, the PC won't be able to get a specific choice of creature - only perhaps the general power and purpose (and the creature can't be controlled like a summoned creature - it is bound but not controlled like a summoned creature.)

Polymorphing magic will be reworked much like pathfinder's changes but with a number of differences based on the level of the spells and other changes being made to the overall game.

So... those are my ideas for that and I think all of this will go a long way to balancing those problematic spells.

No Save. No SR Spells. Saving Throws and my New Game.

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Another major change to spells but not necessarily a major nerf to spellcasters.

Casters, unlike the muggles (yeah, I went there), all work on a limited resource and always must make tactical decisions regarding their use. That's actually the fun thing about playing as a primary vancian-style magic user in D&D. Each spell, especially at earlier levels, are a precious thing, so when you cast a spell at someone, it (should) have a greater impact than a mere attack because you're casting a single spell at a stooge instead of making an attack that you can make anytime and all the time.

When you do cast that spell, it's either completely effective or completely ineffective. Sure, thems the breaks, but I've never really felt that it was good game design for such a disparity. At higher levels, even warrior and skirmisher types can usually get one or two attacks in consistently with a villain.

Plus, a lot of the changes I'm making to this game thus far has me folding many other aspects of the game into saving throws and folding evasion and mettle into more common abilities. Spell Resistance uses the same mechanic now but how useful those things are is only useful if more things force a saving throw and save for a secondary effect.

So... problem solved. Everything - spells included - that force a saving throw will have a secondary effect built in as design philosophy including things that force saving throws that aren't necessarily spells.

Further, given that spell resistance is now folded into saving throws in this manner, this also means that most spells are effectively Save/SR: Yes and the SR entry can effectively be eliminated because it'll apply to all spells now.

The only spells that won't offer a saving throw are those that wouldn't ordinarily do something to invoke a saving throw - harmless or otherwise.

So between this and the fact that touch AC is no longer so easily beaten (now that AC scales and shields no longer are negated by touch attacks), all of this eliminates the broken nature of spells like enervation, the orb spells, and all those spell immunity-bypassing SR: No spells.

Stupid Immunities!

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Spells that make you outright immune to things are very powerful even if what they grant immunity to is fairly uncommon. Then there's protection from evil, which gives you immunity to charms and compulsions, which may as well be the entire enchantment school of magic.

Unlike the polymorph and summoning fixes I discussed earlier, this is perhaps the simplest to fix - most of these spells (death ward, freedom of movement, magic circle against [alignment], mind blank, protection from [alignment], etcetera) will instead merely grant you resistance or something else appropriate to the individual spell.

For the record, I also consider spells that bypass defenses or attacks in a similar manner as true seeing does to illusions to be in this category as well because this not only hurts the muggles (because it's spells like freedom of movement that just completely renders grapple meaningless - especially at high levels when that spell or ones like it are easy to come by.)

True seeing, for example, might just allow the caster to interact with illusions enough to allow a save even if it doesn't involve tactile or other close interactions and thus allow a save as soon as the illusion or illusions are sighted by the caster. There are a lot of possibilities here but the point is to nerf these spells to be good or even powerful without just making the caster ignore entire schools of magic or long lines of tactical... things the muggles can do to hurt casters.

... so what haven't I covered yet? Oh yes.

Hit Dice, Hit Point, and other metagame spell limitations.

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I really don't like them. I really don't much care for them at all. The core power word spells are either very powerful (because they force something without a save) or completely useless and it's usually the latter of the two. Take power word kill, for example. It's a powerful effect, isn't it? No save death spell in a single word... that takes a standard action to recite, apparently.

Except that it only affects you if you have fewer than about 100 hit points at a level where that's considered "nearly dead" if the target is a melee type. Further, the fact is that you have to guess and if you guess wrong, the attempt is wasted.

Then there's the hit-dice spells like circle of death, holy word, sleep, and deep slumber which all have problems associated with their hit-dice dependence.

My solution with the power word spells is to make their 'power wordiness' involve them being swift action casting times that force a save vs. their desired effect and eliminate the hit point mechanic entirely.

The hit dice spells will simply have to have another limitation or something but those hit dice limits have got to go. It's game-enforced metagaming that doesn't need to exist.

Skills and Spells

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Another whole category of spells that people consider to be "wizard can replace party members" is through spells that render entire skill sets obsolete.
Invisibility vs. perception/spot
silence vs. perception/listen
knock vs. open lock/disable device
shapechanging magic/illusions vs. disguise/perception skills
enchantments vs. most charisma skills
fabricate vs. crafting skills
... and so forth.

So these are the spells that people often bill as the ones that outright replace the skill-monkey classes like the rogue. What use is the rogue, after all, when you can just cast a knock on every door and invisibility and fly for all your sneaking?

I don't really agree with that sentiment and picking apart all the problems with that sentiment would lengthen an already long post. Still, these spells are not without their problems - particularly when combined with skill-boosting custom magic items.

I can see the issues with getting massive, cheap bonuses to skills and limiting early-level ability to completely outshine certain skills but many of the spells are fantasy staples as are the skills and the characters that use them. There are going to be overlaps and that's not a bad thing, necessarily.

My fix here is that spells that grant bonuses to skills (such as disguise self) will be limited to about a +2/spell level you have access to (up to +10). Knock and spells like knock will be able to open locks of DC 10 +3/spell level you have access to. (Keep in mind that all spells are limited to two spell levels higher than their current spell levels.)

Breaking Time

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I consider the fact that casters can break the action economy a largely non-core problem. The only core method of doing so for casters is time stop but that's far from game breaking... anymore... at least given the 3.5e and pathfinder changes to that spell.

Some people consider quicken spell a method of breaking the action economy, but I don't.
Here's why:
Quicken spell does not break the action economy. It lets you cast a spell as a swift action instead of a standard action. The number of actions remains the same, you just get to cast two spells a round instead of one spell a round - and that has its own associated costs and isn't useful until you at least have 5th level spell slots available. Even at 17th level or higher, you're still only quickening 5th level spells using 9th level spell slots so it has a cost.

That's a pretty huge benefit, but neither game-breaking (at least without adding other metamagic shenanigans and cost-eliminating things) and nor does it break the action economy.

Breaking the action economy would involve giving you extra actions, like Celerity or using polymorph to transform yourself into a Chronotyrn or Choker. That, obviously, needs to be changed. The action economy should be enforced, but I think that involves eliminating things that give you extra actions, like monsters that get two full round actions/round (that a mage can shapechange into) or spells that give extra actions.

In that spirit, I'll change contingency and all similar effects release the spell as an immediate or swift action and eliminate all spells that give additional actions I may or may not alter time stop in such a manner.

... okay... what else?...
Hmm... well, I suppose...

Buffs and Buffs and Buffs to Godhood

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The problem with buff spells isn't that they are individually powerful. Some are, but most of them are definitively not all that powerful.

Powerful spells tend to include debuffs and the really powerful buffs tend to include ones that make you resistant or outright immune to things (which I already covered.)

Here, however, I'm referring to the classic combination of divine favor, divine power, and righteous might. Back in 3.0 days, this used to be the core buff combo that PROVED that clerics were better than fighters - particularly when the persistent spell metamagic feat was involved.

Now, they're still powerful buff spells, but people tend to focus on other magical buffs than these three and they seem to mostly warrant attention because of persistent spell.

Right now, I don't really intend to change persistent spell because of the other fix I have in regards to metamagic feats and most buff spells aren't broken - even if and especially when you have to cast from half your prepared spell list in order to do what you need to do.

That's not to say that there aren't some spells that need to be nerfed or tweaked (like the three mentioned above and others like heroes' feast, cloak of chaos (and similar), astral projection, and a few others I'm likely forgetting, but they're just not broken... or even particularly powerful in the same way that shapechanging magic and summoning spells are broken-powerful - but if I'm wrong (very likely), then please let me know and I'll be sure to listen.

As it stands right now though, buff spells (in general) will stand to change the least in my new game especially considering the other changes being made.

Instant Death

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I can't believe I nearly forgot this one.

Of course we're not just talking about death-instigating spells like phantasmal killer and finger of death, but we're also talking about all of the save-or-be-removed-from-play spells from the humble sleep and color spray to weird, wail of the banshee, implosion, and slay living.

I can see why they needed to be changed but I don't know if Pathfinder's change of having them just do hit point damage is an appropriate change.

I much prefer Alexander's thoughts on Save-or-Die effects, at least for some spells.

Since I'm all for removing the hit-dice and hit point qualification for spells, I'm all for having spells take the phantasmal killer approach - sleep could, for example, have the initial save be against fatigue, the second against exhaustion, and the final failed save against the actual sleep (any of those three saves would end the chain and break the effect). Deep slumber could just be two saves - one for exhaustion and the next for sleep.

There are a lot of routes here, but I believe things like that would make these spells much more palatable to the discerning game player and dungeon master.

Evocation and Damaging Spells

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These spells, excepting those like the orb spells (which are mostly valuable because of the save/SR: No benefits of them) are frequently cited as underpowered considering the linear progression of damage and the exponential nature of hit point progression, thanks to con-boosting items.

As such, I've been considering two fixes here:
The first would be a fix to magic constitution enhancing items in that they don't improve by-level hit points the way a more permanent con increase would (the same way that headbands of intellect don't give you more skill points per level.)
The second would be to have damaging spells scale differently.

0 level spells would do 1d6 + 1/Spell level you have access to
1-2nd level spells would do 1d6+1d6/Spell Level (max two higher)
3rd-5th Level Spells would do 2d6/spell level (max two higher)
6th-8th Level Spells would do 3d6/Spell level (max two higher)
9th Level spells would do 4d6/Spell Level (max two higher)*

*=In epic, you'll be able to have the benefit of having access to spell levels of 10th and higher but only for the purposes of having "access" to them for the purposes of the power of the spells you already have.
Epic level spells would likely have their own standards OR be 5d6/Spell Level (or 50d6).

Just to note, 0 level spells don't count isofar as what spell levels you have access to. Plus, the above list only applies to wizard/sorcerer spells. Divine spells will not be as powerful or scale as swiftly as arcane spells.

I think the two fixes would go a long way to fixing this problem I keep hearing about.

So... this isn't quite all of it, but I think I hit the major issues here. I do have a lot of my own personal annoyances with some spells that I'll probably address when I sit down to actually start working on this monster, but all this should give you a pretty good idea as to what the spells of My version of D&D will look like.

I was also going to post example spells, but I've run out of time. If someone still desires to see a few examples, I'll post them as soon as I have time again (I have two major tests coming up, so it'll likely be a week or two before I can get around to it).

Let me know if you have any questions or comments. Barring anything else, my next post will concern something I've been thinking a lot about recently - magic items and wizard's implements (like from 4th edition.)

EDIT: I am also open to recommendations as to which example spells you'd like to me to post. I don't have a particular set in mind - I was just going to pick a few that would best exemplify my rules changes with one or two from each of the above categories.

[Neoxenok]

... because I clearly need to keep bumping this thread.

Here is a not-entirely random smattering of 0 and 1st level wizard/sorc spells.

Ray of Frost
Evocation (Energy) [Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Fortitude
Primary Effect: You create a ray of freezing cold energy that sticks to its target for a lasting effect. After you succeed in making a ranged touch attack against your opponent, he takes 1d6 points of cold damage +1 per spell level you possess up to two higher than this spell's spell level. The following round, the opponent takes an additional 1 point of cold damage.
Secondary Effect: On a successful ranged touch attack, your opponent takes 1 point of cold damage.

Touch of Fatigue
Necromancy (Death)
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Range: Melee Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude
Primary: You channel negative energy through your touch, fatiguing the target. You must succeed on a touch attack to strike a target.
The subject is immediately fatigued for the spell’s duration.
This spell has no effect on a creature that is already fatigued. Unlike with normal fatigue, the effect ends as soon as the spell’s duration expires.
Secondary: On a successful touch attack, the target is fatigued for one round.

Shield
Abjuration (Absorb) [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Shield creates an invisible disk of force that hovers in front of you. When you use one of your hands to wield it, you can use it like a shield, granting you a shield bonus equal to +1 and damage reduction 2/piercing or slashing per spell level you have access to, up to two higher than this spell's current level. This shield requires no proficiency to use but it grants an armor check penalty equal to -1 per point of bonus the shield grants.

Note: Magic Missile will do bludgeoning damage now due to the change in the way force energy will be handled.

Mage Armor
Evocation (Creation) [Force]
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Range: Touch
Target: Creature touched
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will (harmless)
Primary: You create a well-shaped cocoon of force around your body, replicating the benefit of armor using pure force energy. You do not need to be proficient in armor to benefit from this spell. It grants an armor bonus of 1 +1 per spell level you have access to up to two higher than this spell's current level. The maximum dexterity modifier is equal to +10 minus the armor bonus (minimum +0). Mage armor has an armor check penalty equal to its armor bonus.
Armor created by this spell does not reduce your speed nor does it have weight.
Secondary: This spell creates a cocoon of force around your body, but it is disjoined and floats too far away to provide meaningful protection. It grants a +1 armor bonus with no maximum dexterity or armor check penalty.

True Strike
Divination (Awareness)
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: One Round or Until Your Next Melee Attack
You gain temporary, intuitive insight into the immediate future during your next attack. Your next single attack roll (if it is made before the end of the next round) gains a +1 insight bonus per two spell levels you possess (minimum +1) up to two levels higher than this spell's current level. Additionally, you are not affected by the miss chance that applies to attackers trying to strike a concealed target.
Special: You can cast this spell as an immediate action.

Disguise Self
Illusion (Glamer)
Level: Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1, Trickery 1
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 hour/level (D)
You make yourself—including clothing, armor, weapons, and equipment—look different. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller, thin, fat, or in between. You cannot change your body type. Otherwise, the extent of the apparent change is up to you. You could add or obscure a minor feature or look like an entirely different person.
The spell does not provide the abilities or mannerisms of the chosen form, nor does it alter the perceived tactile (touch) or audible (sound) properties of you or your equipment.
If you use this spell to create a disguise, you get a +1 bonus on the Disguise check per spell level you possess up to two higher than this spell's current spell level.
A creature that interacts with the glamer gets a Will save to recognize it as an illusion.

Ray of Enfeeblement
Necromancy
Level: Sor/Wiz 1
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: Ray
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Fortitude
Primary: A coruscating ray springs from your hand. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to strike a target. The subject takes a penalty to Strength equal to 1d6 +1 per spell level you possess, up to two higher than this spell's current level. The subject’s Strength score cannot drop below 1.
Secondary: The subject takes a 2 point strength penalty.

I would have put one of the summon monster spells up here to showcase that, but I don't have the time or energy currently to deal with that because of all the new mechanics involved.
I'll try to do that at some point in time, but in the meantime, my next post will involve skills and how I'm considering implementing them in this game.

Right now, this is what I have in my notes:

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Acrobatics (Dex)
  Balance (Dex)
  Jump (Str)
  Tumble (Dex)
Appraise (Int)
Autohypnosis (Wis)
  Concentration (Con)
Bluff (Cha)
Climb (Str)
Craft (Alchemy) (Int) (Adhesives, Alchemical Items, Brew Potion, Elixirs, Oils, Solvents)
Craft (Armorsmith) (Int) (Non-leather Armor, Shields)
Craft (Blacksmith) (Int) (Misc Tools, Rods)
Craft (Bowmaking) (Int) (Arrows, Bows, Crossbows)
Craft (Jewelry) (Int) (Amulets, Bracers, Crowns, Rings, Tiaras, Jewel-based wonderous)
Craft (Tanner) (Int) (Boots, Leather Armors, Misc Leather-Based Items, Slings)
Craft (Textiles) (Int) (Cloaks, Clothing, Headbands, Gloves, Misc Cloth-Based Items)
Craft (Trapmaking) (Int) (Magical Traps, Mechanical Traps)
Craft (Weaponsmith) (Int) (Melee Weapons)
Craft (Woodworking) (Int) (Misc Wood Tools, Staves, Wands)
Diplomacy (Cha)
Disable Device (Int)
  Open Lock (Dex)
Disguise (Cha)
Endurance (Con) (Added from 4th Edition)
Escape Artist (Dex)
Fly (Dex)
Handle Animal (Cha)
Heal (Wis)
Intimidate (Cha)
Investigate (Wis)
  Gather Information (Cha)
  Search (Int)
Knowledge (Arcana) (Int)
  Knowledge (Psionics) (Int)
Knowledge (Dungeoneering) (Int)
Knowledge (Engineering) (Int)
Knowledge (Geography) (Int)
Knowledge (History) (Int)
Knowledge (Local) (Int)
Knowledge (Nature) (Int)
Knowledge (Nobility) (Int)
Knowledge (Planes) (Int)
Knowledge (Religion) (Int)
Linguistics (Int)
  Decipher Script (Int)
  Forgery (Int)
  Speak Language (xx)
Perception (Wis)
  Listen (Wis)
  Spot (Wis)
Perform (Act) (Cha)
Perform (Comedy) (Cha)
Perform (Dance) (Cha)
Perform (Keyboard) (Cha)
Perform (Oratory) (Cha)
Perform (Percussion) (Cha)
Perform (Ritual) (Cha) (TBD - Magic Related)
Perform (Sing) (Cha)
Perform (String) (Cha)
Perform (Wind) (Cha)
Profession (Wis)
Ride (Dex)
Sense Motive (Wis)
Sleight of Hand (Dex)
  Use Rope (Dex)
Spellcraft (Int)
  Psicraft (Int)
Stealth (Dex)
  Hide (Dex)
  Move Silently (Dex)
Survival (Wis)
Swim (Str)
Use Magic Device (Cha)
  Use Psionic Device (Cha)

Some of the skills have been subsumed into other skills, (like hide/move silently into stealth) have been noted as such by listing them under the skill in which they've been merged into, spaced slightly.... I'm sure you'll figure it out based on the way I've formatted it.

[Dlkpi]

Hey, I haven't got much to say right now in terms of actual mechanics (I'm pretty busy with real life at the moment) but I have been following this thread, and just found the time to read it all the way through. It seems like you've got a lot of interesting stuff here - I'm particularly intrigued by the interchangeability (and therefore, ease of balance) of your archetype system and some of the changes you've made to magic, and once I get the time I'll try and come back and give more detailed feedback on these.

One thing that does jump out at me is the elimination of caster level. While I agree that spells like Holy Word and cheap boosts to caster level are a problem, it seems to me that completely eliminating caster level and replacing it with a "highest accessible spell level" system in all cases just complicates things unnecessarily. Would you be willing to elaborate on why you feel there's a need for that?

One more specific thing is the way you scale up damage with spell level - I haven't crunched any numbers, but upping the damage to high level spells so much seems like it would drastically affect gameplay. I might suggest scaling up the damage dice a bit more slowly - perhaps with the same progression weapon damage dice scale up, except per highest spell level available or caster level or whatever becomes the substitute. (i.e., first level spells do 1d6 per CL, 2nd do 1d8, 3rd do 1d10, 4th do 1d12, 5th do 2d6, 6th do 2d8, etc.) Plus the poor d12 gets some love this way

[Neoxenok]

My internet at home has been offline due to a recent move and I've been dealing with a slew of schoolwork to deal with that isn't quite over just yet.(I'm typing this up using the school's wireless) so my ability to contribute and respond has been limited.

When I get into the swing of things again, I'll talk more about spell changes and the set of skills I've made for this game.

Hey, I haven't got much to say right now in terms of actual mechanics (I'm pretty busy with real life at the moment) but I have been following this thread, and just found the time to read it all the way through. It seems like you've got a lot of interesting stuff here - I'm particularly intrigued by the interchangeability (and therefore, ease of balance) of your archetype system and some of the changes you've made to magic, and once I get the time I'll try and come back and give more detailed feedback on these.

Sure thing. I welcome any input on the ideas I have.

One thing that does jump out at me is the elimination of caster level. While I agree that spells like Holy Word and cheap boosts to caster level are a problem, it seems to me that completely eliminating caster level and replacing it with a "highest accessible spell level" system in all cases just complicates things unnecessarily. Would you be willing to elaborate on why you feel there's a need for that?

Well, there aren't any big overwhelming reasons for it more than a lot of small annoyances that I think the idea altogether eliminates. Since my time not studying at school here is limited, I'll try to elaborate as best I can.

I should first mention that I don't think that 'highest accessible spell level' is more complicated than noting the caster level cap on a particular spell - in fact, standardizing it by the spell's level simplifies it by standardizing it, which 3.5e didn't really do. Sure, you had your fireballs and lightning bolts which the game recommended to have the CL cap at 10, but then you had your vampiric touch spells which gave you the bonus every two CLs (until you capped out at 10d6 at 20th level). Therefore, by standardizing the "spell level cap" at two higher than the spell's level, then that becomes a universal constant where you only need to know the per-level benefit.

I've even been considering making it a universal rule as such that it doesn't have to be expressly mentioned in each spell description, but doing so anyway might make it easier to memorize.

Spells - a lot of spells use caster level... well, technically all of them do in pathfinder and 3.5e but I'm referring to the spells and spell-type effects that use a caster's caster level for some competitive effect - for example - dispel magic uses caster level as a way to determine which spells get dispelled and which ones don't. 3.5e caps this effect for dispel and greater dispel whereas pathfinder uses other limitations but allows CL to scale indefinitely. Then there's the holy word type spells that use caster level to determine how effective the spell is.

Eliminating caster level forces dispel magic and holy word to work on a completely different mechanic. I haven't decided how this'll affect holy word (I'm thinking a multi-save sort of thing where after the holy word is spoken, the subject has to keep making saves, once per round, and each failed save results in a worse effect where a successful save at any point stops the effect with the least bad effect on you and failing all your saves results in the worst effect but that's just what I thought up at this very moment) but dispel magic would work on a much simpler "all spells 3 levels below your highest spell level up to 2 higher than this spell's current level is dispelled in an area and all spells 2 spell levels below this your highest known spell level if done against a single target. I'm not sure yet how it'll work against items, but that'll depend more on my changes to magic items than to dispel magic.

More than the change to holy word-type spells (which I consider an 'obvious' change because that and the CL-boosting things is rather broken) but the change to dispel magic (and spell resistance) is done more to eliminate all the work you have to do in the middle of combat just to determine which spells are dispelled and which ones aren't - especially at high levels when many such spells are involved.

Gishes Another related problem with caster levels is the mantra I hear about making any multiclass caster or part-caster (like the ranger or paladin) is that you need a high caster level just to stay competitive with other casters and many creatures because of the way that caster level scales compared to things like spell resistance, but also opposing dispel magics and other magic-v-magic competitions. The thing is that if your caster level is lower than the average by a certain point, your magic almost becomes meaningless and can be removed from play at almost the whim of the opposing caster.

There are also a number of weird effects also created by a caster level that's entirely different from your actual casting ability - thanks to practiced spellcaster, divine spell power, and numerous items that boost caster level in that you can have 9th level spells but a low caster level (like being an Ur-Priest) or a high caster level but only able to cast lower-level spells (such as with the feats above but perhaps you're only a part-caster) not so much conceptually but when it comes to having spells interact with spells of others.

A divine crusader, for example, can throw out a miracle spell that can be easily dispelled by a greater dispel magic by a similarly powerful bard with no spells above sixth level.

This change takes out all that weirdness, allows low-power spells to remain less powerful than, but still competitive with, foes of any relative level - thus allowing many more gish-types and magical multi-classes to exist without having their spells quickly become useless because they didn't pick up any of a variety of items or feats made specifically to counteract this weakness.

Not everything would scale just with highest spell level though - things like spell duration and range would still depend on level - but overall character level instead of caster level to show at least some improvement due to experience and knowledge with magic even if you haven't advanced in any other way, but that would be the only exception.

Taken altogether, I think this change eliminates a great deal of bookkeeping, allows more character types to exist, and eliminates something that has taken literally hours away from game time just to keep track of the dispel DCs of spells and everything that follows from after I say "I cast dispel magic targeted at you." This is why I'm probably one of the few people that likes Mordenkainen's Disjunction. You cast it. Spells are gone. Period.
(It helped that a common houserule there though mitigated its effects on items so that bit of bookkeeping stopped.)

Granted, you still have to keep track of which spell is which spell level, but that's still far easier than the alternative.

One more specific thing is the way you scale up damage with spell level - I haven't crunched any numbers, but upping the damage to high level spells so much seems like it would drastically affect gameplay. I might suggest scaling up the damage dice a bit more slowly - perhaps with the same progression weapon damage dice scale up, except per highest spell level available or caster level or whatever becomes the substitute. (i.e., first level spells do 1d6 per CL, 2nd do 1d8, 3rd do 1d10, 4th do 1d12, 5th do 2d6, 6th do 2d8, etc.) Plus the poor d12 gets some love this way

My idea for the change in spell damage is entirely dependant upon how I handle items as well. One of the problems I wanted to solve was to make high-level damaging spells worthwhile and this involves two solutions -

1) To make con-boosting items either limit or eliminate the hit points you gain from that item - sort of like how a headband of intellect doesn't grant you actual skill points (3.5e doesn't give you anything but PF gives you a kind of "virtual skill points to a particular skill), therefore I could have con-boosting items do the same with hit points.

2) Make spell damage scale more "quadratically" with level - so I came up with this impromptu chart:

Spell level - Spell Damage
0     1d6 +1/Spell Level
1-2   1d6+1d6/Spell Level
3-5   2d6/Spell Level
6-8   3d6/Spell Level
9     4d6/Spell Level
Epic  5d6/Spell Level

There would also be differences based upon area, spell damage, whether it was a single or multi-target spell, a ranged touch, touch, or save-based effect (or both), but that would be the general guide to determine how powerful an evocation is, but I would only use this if hit points still scale similarly the way they do in 3.5e.

So... a lot of this is still somewhat up in the air.

Currently, I'm thinking of having con-boosting items grant temp HP based on the bonus of the item instead of auto-granting +1 HP/level per 2 point bonus of the item - especially since given my ideas of how magic items will work, the bonus could potentially go up to +10 instead of +6.

Your idea would definitely be a great intermediary if I do that - scaling "quadratically" but not quite as much as my change. Again, though, that would depend a lot on how I decide to handle items.

(This is partly helped by the fact that I'll be eliminating tomes of [whatever].
As a side note, I'm also considering having Int-boosting items not grant any benefit to spells/day, so even if that 20th level mage has a +10 int item, he'll still gain spells/day as though his int were 10 less.

So I hope these random and hastily-typed assortment of thoughts helped answer your questions. I know I mostly relied on dispel magic as an example, but it was the only one I can think of at the moment as I am separated from any reference materials (and also a lack of time).

[Neoxenok]

Okay, I have a moment between classes and studying to bring up a few points to show that I haven't abandoned this project, but I've actually already started putting down a few finished details in what will be, when it is completed, the finish product of the project I'm doing here. I'm mostly doing everything short of actual mechanics right now, but I'm laying the groundwork for more important tasks to come. I'm on ability scores in the first chapter.

I've thus far defined ability scores as not being at all different from in form or function, aside from the few changes I've already mentioned (the fact that constitution will not necessitate a living metabolism - it instead indicates that you have a body and it'll later mean that undead creatures, constructs, and really everything has a constitution score. Dexterity will also grant a precision bonus to damage with ranged weapons and (with weapon finesse) light melee and other finessable weapons.

I did come across a few things that made me pause, however, and that's the death rules, massive damage rules, and the disguise skill. I thought about the death/massive damage rules when I wrote up the definition for hit points and my first ability score write-up was charisma.

Why is disguise charisma-based? I find that it can easily fall in as a wisdom-based skill.
The reason is that one of the ways in which you can make a good disguise is simply paying attention to details, especially if you've chosen to look like a particular person instead of just not yourself.
... but then again, selling a disguise takes as much as selling the disguise as it is simply to look a certain way, but I could argue that that's more the purview of the bluff skill. Can you use disguise solely to impersonate someone - not simply look like a person, but is disguise used to... "disguise" your own personality and creatively make a new one?
... but then again Intelligence is used to create forgeries on paper, wouldn't intellect, the problem-solving aspect of your mental attributes, also be used to successfully forge a person?
... but then again charisma is the "creative" attribute too and...
BAH! I suppose there isn't much need to change it. I suppose charisma, being the attribute that defines creativity, force of personality, and persuasive force combines better into a disguise skill.

Perhaps though I should change the disguise skill around a bit so it's not just a make-up-and-wig skill but an all-in-one spy skill that has use specifically to impersonate a person or take on a new personality entirely to fit a particular disguise so bluff isn't a must-have with disguise because as soon as you say "My name is [XXX]", a half dozen passive sense-motive checks flair up against an otherwise terrible bluff check.

Hmm...

Well, I've also been thinking quite a bit about whether I should simply take 3.5e's or pathfinder's death/dying rules, borrow from 4th, or create something entirely new.

I like the idea that going just below zero hit points isn't as lethal as going way under zero hit points (especially if a massive damage roll is involved). I do think that higher level characters should be able to resist death better than lower level characters and I think that warrior-HD type archetype classes should also resist death better AND the fortitude save should be involved. There are also some things I like about how 4th edition handles death and dying because even if you have a massive amount of negative hit points, you shouldn't necessarily bleed out for 45 minutes while from -1 to -450 hit points. Also, I don't like how you go unconscious immediately and how difficult it is to revive you from unconsciousness. I do also like 4e's "get healed starting from 0 up" rule whereas in 3.5e, if you get 8 points of healing when you're at -9, then you're just at -1 and stable.
So how do I put this all together?

Here are my current idea:
Your negative hit points is equal to your constitution score + your base combat bonus (this game's replacement for BAB). If your hit point damage brings you between 0 and this number, you must make a will save and a fortitude save against unconsciousness and bleeding. Succeeding on either prevents that thing but you are staggered and must make that fortitude save again if you take any 'strenuous action' at an increasing DC each time you have to make that save. When you are bleeding, you are bleeding out and must roll a 1d10. That determines how long you bleed until you need to make saves vs. death every round until you fail at increasing DCs.

Taking damage (that isn't a coup de grace, critical hit, or massive damage) while bleeding automatically puts you to being forced into making a save every round vs. death. Coup de grace, crits, massive damage, or any attack that brings you above your maximum negative total kills you if you are still bleeding. No save.


I do also like the massive damage rules and "non-lethal" damage rules of d20 modern and may adopt those into this game as well. The default massive damage threshold for a high fantasy, non "gritty" game would still be 50. D20 Modern's default rules wouldn't apply here for a game like this.

What do you all think?

[Neoxenok]

I suppose I'll address the massive damage/death rules at a later time.
Right now, I've been dabbling with races and the things that DMs need to think about when players are making new characters.

In regards to that, all encounters and challenges will be rated at 50xp per challenge rating per player (with 3~5 players in the group), which can be adjusted up or down depending on the level difference between the encounter and the players as well as the actual challenge posed.

While I really like the slow progression I made, I've gone through several versions of the fast and moderate progression rates.
I like the idea that it takes longer to get from a higher level to the next higher level than with lower levels, so most of my progressions are definitely not at all linear. I haven't really settled on anything except that I know that the slow progression will be used for very long term campaigns. The moderate one will look to be able to last a whole campaign within the scope of what you'd expect of D&D. The fast progression will be something to use when you're planning on either a single long adventure or several short ones - something that could shoot you up a level once every night or two.

Unlike pathfinder, I intend the difference between them to be significantly greater and I've been fiddling with the math involved without simply using 3.5e's xp progression... or I might if I run out of better ideas.

~~~

As I mentioned earlier, my race selection will include the D&D mainstays, minus the half-races - the half orc and half elf.
Instead, I'll be replacing them with the full orc and the half-giant from the psionics races except that the half-giant will instead be a giant-giant and I guess will be a more unique race, but it'll definitely be based on the half-giant.

Both the replacements will also be large sized, because I like the parity of two large, two small, and three medium races and also because I don't really consider large races to be all that much more powerful than small ones.

The half races won't do as much damage due as the medium and large races due to their smaller sizes and/or strength penalties. Instead, they get a bonus to attack rolls and AC and a penalty to the DC of techniques and their reflex saves to resist techniques (techniques are the combat maneuvers of pathfinder including feats like improved trapple and Improved bull sunder.)
The small races average about 20ft/move

Large races get a -1 to attacks and AC and a +1 to technique DCs and reflex saves vs. techniques. Their damage output is also higher due to their larger size and/or strength bonuses. Large races average about 40ft/move.

Race speeds may also vary by 5ft here and there.
Elves and halflings will both be quicker than average.
Dwarves and giants will be slower.

Another thing I want to change about sizes is that bonuses/penalties to stealth will be relative to size in the same way that intimidate is. In other words, Small creatures will get a +4 bonus to stealth per size category difference in size against larger creatures and large creatures will receive a -4 penalty to stealth per size category difference against smaller creatures.

This eliminates the weirdness of two fine-sized creatures getting +16 stealth bonuses against one another or two colossal creatures getting a -16 stealth vs. one another.

Unlike 3.5e, I'm going in the direction that mental stat bonuses for core races are acceptable.

In deciding their racial abilities and what they're good at and in following the more "balanced" route of characters, their ability modifiers are (as of now, anyway) as of the following:

Dwarf     +2 Con -2 Dex
Elf       +2 Dex -2 Con
Giant     +4 Str +2 Wis -4 Cha -2 Dex
Gnome     +2 Con, +2 Int -2 Str -2 Wis
Halfling  +2 Dex +2 Wis -2 Int -2 Str
Human     None
Orc       +2 Cha +2 Str -2 Int -2 Dex

This is all still very preliminary, but both small and large races have four adjusted stats, this is because of their size difference as I have the -2/+2 to strength and dex standardized for those size differences, though those penalties can be offset elsewhere.

I'm still going back and forth on their other racial abilities. Weapon familiarity will be given to all the non-human races, but humans will get proficiency in two non-racial weapons of their choice (they can select any two weapons that doesn't have a racial name attached, like "elven" or "orcish".

Beyond that, I've been going back and forth with different possible abilities.
I do want to make all of the races to be "best" at doing something.

Humans remain the most variable and I'm going to give them another goodie (other than two bonus weapon proficiencies), which is the ability to select any two skills and have them always be class skills. This is in addition to their bonus feat and skill points.

I'm also going to favor less situation bonuses and such from the races, like the +1 I hate your race bonus and +4 dodge against giants by gnomes and dwarves.

Dwarves and halflings won't change much.
Elves will be oriented to be better at spontaneous casting than prepared casting and their flavor will point to them being more commonly using sorcery than wizardry.
Giants will focus inward to being good monks and psions.
Orcs now excel at bossing people around and will make excellent clerics (now that clerics use charisma and be spont-casters).
Gnomes will be more flavored toward wizardry (especially illusion magic) like they were before 3.5e and pathfinder.

They will have abilities appropriate to them and their new focus but I'm still going back and forth as to what those abilities are and I may just leave it up in the air as I piece together other parts of the project.

I've also come to a decision about classes in that the "druid" will be replaced by the "oracle", which will be the game's preparation-based divine caster. The cleric will be the spontaneous divine caster.
The druid will still exist in the game as a particular combination of domains and their associated powers.

[Neoxenok]

So I've been committing some pen to paper by now and I've been chipping away at the project here and there on a now-40 page document that'll eventually become the finished prototype of the completed game.

I haven't done much in substantive mechanics, but I've stumbled into a few important points here and there:

First off, the old middle age, old age, and venerable mechanics are gone. Instead, you gain a feat at each age category to represent your life's experience. In exchange, you get crippling health and/or mental problems. When you reach middle age, you roll 1d20. When you become old, you roll 2d20, and when you become venerable, you roll 3d20.

Everything that increases by age category is cumulative, including if you roll on the same thing two or more times.

1d20 Effect                   Description
1    Diminished Health        Reduce Constitution by 1 per Age Category (minimum 1)
2    Diminished Reflexes      Reduce Dexterity by 1 per Age Category (minimum 1)
3    Weakened                 Reduce Strength by 1 per Age Category (minimum 1)
4    Reduced Gait             Base Speed is reduced by 5ft per Age Category (min. 5ft).
5    Diminished Recovery      You regain only half the normal number of ability points and hit points when resting (Minimum 1). Your fortitude save against hit point damage, ability damage, ability drain, & ability burn is gains a 1 point penalty per age category.
6    Constant Pain            You are permanently sickened. Performing any rigorous action requires a DC 15 +1 per age category fortitude and will save or become fatigued and nauseated (respectively). Actions that require concentration require a concentration or auto-hypnosis check DC 5 (15 if nauseated) +1 per age category.
7    Loss of Balance          Gain a 2 point penalty per age category to all acrobatics, perform (dance), ride, and stealth checks, a 1 point penalty per age category to all reflex saving throws, and moving over 10ft in an action requires a DC 5 acrobatics check  otherwise fall prone and take 1 point of constitution damage.
8    Reduced Endurance        The endurance skill gains a 2 point penalty per age category. You receive a 1 point penalty to fortitude saving throws against fatigue, exhaustion, and unconsciousness per age category. 
9    Loss of Teeth            Consuming food either requires artificial teeth or a highly specialized diet that requires a DC 15 Profession (Cook) check and 5d10 minutes to prepare.
10   Fragile Frame            All attacks that deal damage to you also deal 1 point of constitution damage (DC 5 + 1 per Age Category Negates). Falling damage increases by 1 dice type (from d6s to d8s.)
11   Diminished Senses        Investigation, perception, and sense Motive gain a 2 point penalty per Age Category.
12   Decreased Sensitivity    Climb, disable device, perform (dance), perform (keyboard), perform (percussion), perform (string), sleight of hand, and stealth all gain a 2 point penalty per age category.
13   Loss of Reaction         Gain a 1 point penalty to initiative checks and reflex saving throws against combat techniques per age category.
14   Unhealthy                Gain a 1 point penalty per age category to fortitude saves against disease & poison.
15   Socially Withdrawn       Gain a 2 point penalty to all bluff, diplomacy, perform (act), perform (comedy), and profession checks per age category.
16   Difficulty Understanding Roll one additional time on any d20 roll for a skill that uses intelligence per age category whenever attempting to learn about anything you've seen before and take the lower of the rolls.
17   Forgetful                You gain a 1 point penalty to all skills that you have skill ranks in per age category (maximum of your ranks in the skill).
18   Reduced Presence         Reduce charisma by 1 per age category (minimum 1).
19   Diminished Faculties     Reduce intelligence by 1 per age category (minimum 1).
20   Increased Dementia       Reduce wisdom by 1 per age category (minimum 1) plus DC 0 + 1 per age category or be confused for 1d4 minutes +1 per age category when put in stressful or new situations.

I've also fiddled around with height, weight, and life expectancies because why not?

Also, I've finished the first of seven races!

The Dwarf!

Dwarf Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity. Dwarves are hardy and physically resilient
• Base Speed: 25ft.
• Medium Size: Dwarves receive neither bonuses nor penalties due to their size.
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark in gray-black monotone.
• Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 Appraise, +2 Craft, +2 Knowledge (Dungeoneering), +2 Knowledge (Nobility), and +2 Profession. Dwarves are among the greatest craftsmen known and are also well known for their discipline, professionalism, and great respect for their elders, leaders, families, and social groups.
• Poison Resistance (+2): Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to fortitude saving throws against poison. In addition, whenever they make a successful save against poison, they save for no effect. This does not necessarily remove the poison as some poisons require multiple successive successful saving throws.
• Resilience to Magic: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus to all saving throws against all spells, spell-Like abilities, and supernatural abilities.
• Bonus Feat: Dwarves have the natural talent of weaving magic into the things they create and thus gain the Craft Magic Items feat as a bonus feat.
• Armor Familiarity: Dwarves wear armor like a second skin. They receive no speed or moment restriction from the armor's encumbrance. The armor's armor check penalty is reduced by 1 point, the maximum dexterity is increased by one point, and the dwarf gains damage reduction 1/adamantine per two points of the armor's armor bonus. Dwarves can sleep in medium or lighter armor at no penalty.
• Warrior's Tradition: Dwarves' familiarity with combat and war give them a +1 bonus on reflex saves against any and all combat techniques and a +1 bonus to the saving throw DCs of any combat techniques they know.
• Underground Warrior: Dwarves make their homes deep underground and become quite naturally adept at fighting in close quarters. Even those born and raised in above ground environments in open spaces are naturally gifted in this fashion.
• Weapon Familiarity: Martial Axes and Hammers and thrown variations treated as simple weapons and “dwarven” exotic weapons treated as martial weapons.

Also...

ELF!

Elf Racial Traits

• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Elves are tall, elegant, regal, and graceful but thin and frail.
• Base Speed: 35ft
• Medium Size: Elves receive neither bonuses nor penalties due to their size.
• Lowlight Vision: Elves can see twice as far in dim and low light conditions.
• Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 Knowledge (Arcana), +2 Knowledge (Nature), +2 Perception, and +2 Spellcraft. Elven senses are quite keen. In addition, elves have a natural gift with magic and an intuitive understanding of it that allows them to understand and wield it with tremendous skill.
• Sleep Immunity: Elves do not and can not sleep and are unaffected by anything that attempts to force them into sleep. Elves can become unconscious, however.
• Enchantment Resistance (+2): Whenever an elf successfully makes a save against an enchantment spell or telepathy power, he negates the secondary effect. Elves also receive a +2 bonus on all saving throws against enchantment and telepathy spells and effects.
• Disease Resistance (+2): Whenever an elf successfully makes a saving throw against disease, he negates the secondary effect. Elves also receive a +2 bonus on all saving throws against disease.
• Fleet of Foot: Elves leave no physical trail and ignore difficult terrain.
• Elven Grace: Elves can use their dexterity modifier to attack with light weapons and finesse one-handed weapons instead of their strength modifier. Elves can also add their dexterity modifier to damage as precision damage. Elves with the weapon finesse feat can do this with any melee weapon.
• Elven Magic: Elves treat their intelligence, wisdom, and charisma as two points higher for the purposes of effects related to the primary ability score used for any magical abilities that do not require preparation.
• Weapon Familiarity: Longswords, Short Swords, Bows, Comp. Bows, and Rapiers are simple weapons. “Elven” weapons are considered martial weaponry.

... I think I may need to give the dwarf another goodie or two or knock the elf down a bit.

EDIT: I've modified the dwarf's armor familiarity a bit and powered it up.

[Neoxenok]

All seven races are ... well, I won't say "done" but their rough drafts are finished.

Dwarf!

Spoiler

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• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, -2 Dexterity. Dwarves are hardy and physically resilient
• Base Speed: 25ft. Dwarves are slower than average for their size.
• Medium Size: Dwarves receive neither bonuses nor penalties due to their size.
• Darkvision: Dwarves can see in the dark in gray-black monotone.
• Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 Appraise, +2 Craft, +2 Knowledge (Dungeoneering), +2 Knowledge (Nobility), and +2 Profession. Dwarves are among the greatest craftsmen known and are also well known for their discipline, professionalism, and great respect for their elders, leaders, families, and social groups.
• Poison Resistance (+2): Dwarves receive a +2 bonus to fortitude saving throws against poison. In addition, whenever they make a successful save against poison, they save for no effect. This does not necessarily remove the poison as some poisons require multiple successive successful saving throws.
• Resilience to Magic: Dwarves receive a +1 bonus to all saving throws against all spells, spell-Like abilities, and supernatural abilities.
• Bonus Feat: Dwarves have the natural talent of weaving magic into the things they create and thus gain the Craft Magic Items feat as a bonus feat.
• Armor Familiarity: Dwarves wear armor like a second skin. They receive no speed or moment restriction from the armor's encumbrance. The armor's armor check penalty is reduced by 1 point, the maximum dexterity is increased by one point, and the dwarf gains damage reduction 1/adamantine per two points of the armor's armor bonus. Dwarves can sleep in medium or lighter armor at no penalty.
• Warrior's Tradition: Dwarves' familiarity with combat and war give them a +1 bonus on reflex saves against any and all combat techniques and a +1 bonus to the saving throw difficulty class of any combat techniques they know.
• Underground Warrior: Dwarves make their homes deep underground and become quite naturally adept at fighting in close quarters. Even those born and raised in above ground environments in open spaces are naturally gifted in this fashion.
• Weapon Familiarity: Martial Axes and Hammers and thrown variations treated as simple weapons and “dwarven” exotic weapons treated as martial weapons.

Elf

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• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Elves are tall, elegant, regal, and graceful but thin and frail.
• Base Speed: 35ft. Elves are light and fast on their feet.
• Medium Size: Elves receive neither bonuses nor penalties due to their size.
• Lowlight Vision: Elves can see twice as far in dim and low light conditions.
• Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 Knowledge (Arcana), +2 Knowledge (Nature), +2 Perception, and +2 Spellcraft. Elven senses are quite keen and they have a natural gift with magic and an intuitive understanding of it that allows them to understand and wield it with tremendous skill.
• Sleep Immunity: Elves do not and can not sleep and are unaffected by anything that attempts to force them into sleep. Elves can become unconscious, however.
• Enchantment Resistance (+2): Whenever an elf successfully makes a save against an enchantment spell or telepathy power, he negates the secondary effect. Elves also receive a +2 bonus on all saving throws against enchantment and telepathy spells and effects.
• Disease Resistance (+2): Whenever an elf successfully makes a saving throw against disease, he negates the secondary effect. Elves also receive a +2 bonus on all saving throws against disease.
• Fleet of Foot: Elves leave no physical trail and ignore difficult terrain.
• Elven Grace: Elves can use their dexterity modifier to attack with light weapons and finesse one-handed weapons instead of their strength modifier. Elves can also add their dexterity modifier to damage as precision damage. Elves with the weapon finesse feat can do this with any melee weapon.
• Elven Magic: Elves treat their intelligence, wisdom, and charisma as two points higher for the purposes of effects related to the primary ability score used for any magical abilities that do not require preparation.
• Weapon Familiarity: Longswords, Short Swords, Bows, Comp. Bows, and Rapiers are simple weapons. “Elven” weapons are considered martial weaponry.

Giant

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• Ability Score Modifiers: +4 Strength, +2 Wisdom, -2 Dexterity, -4 Charisma. Giants are powerful and wise but withdrawn and slow.
• Large Size: Large characters receive a -1 size penalty to defense and attack rolls. They also receive a +1 bonus to the DC of their combat techniques and the reflex saving throws against the techniques of others. They also have a carrying capacity that is double that of a medium-sized character and they must use large-sized armor, equipment, and weapons. Large creatures have 5ft reach. Their speed is usually one and one-half times that of a medium-sized character.
• Base Speed: 35ft. Giants are slower than average for their size and can only run at x3 instead of x4. Heavy armor does not restrict this beyond x3. A giant that takes the run feat multiplies his speed to x4 on a full run and heavy armor does restrict that to x3 still.
• Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 Autohypnosis, +2 Endurance, +2 Knowledge (History), and +2 Knowledge (Planes). Giants are naturally predisposed to a kind of inner peace and desire for knowledge.
• Natural Armor: Giants have a natural armor bonus equal to +1. Natural armor applies to defense and flat-footed defense, but not touch defense.
• Inner Peace: Giants gain a +1 bonus magic point to either their ki pool or psionic power point pool. Giants can also use their wisdom score in place of their intelligence or charisma for all class features of a ki-based or psionic class (a class that defines their magic point pool as psionic power points or ki points).
• Environmental Acclimation: Giants can acclimate to any extreme environment. After spending 24 hours in a new environment, they no longer take any penalties to perception or nonlethal damage from extreme temperatures. In addition, they receive a +2 bonus to any saving throw to resist any natural (non-magical) dangers of that environment. They retain this acclimation until they move to another environment and spend 24 or more hours in that environment and for 1d4 days after that point.
• Weapon Familiarity: Giants treat all exotic weapons with “Giant” in the name as a martial weapon.

Gnome

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• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence, -2 Strength, -2 Wisdom. The gnome is slow but tough for their size. They are incredibly bright and naturally take to intellectual pursuits but they are often shortsighted and emotional.
• Base Speed: 20ft.
• Small Size: Small characters receive a +1 size bonus to defense and attack rolls. They also receive a -1 size penalty to reflex saving throws against the combat techniques of others and their own combat techniques They also have a carrying capacity that is three-quarters that of a medium-sized character and they must use small-sized armor, equipment, and weapons. Their speed is usually two-thirds that of a medium-sized character.
• Lowlight Vision: Gnomes see twice as well in dim and low light conditions.
• Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 Craft (Alchemy), +2 Investigate, +2 Knowledge (Engineering), and +2 Use Magic Device. Gnomes have very powerful sense of deductive reasoning.
• Illusion Resistance (+2): When gnomes successfully make a saving throw against an illusion, they are unaffected by the secondary effect and negate it completely. In addition, they relieve a +2 bonus on all saving throws against illusion spells, powers, and effects.
• Creative Spirit: The gnome gains 1 bonus magic point to their creativity pool. In addition, any magic point expenditure on illusion spells is reduced by one point (to a minimum of one point.)
• Uninhibited Curiosity: Gnomes can select any two intelligence, wisdom, or charisma-based skills and gain them as class skills, which the gnome can use untrained.
• Spell-Like Abilities: Gnomes gain dancing lights, ghost sound, prestidigitation, and speak with animals (burrowing animals only) as spell-like abilities. The spell level of these spells is 0th.
• Weapon Familiarity: Gnomes treat any exotic weapon with the name “gnome” on it as a martial weapon.

Halfling

Spoiler

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• Ability Modifiers: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Intelligence, -2 Strength. Halflings are lithe and very observant but are simple folk.
• Base Speed: 20ft.
• Small Size: Small characters receive a +1 size bonus to defense and attack rolls. They also receive a -1 size penalty to reflex saving throws against the combat techniques of others and their own combat techniques They also have a carrying capacity that is three-quarters that of a medium-sized character and they must use small-sized armor, equipment, and weapons. Their speed is usually two-thirds that of a medium-sized character.
• Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Climb, +2 Knowledge (Local), +2 Knowledge (Religion), +2 Profession, and +2 Stealth. Halflings are quite athletic and take great interest in their neighbors and in philosophical matters. They are a very professional, hard working people but with a penchant for fun and trickery.
• Enchantment Resistance (+4): Halflings are highly resistant to magical control of their minds, even moreso than elves. When they make a successful saving throw against an enchantment spell or effect, they negate the secondary effect entirely and receive a +4 bonus on all saving throws against enchantment spells and effects.
• Fear Resistance (+2): Halflings are fearless. Whenever they are subjected to a fear effect, they can negate any secondary effects on a successful saving throw. In addition, they receive a +2 bonus on all saving throws against fear spells and effects. This benefit stacks with the bonus against enchantment spells and effects for a total of a +6 bonus against enchantment-based fear effects.
• Crack Shot: Halflings receive a +1 to Attack Rolls & +2 precision bonus to all damage rolls with slings and thrown weapons. Halflings also gain the ability to use their dexterity modifier to attack with thrown weapons instead of their strength modifier and can add their dexterity modifier as precision damage with thrown weapons in addition to their strength damage.
• Weapon Familiarity: Halflings treat martial thrown weapons as simple weapons and simple thrown weapons and slings as basic weapons. Halflings treat exotic weapons with “halfling” in the name as martial weapons.

Human

Spoiler

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• Base Speed: 30ft
• Medium Size: Humans receive no benefits or penalties based on their size.
• Skilled: Humans receive +1 Skill Point per character level.
• Bonus Feat: Humans receive one bonus feat. This feat can be any one feat as long as the human meets the prerequisites for that feat.
• Human Curiosity: Humans can select any two skills and permanently gain them as class skills.
• Advanced Weapons Training: Humans can select any two exotic weapons and gain them as martial weapons or any two martial weapons and gain them as simple weapons or any two simple weapons and gain them as basic weapons.

Orc

Spoiler

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• Ability Score Modifiers: +2 Charisma, +2 Strength, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom. Orcs have powerful personalities and are very strong and quick for their size, but they're not terribly bright and quick to react without thinking.
• Base Speed: 40ft.
• Large Size: Large characters receive a -1 size penalty to defense and attack rolls. They also receive a +1 bonus to the DC of their combat techniques and the reflex saving throws against the techniques of others. They also have a carrying capacity that is double that of a medium-sized character and they must use large-sized armor, equipment, and weapons. Large creatures have 5ft reach. Their speed is usually one and one-half times that of a medium-sized character.
• Darkvision: Orcs can see in the dark in red to near-black dark red monotone.
• Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 Intimidate, +2 Knowledge (Geography), +2 Sense Motive, and +2 Survival. Orcs are survivalists by nature and have a natural instinct to understand and control others.
• Death Defiance: Orcs gain a +2 bonus to any saving throw versus death spells and effects, massive damage, dying, bleeding, and unconsciousness.
• Fast Recovery: Orcs recover from injury very swiftly. Orcs recovery hit points and ability points at twice the normal rates. Orcs can also recover from ability drain, but ability drain is recovered only if there is no ability damage or burn and it takes ten days per point of ability drain. Orcs also gain a bonus equal to their charisma modifier to any healing magic cast upon them that recovers hit points. Their constitution modifier also counts as two points higher when qualifying for any feats.
• Weapon Familiarity: Orcs treat any exotic weapons with “orc” in the name as martial weapons.

[Neoxenok]

So let's talk about...

Skills

The races were a bit of a distraction, but the real beginning (other than the core combat, environmental, and exploration rules) of the changes I'll be making will be to skills.

Between my experience and the listed issues I've found that other people have had in regard to skills, I have a pretty good direction to follow through with.

The General Changes

In general, the skills will more closely resemble the pathfinder rules than that of the 3.5e rules in that all skills will be purchased on a one-for-one basis with class skills getting a +3 bonus in the bargain for being class skills. Also, several of the skills are consolidated similarly to how pathfinder did it but I'll be including several skills that PF did not and adding a few more on top of that but I'll discuss that when talking about specific changes.

A quick note for when you get to the specific changes I'm making that the skill list is essentially pathfinder's other than the modifications I'm listing.

Also, no x4 business at level one and definitely no 1 rank = +.5 for cross class skills business.

Finally, given a lot of other changes I plan on making in regards to epic levels, I've decided to standardize many of the epic level rules by including the epic level usages of skills in the first rulebook and some of those DCs will be lowered. Some of which just to make logical sense (DC 60 survival check to know what race tracks belong to? Really? You have to be the demigod of rangers just to know that wolves made a particular set of tracks vs. elder titans?)

Specific Skill Changes

Acrobatics
Acrobatics will look most similar to its PF incarnation. It's a combination of balance, jump, and tumble. Aside from including certain epic things here, I'm also returning the long jump function to be a DC of 5 + the number of feet you wish to jump instead of just being equal to the DC.

Appraise
Appraise and its use has always been markedly specific. You use it to find the price of things. That's it. Yet, the process of finding out the true value of something - or even a ballpark estimate - does and should involve more knowledge than that - in reality - it would be a combination of the item's history, creator, materials, craftsmanship, utility, and probably several other I'm forgetting - in a fantasy setting, this would also include the magical properties of an item.
So I've decided to expand the use of this skill to include not only discovering the price of an item but also what it can do. You can now use this skill to discover the properties and function of an item. Any item or object with an increasing DC depending upon the rarity and magical power of the item. The DCs are halved if you're just shooting for the lore of an item.
This does steal the thunder from spellcraft, which in pathfinder is the skill you'd use to identify a magic item. I will be repurposing spellcraft a bit as it seems to be a hodgepodge of functions all unrelated except by the subject of magic.

Autohypnosis
This skill will be about the only psionics skill that won't be folded into a magical counterpart and although I'll be doing to concentration what pathfinder did, any other functionality not attributable to casters will be put here as well. The old 'stabilize self' skill will be represented here as well, along with any other alterations that seem appropriate.
As a skill, you'll use it as an overarching "discover how to overcome body with mind" sort of skill.

Bluff and Diplomacy
These skills will look a lot like Rich's diplomacy fix... with some modifications but their function will remain largely the same.

Climb, disable device, escape artist, fly, handle animal, Intimidate, knowledge skills, linguistics, perform skills, profession, ride, sense motive, swim, and use magic device
These skills will largely change the least (compared to pathfinder's changes to 3.5) other than the epic level usages will be incorporated into them as mentioned before. There are a few exceptions in that the knowledge skills will have more uses - things like knowledge geography might be used to cut travel time (epic level usages almost as good as teleport) and I'll be adding a perform (ritual) skill into the mix of perform skills, which may have functionality when it comes to how I'll be changing the magic item creation stuff. I'll also try to make intimidate more useful.

I may also revise certain aspects of the knowledge skills as such that I'll introduce tiers as to identifying creatures - for example, it might be a DC 11 to learn a creature's creature type and all the associated things associated with the creature type, but nothing else about the creature. It might be a DC 15 + 1/2 HD (minimum 11) to learn what the creature is and perhaps some lore about it (which may reveal it's "common" abilities) and a DC 20 + hit dice would reveal everything about it in terms of strengths, weaknesses, and general lore.
There'll also be a table that'll adjust monster lore up or down based on rarity, so the DC will be lower for Ranger Steve for identifying bears in the great Bear Forest of Bearrington Lands that he commonly patrols than for Horse Bill, who has never seen a bear in his life. (Just camels.)

Craft Skills
There are a number of changes I wish to make here:
1) I want to make the actual crafting of stuff more... a lot less convulted. I think it needs simplification in a number of ways. I've tried forcing people to use it but no one likes making weekly/daily/whatever checks to do a few gold worth of work a week on their 1500gp suit of full plate or even their 100gp chain shirt, especially if it only takes 1 bad roll to mess up their entire thing or (even worse) if one screw up just messes up the fraction of the whole thing they were working on that week and have to figure out how much of that fraction they have to re-pay into their armor and... sigh.

I don't know exactly how I'll simplify it right now, but I'll find a way.

The other change is much much bigger as magic item creation will be entirely folded into skills - most of which will be the craft skills, but it may leak into the profession and perform skills as well. There will be one feat (craft magic items) that ANYONE can take (though that may require at least 1 rank in spellcraft). The difference between this and pathfinder is that more skills will be involved and spellcasters won't be able to cheat their way out of the craft skills by having all items be able to be made with spellcraft OR X whatever other skill. Those bracers of armor will require craft (jewelry) or that fortification full plate will REQUIRE craft (armorsmith) and so on.

Disguise
I honestly do not know if disguise let you actually "act" in character as whomever you may be impersonating, but I think it should definitely have that functionality if it didn't before.
Although this may run into issues in relationship to both perform (act) and bluff - not that I have a problem with cross-skill pollination of use, particularly considering that perform (act) may be more "the ability to pretend to be someone else to entertain" vs. "the ability to pretend to be someone else to replace that person" or somesuch. This'll obviously require some work.

Endurance
This skill I'm adding from 4th edition as I believe it does have some usefulness. It'll essentially replace all the things that you had to do a straight constitution check before (modified only by the endurance feat) especially considering that, in real life, you can train your body to endure quite a bit and I'm sure it'll have interesting epic functions as well.
Of course, adding a new skill in is one thing - making it unique and USEFUL will be something else, but weeding out useless crap is what rough drafts are supposed to do, right?

Heal
In addition to its usual (pathfinder) functions, you can also use this similarly to craft (alchemy) and make herbal remedies and non-magical fantasy healing stuff on par with alchemic items, but give non-casters access to things that'll repair hit point damage, ability damage, ability drain, and anything else that would be permanent if not without a magic spell to repair it.
If auto-hypnosis and craft (alchemy) are the non-magical psionic and arcane skills, then heal will be the divine/heal-monkey skill.

I've also had a houserule as a DM that allowed someone to combine the effectiveness of the heal skill and actual healing magic. As such that someone applying a curing spell out of combat could use the heal skill in order to increase the effectiveness of cure spells that I'll incorporate into the heal skill as well.

Investigate
Investigate is the new one that I'm adding - which basically comes from d20 modern. It'll also contain the functionality of the old search skill, but also a little bit of diplomacy and such. It'll represent a character's ability to get information and look for a particular thing or person. It's about looking for the right details and asking the right questions.

This MAY also include merging gather information here instead of diplomacy but unlike diplomacy (or intimidate), this doesn't involve threatening or persuading, but instead the ability to think about how questions, people, places, and things relate well enough to form mental connections to solve a task.

I think this is different enough from search, gather information, and diplomacy to warrant being a separate skill.

Perception
I never thought it made much sense to have separate rules for perception and certain extra-sensory abilities, like darkvision, scent, blindsense, sonar, and whathaveyou. Instead, all of those senses will be rolled into perception in the way that lowlight vision does.

How this'll work is that perception will be based on standard human vision and hearing (and some added rules on how to use your feeble sense of smell, touch, and taste) but other super senses will merely be modifications of the perception rules. Darkvision will negate the blinding effect of complete darkness, but will always operate at, maybe, a -1 per 5ft instead of the 30ft and -1 per 10ft beyond that for normal vision and unlike normal vision doesn't get boosted by environmental factors (like a clear day allowing someone to see for miles instead of being blind out to X00ft.)

By the by, even though it's utterly stupid to interpret the rules as "well, perception gives you a distance-based penalty, so it must apply in all conditions, even in broad daylight, I'll mention in the entry that different conditions can alter how far you can see. Also, that -30 you're getting doesn't prevent you from seeing, it just prevents you from, for example, seeing the American flag pin on the red, white, and blue jacket from 1500ft away. That doesn't mean you can't see the person at all.

So, I'll include language basically stating that, although it'll be true for darkvision, sonar, and so forth - they'll just include different rules about how they work based on how perception works instead of darkvision 60ft or whatever.

It does go against my "reduce complexity" purpose of the game, but it's one of only a few cases where I just want those things unified to make better sense.

Sleight of Hand
Unlike what pathfinder did, I'll be merging the functionality of use rope with sleight of hand. It won't make much of a difference, I think, other than that it can be improved like a skill again.

Stealth
The big change I'm making here isn't so much with the stealth skill itself, but something else that was brought to my attention - a fine creature has a +16 bonus to stealth! Two fine creatures can hide from one another with no worry of being found.
Well, I decided to change the size bonuses/penalties to stealth to be similar to the one from intimidate - where it depends on the size difference and whether you're bigger or smaller. For example, a Halfling is going to have a +4 size bonus to stealth vs. a human, but gets no bonus against another Halfling and gets a -4 penalty to his pet cat.

Spellcraft
This skill is getting hit by the nerf bat a bit. I think it did a bit too much - especially when it came to identifying and crafting magic items, so those functions were moved to other skills (appraise and crafting), except for IDing potions, reading scrolls, and a few other things.
You'll also still use it to learn new spells and identify active magic spells and differentiate between a wall of iron created by a spell or an otherwise identical iron wall made the old fashioned way.
It'll also be used in many ways in regard to spells and warping them and twisting them in ways that might be useful - perhaps core rules in turning standard spells into nonlethal variants or changing them enough to make them less identifiable by other casters or other such functions.

Survival
Most of the changes with this skill will just involve changing some of the more ridiculous DCs that some things in survival have and perhaps add a few other things, like modifiers to finding food based on its rarity (and failure could have consequences that are as hilarious as they are deadly).

"Those berries taste like... burning..."

///////////////

So that's about what I currently have in store for skills. I'm considering making a separate thread just about skills since I've only just started that way I can get more exposure in terms of questions/comments and pointing out issues I haven't thought about yet.

Thanks for listening! :)

[Neoxenok]

... So thanks to an accidental format of my flash drive, I managed to loose all my work that I had been doing. Since I've restarted, I've been working on a single (long and boring) movement, terrain, environment, and weather.

Following that, I'll work on the combat rules.

So far, most of what I've been doing is has just been a translation of the 3.5e rules into the new setup based on my pre-existing plans. The important things being that I'm eliminating non-lethal damage as it exists in D&D. Non-lethal damage will work as it is written in d20 modern.

I've added rules regarding exhaustion from activity and sleep. It's a rather minor rule itself that I added for completeness' sake. The fatigued and exhausted conditions seem to be poised to play a major role in this new game from all the things that can cause it.

I'm definitely anticipating the need to rearrange and reorganize this entire section in a later update.

Right now, I'm still making my way through terrains - I'm on plains and I still have aquatic and urban left to take care of. After that, weather, then environment.

Environment will be particularly interesting because it'll let me fix my first major portion of the game rules that have been... problematic.

The suffocation rules. I'm not actually sure yet how I'll fix it but I think I already sort of did. I'm actually somewhat surprised how different the rules are for high altitudes (the mountains terrain) and oxygen-deprivation are from the rules for suffocation. Why aren't these rules a little bit more related in some fashion or another?

Anyway - still chugging along.

[Neoxenok]

After all this time, I've been chugging this little project along and I've gotten a lot of work done. In terms of which parts of the SRD I've rewritten into this new d20/3.5e variant, I've completed the following, in order of chapter in what will be the first version of the rules:

Chapter 1, which briefly explains the core mechanic, certain assumptions (such as always rounding down) and ability scores.

Chapter 6, which includes all of the skills of the game. Here is a sample of what I've done in the skills section:

(Please forgive the formatting, which is a direct copy-paste from the document I'm working from, so the tables don't quite look very pretty.)

Spoiler: Spellcraft

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Spellcraft (Int) [T]
Characters talented in this skill can identify and manipulate spells, magic, psionics, and magical items of all kinds.
Check: This skill can perform a variety of functions, but the first and perhaps most important is the identification of spells being cast, active spells, magic items, and so on. This function also allows wizards to identify spells in a spellbook or magical scroll and copy or prepare spells from another's spellbook or a magical scroll. The DCs for all these tasks are described on table 6-64. A successful spellcraft check to identify a spell, power, magic item, or similar effect allows you to understand the effect, including its properties and nature with increasing detail depending on how much the spellcraft check exceeds the DC.

Table 6-64: Identification Spellcraft DCs
Task
Spellcraft DC
Identify a glyph of warding, greater glyph of warding, or symbol
10 + spell level
Identify a spell being cast
15 + spell level
Learn a spell from a spellbook or scroll
15 + spell level
Prepare a spell from a borrow spellbook
15 + spell level
Determine the spell school or psionic discipline of a magical aura
15 + spell level
Identify an active spell
20 + spell level
Identify materials or creatures created by magic or psionics
20 + spell level
Identify a spell cast on you after a saving throw is made if applicable regardless of success or failure
25 + spell level
Identify and understand a unique magical effect
30 + twice spell level
Decipher a written spell, scroll, or power stone
20 + spell level
Identify a potion or psionic tattoo
20 + twice mastercraft tier
Identify the properties of a magic item
10 + 10 per mastercraft tier

You can also use this skill to manipulate your spells or psionics in a number of ways. Unlike metamagic, these do not require the use of magic points from a character's magic point pools. Any spell, spell-like, or supernatural effect modified through the use of a metamagic feat or ability increases the spellcraft DC by 5 per magic point spent on the effect. Success of a spellcraft check to manipulate a spell modified by a metamagic effect eliminates the metamagic effect from the spell and the modification brought about by this skill modifies the original version of the spell, spell-like, or supernatural effect. The spellcraft DC is set by the modification to the spell described below and on table 6-65. You can only apply one of these effects on any given spell. Spells modified by one of the below effects is identified like other spells with a +2 to the spellcraft DC.
Energy Substitution: You choose one type of energy: acid, cold, electricity, or fire. When employing a spell with the acid, cold, electricity, or fire designator, you can modify the spell to use your chosen type of energy instead. The altered spell works normally in all respects except the type of damage dealt.
Nonlethal substitution: You can make a normally lethal spell non-lethal. In order to be modified by this ability, the spell to be modified must deal damage or produce a condition that is either immediately harmful or can be harmful if applied repeatedly. If the spell deals damage, ability burn, ability damage, ability drain, bleed, confusion, dead, dying, disabled, frightened, panicked, petrified, or paralyzed conditions or similarly lethal or dangerous conditions, then it instead deals 3d6 +1 per spell level of the spell in nonlethal damage and the sickened condition for 4d6 rounds to its normal targets in the area of effect for its primary effect or just the the sickened condition on a successful saving throw for the secondary effect for 2d4 rounds. This does not affect a spell's components, but spells with a backlash component add +2 nonlethal damage to the primary effect per level of backlash the spell deals.
Reduce Spell Power: You can voluntarily lower the spell level of the spell you are casting by any number of spell levels to a minimum of 1st level. You can also lower the highest spell level you have access to in terms of lowering a spell's power down to the same spell level as the spell you're casting. Each spell level you lower with the spell or the spell level you have access to is cumulative in determining the final DC of the spellcraft check.
Reduced area: You can reduce the spell's normal area of effect or reduce the number of targets the spell effects. The spell to be modified must be an area spell or affect multiple targets. This does not allow you to control which targets become affected or which ones do not unless the spell allows this normally but instead reduces the total number of creatures or other targets the spell normally targets or the area of effect. You can reduce an area down to 10% of its normal area or the number of targets down to a single target.
Pull damage: You can stop a spell short of killing a target. If the spell's damage or effect would normally cause the target to gain the dying condition, then the target instead becomes disabled. If the spell's effect deals wisdom or constitution damage directly instead of through fatigue, fear, or other conditions, then the spell will not bring the target's wisdom or constitution below 1.
Shorten duration: You can reduce the duration of a spell to any length of time less than its normal total, even if the spell is normally permanent. This has no effect on spells with an instantaneous duration.
Swift dismissal: You can dismiss one of your spells as a swift action. Dismissing a spell is normally a standard action (see page XXX).

Table 6-65: Modify Spell Spellcraft DCs
Task
Spellcraft DC
Energy Substitution
20 +4 per spell level
Nonlethal Substitution
10 +3 per spell level
Reduce Spell Power
15 + 2 per reduced spell level
Reduced area
10 +2 per spell level +1 per fewer targets or 5% reduction in area
Pull damage
15 +5 per spell level
Shorten duration
15
Swift dismissal
20

Action: Identifying a spell being cast, a glyph or symbol, an active spell, or spell you had to save against are all reactions that do not require an action on the part of the charcter. Identifying the spell school or discipline of a magical aura is a reaction that does not require an action on your character's part. Deciphering a scroll, identifying a potion or psionic tattoo, identifying if materials or creatures were created or summoned through magic, understand a unique or magical effect, or identifying the properties of a magic item all require 1d4+1 minutes. Learning a spell from a spellbook or scroll requires 8 hours of study and transcription. Modifying and manipulating spells are all performed as a part of the action of casting a spell.
Try Again: No because you either know what spell or effect is there or not or you either modify the spell or you weren't able to in general but there are exceptions. Preparing a spell from a borrowed spellbook, identifying the properties of a magic item, deciphering a scroll, identifying a potion or psionic tattoo, understanding a unique magical effect, and learning a spell from a spellbook or scroll can be retried after 24 hours have passed and 8 hours of study (which can run concurrently) or the character gains a new skill point in spellcraft.
Synergy: A character with at least one rank in bluff or disguise can obfuscate the nature of the spell and make it more difficult to identify. You make a spellcraft check -1 per spell level of the spell to be modified -1 if the spell has a verbal component -1 if the spell has a somatic component -2 if the spell has a material component and -1 if the spell has a backlash component against the normal spellcraft DC to identify the spell. When an opponent attempts to identify a spell you're casting, you can make a spellcraft check with the same modifiers opposed by their spellcraft check. A successful check results in the opponent being unable to identify your spell. If you succeed by 5 or more, then you can mislead your opponent into believing that the spell you're casting is another of the same spell level. If you fail your check against the spellcraft DC to identify the spell or the opposed roll, your opponent successfully identifies the spell you're casting.
A character that possesses at least one rank in investigate or perception can identify a potion or psionic tattoo with a spellcraft check against a DC of 15 + the magic item tier.
A character with at least one rank in linguistics or use magic device can decipher a written spell or scroll with a spellcraft check DC 15 + the spell's level. A character with one rank in both linguistics and use magic device can decipher a written spell or scroll with a spellcraft check DC 10 + the spell's level.
A characater with at least one rank in appraise can identify a magic item's magical properties with a spellcraft check DC 5 + five times the item's mastercraft tier (half the normal DC).

Chapter 9 - Combat is fully complete.
Here is a sample from this section:

Spoiler: Grapple

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Grapple (Str)
You grab and hold on to your opponent, wrestling them to a standstill and preventing them from taking actions. Making a grapple attempt is a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. You must be adjacent to an opponent to attempt a grapple and that opponent must succeed a reflex saving throw DC 10 + half your base combat bonus + your combat maneuver size modifier + your strength modifier.
Primary Effect: You and your opponent gain the grappled condition but you are not grappled to your opponent. This grapple is maintained until the beginning of your next turn, when you must perform and succeed an opposed strength check against your opponent as a free action. The larger opponent gains a +4 bonus to this check per size catagory larger and an additional +2 for maintaining a grapple. If this check is failed, then the opponent gains the secondary effect as though the saving throw was succeeded. Grappled creatures can not take attacks of opportunity, threaten any opponents within reach, perform any action requiring two hands, and is flat-footed to all opponents except the opponent being grappled and the opponent to the grappler. Grappled opponents can draw and attack with a light weapon, move at half speed (bringing the grappler or grappled opponent with them), activate a magic item, cast a spell, or equivelent action per GM diction. Grappled characters gain a -4 penalty to attack rolls and saving throw DCs for all combat maneuvers except to grapple or escape grapple. A grappled character attempting to cast a spell or activate a magic item must succeed on a concentration check DC 10 + the spell's level or magic item tier + the saving throw DC of the grappler's grapple combat maneuver or loose the spell. Grappled characters that become invisible gain a +2 circumstance bonus to escape artist checks and any other check or saving throw necessary to avoid being grappled.
Secondary Effect: Your opponent escapes the grapple if grappled or the pin if pinned. Until the beginning of your next turn, your opponent gains a -2 penalty to strength and dexterity and their movement is halved.
Joining in on a grapple grants a +1 bonus to the reflex saving throw DC per grappler joining the attempt. Each aiding grappler grants a +2 bonus to any check to maintain the grapple. Joining in a grapple to defend against a grappler grants a +1 to the reflex saving throw per grappler and +2 to any dexterity or strength check or escape artist check to escape a grapple.
Pinned creatures can not take attacks of opportunity, threaten any opponents within reach, perform any action requiring two hands, move or take movement actions, and is flat-footed to all opponents, including the grappler. Pinned creatures can draw and attack with a light weapon, activate a magic item, cast a spell, or equivelent action per GM diction. Pinned characters gain a -4 penalty to attack rolls, saving throw DCs for all combat maneuvers (except to grapple or escape grapple), and defense. A pinned character attempting to cast a spell or activate a magic item must succeed on a concentration check DC 15 + twice the spell's level or magic item tier + the saving throw DC of the grappler's grapple combat maneuver or loose the spell. Pinned characters that become invisible gain a +2 circumstance bonus to escape artist checks and any other check or saving throw necessary to avoid being grappled. Pinned is a more severe version of grapple and does not stack with that effect.

Chapter 13, which explains movement, environment, wilderness, and weather.
This contains about what you'd expect as this is in most 3.5e compatible rules with minimal alterations and that's little different here, although there are some differences.
This was also added simply because I thought it was a bit of an oversight:

Spoiler: Tiring and Exhaustion

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Tiring and Exhaustion
Getting tired and exhausted extend to activities beyond movement and can encompass a variety of activities. The amount of effort and work put into any activity can determine how tiring the activity is. Even the mind can become tired if working and stressed too hard for too long. Creatures that need sleep are still subject to fatigue and exhaustion from a lack of sleep even if they are otherwise rendered immune to fatigue and/or exhaustion. Bonuses to saves against fatigue and exhaustion do not apply against fatigue and exhaustion from a lack of sleep, but any bonuses against sleep and sleep effects do apply, however. See table 13-6 for a quick summery of the save DCs and the time intervals between saving throws.
Resting: A creature that is considered resting is avoiding activity, usually to regain strength after already becoming injured or ill to allow the body to recover or simply enjoying some leisure activity that doesn't require effort. Still, such a resting creature will become tired simply by virtue of the fact that the creature must eventually sleep. After 16 hours and again every eight hours afterwards, a resting creatuare must make a fortitude saving throw DC is 4 + 2 per eight hours beyond the first sixteen. If the saving throw is failed, the creature becomes fatigued. A creature that is already fatigued becomes exhausted and an already exhausted creature falls asleep and gains the sleep condition. Creatures that do not sleep or are immune to sleep are immune to these effects. Regardless of any other activity or activities or level of exhaustion or mental fatigue, all creatures that need sleep will need to make these saving throws if they remain awake for too long.
Active: Active creatures are considered to be working enough to be stressing their bodies, but are managing it for maximum endurance or persuing a generally low level of activity. Walking, talking, and maybe engaging in short bursts of activity managed by intermittently resting allows for a generally active day. An active creature is generally considered to be going through a routine day with a minimum of stress and well-managed activity. An active creature doesn't tire until his body begins to need to sleep. After 8 hours and again every four hours beyond, an active creature must make a fortitude saving throw just like a resting creature would against sleep, except the DC for the fortitude saves is 8 + 2 per additional four hours. Just as with a resting creature, only creatures that need to sleep need to make these saving throws. If a creature has enguaged in any activity that would require a saving throw against stress or extended movement, the creature is considered to have been active for the day for the purposes of making saving throws against sleep.
Less Stressful: A creature in a “less stressful” activity is generally performing an involved skill or other involved activity, such as swimming or climbing that involves a lot of energy but is well-managed. A creature can sustain these activities for one hour before needing to make a fortitude saving throw plus an additional saving throw each hour beyond the first against DC 10 + 2 per additional hour. Unlike a resting or active creature, any saving throws brought about by stress is simply physical exhaustion and not sleep-related. Creatures that need sleep will still need to make sleep-related saving throws in addition to any brought about from stress.
Stressful: Stressful activities generally involve high levels of physical exertion, such as combat, particularly intense performances or physical activiites, or generally any activity that requires a great deal of energy or strength (or both). A creature can sustain these activities for 1 minute per point of constition score before needing to make a saving throw plus additional saving throws every minute afterward. The saving throw is a fortitude save DC 10 + 2 per additional minute. Unlike a resting or active creature, any saving throws brought about by stress is simply physical exhaustion and not sleep-related. Creatures that need sleep will still need to make sleep-related saving throws in addition to any brought about from stress.
Highly Stressful: Highly stressful activities are activities that test a creature's limitations for extended periods of time, such as pushing or dragging a weight that is near the limits of what they can move, sustaining a grapple, or generally any activity that tests the limitations of what a creature can do. Such a creature can maintain such activity for one round per point of constitution score before needing to make a saving throw plus an additional saving throw for each additional round. The saving throw is a fortitude save DC 10 + 2 per additional round. Unlike a resting or active creature, any saving throws brought about by stress is simply physical exhaustion and not sleep-related. Creatures that need sleep will still need to make sleep-related saving throws in addition to any brought about from stress.

Table 13-6: Tiring and Exhaustion
Activity
Time Passage per Check
Save DC
Resting (Sleep)
16 Hours + 8 Hours per Check
4 + 2 per additional Check
Active (Sleep)
8 Hours + 4 Hours per Check
8 + 2 per additional Check
Less Stressful
1 Hour + 1 Hour per Check
10 + 2 per additional Check
Stressful
1 Minute/Con Score + 1 Minute per Check
10 + 2 per additional Check
Highly Stressful
1 Round/Con Score + 1 Round per Check
10 + 2 per additional Check

Chapter 18: Conditions and Special Abilities is also largely complete, with a lot of new and severely altered conditions, including the new "enervated" and "energy drained" conditions. Congestion, numbness, three pain-related conditions are added, and all the rules regarding death and dying have been altered rather significantly. Ability burn is also added as something you can gain.

A lot of the rules regarding how perception works has been changed rather dramatically. Now, you no longer have "blindsight" or "blindsense" but instead you actually have specific senses, such as echolocation, scent, darkvision, mindsight, and whathaveyou that all work based off of what they sense and whether they are a primary, secondary, or tertiary sense. For example, "Darkvision" is something you either have or you don't. It just means you can see with your visual senses without a source of light. Whether or not you see something is determined by a successful or failed perception roll, so if you improve your perception skill, it improves all of your senses.
I haven't quite worked out all the kinks yet, but when I'll have plenty of opportunity to smooth things over since this is a sort of pre-rough draft anyway.

Another major alteration is the death and dying rules and the rules concerning nonlethal damage.
Massive damage rules are, in this version of the game, not an optional rule but can be adjusted depending on how heroic you wish the game to be. Nonlethal damage and massive damage rules both work exactly as it does in d20 modern.
Unlike these games, I've eliminated negative hit points entirely. Once you hit 0, you're dying but now you no longer automatically go unconscious. At this point, you get a fortitude save every minute, every time you do a 'stressful' action, and anytime you take hit point or ability damage you must make a fortitude save or take burn. If you fail your saves enough times, you'll either go unconscious from fatigue, ability burn bringing down a stat to 0, or you'll die outright.
Also, damage/drain/burn to your wisdom score kills you, just as your constitution score does.

Right now, I'm working my way through chapter 7, feats.

Here's a few feats I've worked up:

Spoiler: Sampling of Feats

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Colossal Wild Shape [Epic] [Wild]
You can transform into a colossal creature.
Prerequisites: Character Level 17th, Gargantuan Wild Shape, Mana Point Pool
Benefit: When you use your wildshape ability, you can transform into a creature of colossal size by expending two points from your mana pool. One of the abilities you select must be the huge size ability from menu 2. If you can not access this ability, you can not transform into a colossal creature.
Normal: Characters with wild shape can not transform into creatures larger than huge without this feat and the gargantuan wild shape feat.

Combat Archery [Combat]
Your attacks with a ranged weapon don't leave you open to attack while engaging or getting engaged in melee combat.
Prerequisites: Dodge, Mobility, Point Blank Shot
Benefit: Your characater never draws an attack of opportunity for firing any ranged weapon while in a creature's threatened range.
Normal: Your character draws an attack of opportunity for attempting to use a ranged weapon while in a creature's threatened range.

Combat Casting [Combat]
You are adept at focusing your mind to use your magic in combat.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to any concentration check per two points of your base combat bonus (minimum +4) made to cast spells or use any form of magic while on the defensive (see page XXX). This gives you the ability to use any of your magical abilities while grappled or pinned, though you still can not use any spell or other magic that requires somatic components to cast.
Characters with the meditation feat can add the bonus from this feat to autohypnosis checks when using autohypnosis in place of concentration checks when using their magic defensively.

Combat Manifesting [Combat] [Psionic] [Skill]
You are adept at entering a trance that allows you to use your magic in combat.
Prerequisites: Autohypnosis 3 ranks
Benefit: You can expend your focus as an immediate action to gain a +1 bonus to any concentration check per two ranks you have in the autohypnosis skill and two bonus points from skill focus (autohypnosis) to any concentration check while on the defensive (see page XXX).
Characters with the meditation feat can add the bonus from this feat to autohypnosis checks when using autohypnosis in place of concentration checks when using their magic defensively.

I'll update again when I've more to report.

[Neoxenok]

Here are a few more feats as a sample of the work I've been doing.

Spoiler: More Feats

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Great Cleave [Combat]
You can cleave against more opponents for more damage.
Prerequisites: Cleave, Base Combat Bonus +4, Power Attack
Benefits: You can cleave through any number of creatures in your threatened area as long as they are adjacent as a full round action. Those opponents must succeed a reflex saving throw DC 10 + half your base combat bonus + your strength modifier. Opponents that fail their saving throw take damage as though you had successfully hit them with all of your attacks in a full round attack action while using the power attack feat, so a 10th level character with the two weapon fighting feat wielding a longsword and a short sword with a strength of 19 deals 2d8 + 2d6 + 32 points of damage plus any bonuses or other carrier effects from feats or magical bonuses from the weapons, multiplied by the number of times you would attack with that weapon in that circumstance.
You do not apply precision damage with a great cleave.

Great Fortitude
You are highly resiliant to bodily harm.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to all fortitude saving throws. In addition, any time you are forced to make any fortitude saving throw, any successful saving throw you make negates the secondary effect. You still suffer the primary effect of a failed fortitude saving throw.

Greater Manyshot [Combat] [Epic]
You can create a hail of arrows that mow down many opponents simultaneously.
Prerequisites: Base Combat Bonus +11, Dexterity 21+, Manyshot, Rapid Shot
Benefits: As a full-round action, you fire a hail of projectile or thrown weapons at all within a cone equal to the range of ranged weapon or thrown weapon you use to make the attack. All opponents within that area must make a reflex saving throw DC 10 + half your base combat bonus + your dexterity modifier or strength modifier for thrown weapons. Opponents that fail that reflex saving throw take damage as though you succeeded in hitting them with all attacks that you can make in a full round action using the ranged weapon or weapons you used to create this attack. A successful reflex saving throw halves the damage.
This action uses triple the normal number of projectiles or thrown weapons as a normal full round action's worth of attacks uses. You do not apply precision damage to the damage caused by this attack.

Greater Psionic Endowment [Metamagic] [Psionic]
With your mental discipline and a significant investment of magical energy, you can intensify the power of your magic.
Prerequisites: Ability to Use Magic of 4th Level or Higher, Autohypnosis 9 Ranks, Psionic Endowment, Spellcraft 9 Ranks
Benefits: You can expend your focus to gain a +3 bonus to the saving throw DC of any magical effect you can create. This benefit does not stack with that of spell focus or similar feats, including psionic endowment. In order to benefit from this feat, you must spend 3 magic points from your magic point pool.

Greater Psionic Attack [Combat] [Psionic]
You can infuse your weapon with powerful psionic energy to be released upon a successful strike against an enemy.
Prerequisites: Autohypnosis 9 Ranks, Base Combat Bonus +9, Psionic Attack
Benefit: You can expend your focus (see page XXX) to allow your next attack to deal an additional 4d6 points of damage.
Special: You can expend one plus one additional ki or psionic power point per attack you can make on a full round attack action to have this feat augment all attacks you make until the beginning of your next turn. You only need to consider your attacks granted by your hit dice for the purpose of this feat and not bonus attacks granted by feats or other abilities, such as haste or two weapon fighting.

Great Smiting [Combat] [Divine]
Your smite is far more deadly to your foes.
Prerequisites: Ability to Smite Opponents, Channel Energy, Charisma 25, Base Combat Bonus +7, Mana Pool
Benefit: You can spend one mana point to add your channel energy to the damage you deal on a successful smite attack against an opponent. If you spend two mana points, you also deal this damage to all opponents with the normal range of your channel energy, centered at the point of attack. All of your opponents can resist this damage with a will saving throw against the normal DC of your channel energy for half damage. You can only affect opponents that are normally susceptible to your smite damage, so a lawful good character is immune to a paladin's great smite damage.
If you fail to hit your opponent, your great smite is wasted.

[Neoxenok]

To anyone that may still be paying attention, I've stopped all progress on feats.
The primary reason being that I've kept running into the wall of the fact that I've not yet designed this game's version of races, classes, magic, and so on that is important for designing feats. After all, I've planned on doing serious changes to shapechanging and summoning magic and animal companions, mounts, and so on that impact many of the related feats.

As such, I've scrapped all of the feats I've worked on thus far with plans on revisiting them after I've worked on races, classes, prestige classes, and at least the general rules on magic so when I start feats again, I can do a complete listing instead of having to revisit and revise them in case my thought process on something changes between the time I write a feat (such as augment summoning) and then actually write the summoning rules.

Here are a bunch of the feats I've made, though I've not included many of them due to the character limit on posts.
When I return to feats, I'll start from scratch, though I'm sure many of them will remain the same.

Spoiler: Feats

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Improved Spell Capacity [Magic] [S]
You liberate additional magical capacity to cast spells.
Prerequisite: Ability to cast spells
Benefits: You gain one spell slot of the highest spell level you can cast at the level you take this feat or two spell slots of any individual spell level lower than your highest. If you cast spells spontaneously, you instead gain two spell slots of your highest spell level or three spell slots of any individual spell level lower than your highest.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its benefit stacks. In addition, characters that also have the epic spellcasting feat can use this feat to gain spell slots of the spell level granted by that feat. Characters with access to spell levels higher than 9th do not gain access to new spells known of that level or higher, but that character can prepare and/or cast spells using spell slots of that level, including heightened spells using the heighten spell feat.
Characters with access to 10th level spell slots or higher gain bonus spell slots appropriate to the progression on table XX-XX on page XXX.

Improved Spell Resistance
Your resiliance to magic improves.
Prerequisite: Any Form of Resistance or Improved Resistance against Spells or Magic
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus to saving throws against spells or all forms of magic according to the type of resistance you possess. This benefit also includes more specific resistances, such as enchantment or illusion resistsance, but the saving throw bonus only applies against spells or magic even if the resistance might apply against non-magical resistances (such as fire resistance.)
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its benefit stacks. If you take this feat a second time, you can choose to forgo the +2 bonus to saves against spells or magic and instead improve spell resistance to magic resistance or improved spell resistance to improved magic resistance.

Improved Sunder [Combat]
You can break a weapon or item in your opponent's possession, even a held item, with swift and sudden force.
Prerequisites: Power Attack, Strength 13+
Benefits: You can perform a sunder attempt (see page XXX) as a standard action and you do not provoke an attack of opportunity for the attempt. You gain a +2 bonus to your save DC, your reflex saving throw against the sunder attempts of others, the hardness of any item you have being sundered by your opponent, and the break DC of any item you have being sundered by your opponent.
Normal: Performing a sunder attempt is a full-round action that provokes an attack of opportunity. Magical weapons are immune to damage by attacks from magical manufactured weapons with an equal mastercraft tier or lower. Natural attacks and unarmed strikes can sunder items of any mastercraft tier as long as they are considered magical attacks for the purpose of bypassing damage reduction.

Improved Trip [Combat]
You have trained to knock your opponents flat on their backs with one swift motion.
Prerequisites: Combat Expertise, Intelligence 13
Benefits: You can perform a trip maneuver in place of an attack as a part of an attack or full-round attack action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity. In addition, you gain a +2 to your save DC and reflex saving throws against the trip attempts of others.
Normal: Performing a trip maneuver provokes an attack of opportunity and is performed as a standard action.
Special: Characters that possess the great cleave feat or the whirlwind attack feat negates half the bonus to an opponent's reflex saving throw due to multiple legs or an alternate movement mode and the penalty to all climb, fly, and swim checks is doubled and lasts for 1 round per point of your base combat bonus.

Improved Unarmed Strike [Combat]
You are trained to fight unarmed.
Benefit: The damage dice of your unarmed strike improves by one step, improving from the listed dice type to the one following it; 1, 1d2, 1d3, 1d4, 1d6, 1d8, 1d10, 1d12, and 2d8. Any unarmed strike you make can be either lethal or non-lethal at your perogative without the -4 penalty. Your unarmed strikes do not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Normal: Your unarmed damage is determined by your size on table 9-2 (page XXX) and you always deal non-lethal damage. If you choose to deal lethal damage with an unarmed strike, you must take a -4 penalty to attack.
Special: Characters with at least 1 rank in knowledge (medicine) deal an additional 1 point of non-lethal damage whenevever you choose to deal non-lethal damage with your unarmed strike per two points of your base combat bonus or per two ranks you possess in knowledge (medicine) (minimum 1).

Improved Whirlwind Attack [Combat] [Epic]
Like a great whirlwind, you leave all of your opponents down and decimated in your wake.
Prerequisites: Base Combat Bonus +13, Combat Expertise, Dexterity 23+, Dodge, Intelligence 13+, Mobility, Spring Attack, Whirlwind Attack
Benefits: As a full-round attack action, you can move up to double your base speed, attacking all opponents that enter your threatened area at any point during this movement. Those opponents must make a reflex saving throw DC 10 + half your base combat bonus + your dexterity modifier or take damage equivelent to the damage you would deal on a full-round attack action if all of your attacks were successful. On a successful saving throw, the damage you deal is reduced to half.
You do not apply precision damage of any kind to your damage from this ability.
Special: If you possess the Improved Bull Rush or Improved Trip feats, you can apply the benefit of one of those feats to your improved whirlwind attack, applying the primary effect on a failed save and the secondary effect on a successful saving throw in addition to the effects from this feat.

Incite Rage [Epic] [Magic]
You inspire the fury that dwells deep within us all.
Prerequisites: Bardic Performance or Barbarian Passion, Charisma 25+, Endurance 15 ranks
Benefits: As a full round action, you can incite a barbarian's rage in yourself and all of your willing allies with a 5 foot radius per point of your base combat bonus or 10 feet per bardic performance level, gaining the benefits and drawbacks of barbarian rage (see page XXX), which includes a +4 morale bonus to strength, a +2 morale bonus to constitution, 2 temporary hit points per character level, a +2 morale bonus to all will saving throws, and a -2 penalty to defense. If you or one of your allies have the barbarian passion ability, you can choose to benefit from whichever barbarian passion that you have except that your morale bonus to strength with that passion increases by +2. The duration of this ability for each benefactor of this ability is equal to your constitution score in rounds. Once that duration has expired, you become fatigued for a number of minutes equal to the number of rounds you remained in barbarian rage or other barbarian passion.

Infinate Deflection [Combat] [Epic]
As long as you are aware and able to act, no projectile will ever hit you.
Prerequisites: Base Combat Bonus +13, Combat Reflexes, Deflect Arrows, Dexterity 25+, Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefit: There is no limit to the number of projectiles that you can deflect. This ability is constant and can be performed as long as you are aware of the attack (not flat-footed against the attack) and able to move and act.
Special: Characters with the exceptional deflection feat can combine the benefits of the two feats, allowing the character to deflect any number of ranged attacks of any sort.

Inquisitor [Skill]
You are well trained in weeding out enemy operatives and spies.
Prerequisites: Investigate 1 Rank, Perception 1 Rank, Sense Motive 1 Rank
Benefits: Opponents attempting to bluff you never gain the benefit of using false evidence to support their bluff nor do you gain any sense motive modifiers for lies that validate your beliefs or sense motive modifiers for trusting too much according to table 6-16 (page XXX). You can use investigate or sense motive to detect an opponent using disguise. A disguised character that interacts or comes within 10 feet of you allows you to automatically gain an investigate or sense motive check once per your opponent's guise or persona in order to discern that the disguised opponent is obfuscating their true nature.

Inspire Excellence [Magic]
Your bardic performance can bring out the best in your audience.
Prerequisites: Bardic Performance, Perform (Any) 5 Ranks
Benefit: As a whole-turn action, you can create a bardic performance to inspire excellence on yourself and one willing ally per bardic performance level within 10 feet per bardic performance level. This performance grants its audience a +2 morale bonus to all ability scores per two bardic performance levels (maximum +10).
Special: The benefits of this feat are added to those of inspire competance, inspire courage, inspire heroics, and inspire greatness when your character gains the epic inspiration feat as well as the group inspiration feat.

Intensify Magic [Epic] [Metamagic]
The intensity of any magical effect you create is twice as powerful as its normal maximum.
Prerequisites: Empower Magic, Maximize Magic, Spellcraft 15 Ranks
Benefits: All variable, numeric effects of the magical effect you can create is maximized, then the total numerical result of the effect is doubled. So your magic would do twice the maximum amount of damage, cure twice the maximum possible amount of hit points, and so on. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected. You must expend seven magic points to benefit from this feat. You can not combine the effects of this feat with other metamagic feats that similarly affect the numeric effects of the magic you create.

Investigator [Skill]
You are adept at uncovering information that people don't want you to know.
Prerequisites: Diplomacy 1 Rank, Investigate 1 Rank
Benefits: Your skill in diplomacy and investigation allow you to coax the information you want out of those you interrogate and make them more pliable to give you what information you want. When interrogating an opponent, you can use clever wordplay to lull your opponent into feeling secure and safe with you. The investigate DC modifier for an opponent's willingness to share information is reduced by 1 per two ranks in each of diplomacy and investigate (minimum 5) if your opponent is helpful, friendly, or indifferent to you when interrogating that target for information. The DC modifier for your opponent's risk vs reward judgement when using diplomacy to persuade that opponent into giving you information is reduced by 1 per two ranks in each of diplomacy and investigate (minimum 5) if the risk is unfavorable, bad, or horrible.

Iron Will
You are steadfast and your resolve is as strong as iron.
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus to all will saving throws. In addition, any time you are forced to make any will saving throw, any successful saving throw you make negates the secondary effect. You still suffer the primary effect of a failed will saving throw.

Jack of all Trades
You have picked up a cursory knowledge of virtually every skill imaginable.
Benefits: All skills are class skills for you. You can use any skill untrained. At 2nd Level, you gain the +3 “trained” bonus for all skills as though you had invested a skill point in every skill without actually investing a skill rank in any skill that doesn't already have ranks. At 4th level, if you possess a negative ability modifier, that modifier is treated as being +0 for all skills that use that ability modifier. At 9th level, your “trained” bonus to all skills improves to +4. At 18th level, your trained bonus improves again to +5.

Knock-Down [Combat]
You can trip your opponents almost effortlessly.
Prerequisites: Base Combat Bonus +2, Improved Trip, Strength 15+
Benefits: Any time you deal more than 10 points of lethal or non-lethal points of damage to an opponent with a melee attack, you can make a free trip attempt against an opponent. You can not trip an opponent in this manner more than once per round (though this does not prevent the benefit of the improved trip feat from being used to allow for more trip attempts.)

Knowledgable [Skill]
You are studied and have a varied degree and depth of knowledge.
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus to all knowledge skills and you treat all knowledge skills as class skills if you didn't already. You can make any knowledge check untrained.

Lasting Impression [Magic]
Your bardic performance leaves a lasting impression upon your audience.
Prerequisite: Bardic Performance
Benefit: After your bardic performance's duration has expired, you and your allies can retain the benefits of that performance for up to one additional 1 minute per two bardic performance levels (minimum one minute.) If you start another bardic performance while still benefitting from a previous performance, you loose those benefits and replace it with the benefits of the new bardic performance.

Leadership
You have the talent to be a leader rather than a follower.
Prerequisite: Charisma 13+
Benefits: You can gain either a cohort or followers. If you choose to gain a cohort, you gain the aid and services of a single non-player character. Your cohort is a commoner (see page XXX) with average hit dice equal to half your total character level (minimum level 1st). You select your cohort's feet, skill ranks, ability scores, and equipment. Your cohort's ability scores is either the non-elite array (13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8), the average array (11, 11, 11, 10, 10, 10), or purchased via 15 point buy. Your cohort begins play with starting wealth equivelent to that of 1/4th of a player character's starting wealth.
If you choose to gain followers, you gain a number of followers equal to your charisma modifier multiplied by your character level. At 3rd level or lower, you can not have more than one follower but you gain the additional followers starting at 4th level. Your followers have the same statistics as a cohort, except that their level is determined differently. For every 1000 level one cohorts that follow you, 1 of those is 2nd level. Of every 100 level 2 followers, 1 of those is 3rd level. Of every 100 level 3 followers, 1 of those is 4th level, and so on. You can never have followers of a higher level than 1/3rd of your character level, rounded down (minimum 1st).
Special: Due to the fact that cohorts and followers have equipment, this feat should not be a method in which player characters can harvest expensive equipment for their personal use and game masters should therefore ban player characters from taking equipment from their followers or cohorts. Player characters should, however, be free to lend or give their cohorts or followers equipment they purchased or otherwise acquired themselves, which they can reacquire at a later time.

Legendary Climber [Epic] [Skill]
You can climb almost anything effortlessly.
Prerequisites: Climb 11 Ranks, Skill Focus (Climb)
Benefits: You can climb at your base speed without penalty and can take any kind of movement action during a climb, except running or charging until you have 15 or more ranks in climb. Climbing no longer causes you to be flat-footed against other attackers. You never need to make climb checks to maintain your position on a stable surface.
If you fall while climbing, you can catch yourself by making a climb check against the normal climb DC +5 on a vertical surface or +2 on a sloped surface. To catch an ally, you must make a touch attack against your ally's touch defense (with a +1 dodge bonus to defense) and make a climb check against the normal climb DC +2 if your ally is within your heavy load weight limit.
There is no penalty to failing any climb check by 5 or more.
Normal: You climb at 1/4 your base speed unless you take penalties to your climb check to move more swiftly. You are flat-footed while climbing and you need to make climb checks to maintain your position while climbing. The climb check modifiers involved with catching yourself or an ally is +20 instead of +5 and +10 instead of +2 and your ally's touch defense while falling is +4 instead of +1. Failing a climb check by 5 or more often has disasterous consequences (see page XXX for climb skill rules.)

Legendary Commander [Combat]
You prefer to lead trained warriors rather than the more common folk.
Prerequisites: Character Level 6th, Charisma 13+, Leadership
Benefits: You gain a cohort or followers with warrior-type hit dice instead of average hit dice.

Legendary Leaper [Epic] [Skill]
You can leap virtually boundless distances.
Prerequisite: Acrobatics 11 Ranks, Skill Focus (Acrobatics)
Benefits: When using the acrobatics skill to jump, you do not need a running start and the acrobatics DC and you do not apply the x2 multiplier to the jump DC in order to do so. When you long jump, you jump 1 foot per point of your check result x 1 per two ranks you have in acrobatics and per two bonus points from skill focus (acrobatics). When you do a vertical jump, you jump 1 foot per four points of your check result x 1 per five ranks you have in acrobatics and per five bonus points from skill focus (acrobatics.)
Normal: When you perform a long jump, you can clear a distance in feet equal to the check result -5. When you perform a vertical jump, you can clear a distance in feet equal to one quarter of your check result. If you do not have a running start of at least 10 feet, the DC of this jump check is multilplied by 2.

Legendary Rider [Epic] [Skill]
You and your mount act as a single cohesive unit both on and off the battlefield.
Prerequisites: Ride 11 Ranks, Skill Focus (Ride)
Benefits: Any creature is suitable as a mount to you and you never take a penalty to ride a mount due to its unsuitability as a mount. In addition, you can treat any creature you use as a mount as though they possessed the domesticated and combat training feats. You do not require a saddle of any kind and never risk falling off your mount unless unconcious or otherwise incapacitated.
Special: If you possess the mounted combat feat, you can apply your shield and dodge bonuses to your mount's defense. In addition, all the defense bonuses granted to your mount through mounted combat and this feat apply to all attacks made against your mount.
If you possess the special mount class feature, you can use your ranks in ride in place of your class' primary abilities to determine your special mount's abilities and other features.

Legendary Tracker [Epic] [Skill]
You can locate a target no matter where they are or where they run.
Prerequisites: Investigate 11 Ranks, Skill Focus (Investigate), Skill Focus (Survival), Survival 11 Ranks
Benefits: You can track your opponent through an environment at any movement speed (including a full run) without penalty. A failed check when tracking through an environment is always noticed immediately and allows you to relocate the trail again, if possible. Tracking an opponent through a city takes only one hour to find their current whereabouts and a failed check only adds an additional hour and allows a retry. A failure of 5 or more on a check to track through an urban area adds 1d4 hours and does not allow a recheck for one more hour.
Normal: You can track your opponent through an environment at half speed without penalty but you gain increasingly large penalties to your survival check if you exceed that speed. A failed check when tracking through an environment is only noticed immediately if failed by 1 to 4 points and failing by 5 or more means you've lost the trail some time ago. In an urban environment, you can find the whereabouts of your opponent after 1d4 hours and a failed check adds 1d4 hours and a check that fails by 5 or more means you can not make a new attempt for 24 hours.

Legendary Wrestler [Combat]
Once you begin to wrestle an oppnoent to the ground, that tends to be where they'll stay.
Prerequisites: Escape Artist 1 Rank, Improved Unarmed Strike
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus to your strength checks to maintain a grapple. Opponents attempting to use the escape artist skill to escape your grapple must do so against a grapple DC equal to 10 + your base combat bonus + your strength modifier + any bonuses to have to your grapple DC or your opposed escape artist check + any bonuses you have to your grapple DC at your option before the check is made.
Normal: Opponents intending to escape your grapple can make an opposed strength check or an escape artist check against the grappler's grapple save DC.

Lightning Reflexes
You can react to danger and threats with lightning speed.
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus to all reflex saving throws. In addition, any time you are forced to make any reflex saving throw, any successful saving throw you make negates the secondary effect. You still suffer the primary effect of a failed reflex saving throw.

Lingering Damage [Epic]
Your sneak attacks can bleed your opponents to death.
Prerequisites: Deadly Precision, Improved Sneak Attack, Sneak Attack +8d6
Benefits: On a failed saving throw against improved sneak attack's save DC of 10 + your sneak attack damage dice you deal + your dexterity modifier, you additionally grant your opponent the bleed condition of 1 per round per sneak attack damage dice, which persists for the same duration as the severe pain condition you gain through improved sneak attack. This feat grants no benefit if the save is successful.

Magical Aptitude [Skill]
You have talent when it comes to your ability to the knowledge and ability with magic and magic items.
Benefit: You gain a +2 bonus with all spellcraft and use magic device checks and you gain these skills as class skills if they weren't already. If you possess at least 1 rank in both spellcraft and use magic device, you gain a magic point pool as though you could naturally use magic. You use the total ranks you have in both spellcraft and use magic device to determine the number of magic points you possess and charisma to determine the number of bonus magic points.

Magical Companion
You can gain an animal companion with the magical subtype or your animal companion gains the magical subtype.
Prerequisites: Animal Companion or Special Mount Class Feature
Benefits: You can gain a magical animal companion or mount. This companion must obey all the normal rules of your class' version of the animal companion and special mount class feature rules except that the mount or animal companion you can select can include a creature type with the magical subtype.

Magical Shape [Wild]
You can shape yourself into creatures that themselves are inherantly magical.
Prerequisites: Knowledge (Arcana) 1 Rank, Wild Shape I
Benefit: You can use your wild shape ability to change into an animal with the magical subtype and select abilities according to that creature.

Manyshot [Combat]
Take an opponent down in a hail of arrows.
Prerequisites: Base Combat Bonus +6, Dexterity 17+, Rapid Shot
Benefits: As a full round action, you can fire a hail of arrows at a single target within your weapon's first range incriment. That opponent must make a reflex saving throw DC 10 + half your base combat bonus + your dexterity modifier or take damage equal to your weapon's normal damage multiplied by the number of attacks you can make on a full round attack action. On a successful saving throw, that opponent takes half damage.
You do not apply precision damage to manyshot.

Martial Weapon Proficiency [Combat]
You are capable of proficiently using martial weapons in combat.
Prerequisite: Simple Weapon Proficiency
Benefits: You are able to wield martial weapons without the non-proficiency penalty.
Normal: You take a -4 non-proficiency penalty to all attacks with weapons to which you are not proficient.

Master Staff [Magic]
You can draw out your magical energy with your impliment more gradually to make effective use of it.
Prerequisite: Magic Point Pool
Benefits: As a swift action, you can expend a magic point from your magic point pool in order to infuse your staff with magical energy. Until the beginning of your next turn, you can add the ability modifier you use for your magic point pool or pool sub-types to your attack rolls and damage rolls with your staff instead of your strength or dexterity modifier.
Normal: You add your strength or dexterity modifier to attack and damage rolls with your staff.

Master Wand [Magic]
You can draw out your magical energy with your impliment more gradually to make effective use of it.
Prerequisite: Magic Point Pool
Benefits: As a swift action, you can expend a magic point from your magic point pool in order to infuse your wand with magical energy. Until the beginning of your next turn, you can create a purely magical ranged attack out to a range incriment of 25 + 5 feet per two levels you possess as an attack action. This attack deals 1d6 points of damage plus any bonuses from the wand's enhancement bonus from its mastercraft tier and threatens a critical hit on a natural twenty, dealing twice the indicated damage. You use the same ability modifier used to determine your bonus magic points for your magic point pool to determine your attack and damage bonus.
Normal: Infusing your wand with magical energy only allows you to launch a single, powerful magical assault in a line out to 400 feet + 40 feet per character level you possess that forces all opponents in that line to make a reflex saving throw or take damage according to the wand's mastercraft tier (see page XXX) or half that damage on a successful save.

Maximize Magic [Metamagic]
You can alter your magic in order to maximize its effectiveness.
Prerequisites: Spellcraft 5 Ranks
Benefits: All variable, numeric effects of a spell modified by this feat are maximized. Saving throws and opposed rolls are not affected, nor are spells without random variables. You must expend 3 magic points to benefit from this feat.
Special: An empowered, maximized magical effect gains the seporate benefits of each feat: the maximized result plus one half of the normally rolled result.

Meditation [Psionic]
Your training to focus your mind gives you the ability to concentrate and focus more clearly.
Prerequisite: Autohypnosis 1 Rank
Benefit: You can substitute a concentration check (see page XXX) with an autohypnosis check, using the better of the two modifiers when making a concentration check.

Mental Leap [Psionic] [Skill]
Your mental focus allows you to make great leaps.
Prerequisites: Acrobatics 5 Ranks, Autohypnosis 5 Ranks or Ki or Psionic Power Point Pool
Benefits: You can expend your focus or expend one ki or psionic power point to gain a number of benefits before the beginning of your next turn. You can avoid the need for a running start on your jump attempt. Once you have 7 ranks in acrobatics, you can suspend yourself midair and make a second jump attempt from that point. Once you have 9 ranks in acrobatics, the distance you can jump on any given jump check is doubled and no longer limited by your speed. Once you have 11 ranks in acrobatics, you can jump ten times the distance given by your jump check result.

Mental Resistance [S]
Your mind has developed an inherant resistance to injury.
Prerequisites: Base Will Save Bonus +2
Benefit: Select one mental attribute (charisma, intelligence, or wisdom). Any time you take ability damage, ability burn, or ability drain to that attribute, you take 1 point less than the indicated amount.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its benefit stacks. This feat provides no benefit against the ability burn caused by the stable, disabled, or dying conditions as well as suffocation, starvation, or thirst.

Metamorphic Transfer [Magic] [Psionic]
Retain some aspect of your altered shape when you return to your natural form.
Prerequisite: Form-Altering Magic, Spellcraft 5 Ranks
Benefits: Any time you use shape-altering magic, you can gain a single menu item of a level appropriate to the spell used and apply it to your character without making any other alteration for the normal duration of the magical effect used. You can use this ability instead of changing into a shape appropriate to the magical effect or retain an ability after dismissing the form you took with your ability. If your shape-altering magical effect does not grant menu abilities (see page XXX) then you do not gain one from this feat.

Mighty Rage
Your fury gives you unbelievable strength and power.
Prerequisite: Barbarian Passion (Rage)
Benefit: Your morale bonus to strength increases by 2. When your base combat bonus reaches +6 and every five additional points beyond, your morale bonus increases by an additional 2 to a maximum of +8.

Mind over Body [S]
Your force of will can overcome otherwise debilitating injury.
Prerequisite: Base Fortitude Save Bonus +2
Benefit: Select one physical attribute (constitution, dexterity, or strength). Any time you take ability damage, ability burn, or ability drain to that attribute, you take one point less than the indicated amount.
Special: You can take this feat multiple times. Its benefit stacks. This feat provides no benefit against the ability burn caused by the stable, disabled, or dying conditions as well as suffocation, starvation, or thirst.

Mobile Defense [Combat]
You are quick on your feet when in a defensive stance.
Prerequisites: Barbarian Passion (Defensive Stance), Dodge, Mobility
Benefits: When in a defensive stance, you may move up to twice your normal speed on any given round. If your base combat bonus is +6 or higher, you can intercept one additional opponent. If your base combat bonus is +12 or higher, you can intercept two additional opponents. If your base combat bonus is +18 or higher, you can intercept any number of opponents on any given turn. You can not exceed your total available movement on any given turn.
Normal: You can move up to your base speed when in a defensive stance, but only if an opponent moves and only to enter into close enough range to attack that opponent (see page XXX).
Special: If you also possess the bulwark of defense feat, you may move up to three times your base speed on any given round.

Mobility [Combat]
You are expertly trained in moving through your opponent's threatened spaces.
Prerequisites: Dexterity 13+, Dodge
Benefits: You do not provoke attacks of opportunities when moving through the threatened space or spaces of one or more opponents. You still provoke attacks of opportunity from other movement-based actions in an opponent's threatened and occupied spaces, but all acrobatics DCs to avoid such attacks of opportunity is reduced by an amount equal to your base combat bonus (minimum 5).
You also gain a +1 dodge bonus to your defense per 2 points of your base combat bonus against any attack of opportunity (minimum +4).

Mounted Archery [Combat]
Your aim is no less deadly while riding on horseback than if you were standing still.
Prerequisites: Mounted Combat, Ride 1 Rank
Benefits: You recieve no penalty to your ranged attack rolls while mounted if your mount takes a movement action. Your penalty is reduced to -2 if your mount takes a double move and -4 if your mount takes a run action.
If you have 5 ranks or more in ride, your penalty to ranged attacks is reduced to -1 if your mount takes a double move and -2 if your mount takes a run action. If you have 10 or more ranks in ride, you take no penalties to your ranged attacks for your mount's movements.
Normal: You recieve a -2 penalty to all ranged attacks if your mount takes a move action, a -4 penalty if your mount takes a double movement action, and a -8 penalty if your mount takes a run action.

Mounted Combat [Combat]
You have trained to ride a mount into battle.
Prerequisite: Ride 1 Rank
Benefits: Your mount gains a bonus to its defense equal to the number of ranks you possess in the ride skill and the number of bonus points to ride granted by the skill focus (ride) feat. If you also possess the skill focus (ride) feat, your mount also gains damage reduction #/- where “#” is the number of ranks in the ride skill plus your bonus points from skill focus (ride).

Multispell [Epic] [Magic]
You can successively manifest another magical ability.
Prerequisites: Quicken Magic, Spellcraft 11 Ranks
Benefit: Any time you cast a spell or other form of magic as an immediate or swift action, you can cast another magical ability with an immediate or swift action casting time in the same round as a free action. This can be done no more than once in any given round.

Music of the Gods [Epic] [Magic]
Your bardic performance is so exquisite, you can even affect creatures that can not percieve or understand your performance.
Prerequisites: Bardic Performance, Charisma 25+, Perform (Any) 15 Ranks
Benefits: Your bardic performance can affect all creatures, bypassing all resistance and immunity to the effects of your performance as though you possessed the epic spell penetration except that even creatures normally immune to your performance instead are treated as though they merely possessed magic resistance to your performance with a +10 bonus to any saving throw against this ability. Even creatures that normally can't percieve your performance, such as by being deaf to your music or blind to your stage performance are affected, though they gain a +10 bonus to any relevant saving throws against negative effects. On the other hand, all creatures can benefit from your performance regardless of immunity or whether they can actually percieve your performance.

Narrow Mind [Psionic] [Skill]
You are relentless in pursuing a goal but you frequently lack the ability to think outside the box.
Prerequisites: Wisdom 13+
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus to investigate checks to track, investigate and all knowledge checks to research, and survival checks to track but you gain a -1 penalty to all craft and perform checks. You can also take 20 when gaining focus if you possess 5 or more ranks in autohypnosis. If you possess 15 or more ranks in autohypnosis and the epic focus feat, you can take 20 to gain epic focus as well.

Natural Spell [Magic]
You can cast spells that require the somatic and verbal components from your natural form and cast them regardless of your shape as long as your shape can make vocalizations and roughly the same gestures.
Prerequisites: Ability to Change Shape, Spellcraft 5 Ranks, Wisdom 13+
Benefits: If you are transformed into a form that makes you unable to produce the natural somatic and verbal components that you could in your natural form, you can still cast any spells that require those components as long as your new form still can produce verbal or somatic components. You can also use any material components you have on your person, even if they melded into your form when you transformed. This feat does not permit you to be able to use magic items while in a form that would not ordinarily permit you to use them and you do not gain the ability to speak when in a form that can not produce the necessary vocalizations to speak. Using spellcraft to identify a spell being cast when not using your natural form increases the DC by 5.
Normal: You can only produces the complex vocalizations and gestures required for verbal and somatic components of your spells with your natural form.

Negative Energy Burst [Magic]
You can channel pure negative energy out in a tremendous burst of energy destructive to all life in the area.
Prerequisites: Channel Energy (Negative)
Benefits: Your channel energy ability can heal undead and damage living creatures simultaneously. However, activating a negative energy burst requires the expendature of two magic points instead of the usual one magic point.
Normal: You can choose to heal undead or harm living creatures with the negative energy version of channel energy but not both simultaneously.

Negotiator [Skill]
You are skilled in the art of negotiation through gaining the trust of others.
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus to all diplomacy and sense motive checks and you gain these skills as class skills if you didn't have them already. If you have at least one rank in both diplomacy and sense motive, your sense motive modifier to improve a creatures attitude from hostile to unfriendly or unfriendly to indifferent is reduced to +10 and +5, respectively. If you possess at least 5 ranks in both diplomacy and sense motive, the sense motive modifier to improve a creature's attitude toward from indifferent to friendly is decreased to +10 and improving a creature's attitude from friendly to helpful is reduced to +15. If you possess at least 7 ranks in both diplomacy and sense motive, the sense motive modifier to improve a creature's attitude from hostile to unfriendly is reduced to +5. If you possess at least 9 ranks in both diplomacy and sense motive, the sense motive modifier to improve a creature's attitude from helpful to fanatic is +35. If you possess at least 11 ranks in both diplomacy and sense motive, failing a diplomacy check to change an opponent's attitude by 15 or more makes the opponent automatically unfriendly instead of hostile unless already unfriendly or hostile.

Nimble Fingers [Combat] [Skill]
You are sly and talented with your hands, able to make quick, precise movements.
Prerequisites: Disable Device 1 Rank, Improved Disarm, Sleight of Hand 1 Rank
Benefits: You can take or disable held, carried, or worn items on a target. In order to take an item, it must be accessable and either a carried item or held item. You can take the item with a successful disarm as an attack action. You can also disable a held, carried, or worn item as a full round action. In order to perform this action, you must possess a number of ranks in your disable device skill as three times the item's mastercraft tier, bonus to defense, or skill bonus (whichever is the highest). The target must then make a reflex saving throw as though you performed a disarm combat maneuver. If the saving throw is failed, the targetted item's hit points are reduced to half and the item gains the broken condition. If the target successfully saves, the item is unaffected but the creature that has the item gains a -2 to attack and damage rolls until the beginning of your next turn, as normal for the disarm maneuver.
Special: You can use half the number of ranks you possess in either disable device or sleight of hand instead of your base combat bonus to determine the saving throw DC of any disarm attempt you make. Improved disarm's +2 to reflex saving throws applies to the effects of this feat. If you possess the skill focus (sleight of hand) feat, you gain an additional +2 to reflex saving throws against disarm attempts to take or otherwise remove a held or carried item from your possession. If you possess the skill focus (disable device) feat, you gain an additional +2 to reflex saving throws against disarm attempts to disable a held, carried, or worn item.

Open Minded [Skill]
You are open to new and varied experiences and naturally become open and able to achieve new and varied skills.
Benefit: You gain a number of skill points equal to your current hit dice and one additional skill point each time you gain an additional hit dice. If you are under any condition that removes one or more of your hit dice, then you loose a number of ranks equal to the number of lost hit dice.
In addition, you gain one skill of your choice as a class skill.

Opportunity Magic [Metamagic]
You can swiftly cast a spell as an attack of opportunity.
Prerequisites: Quicken Magic, Spellcraft 9 Ranks
Benefits: When you make your attack of opportunity, you can cast a spell with a range of touch as long as you have at least one hand free as an immediate action. You can not use this feat with spells with a casting time greater than one full round action. Using this feat requires four magic points.
If you possess at least 15 ranks in spellcraft and expend 8 magic points instead of 4, you no longer cast the spell as an immediate action, instead expending only the attack of opportunity used to make the attack.
Normal: You can only make an attack of opportunity with a melee attack.

Overchannel [Magic]
Through burning your life force, you can strengthen your magical abilities.
Prerequisite: Magic Point Pool
Benefits: You can reduce the magic point cost of using any ability or combination of abilities by one point per one point of ability burn to all six of your ability scores. You can not have any remaining magic points in your magic point pool in order to use this feat. You can gain up to one magic point when using any one magical ability per use through this feat. When you have 8 hit dice, you can gain up to two magic points when using any one magical ability per use through this feat. When you have 15 hit dice, you can gain up to five magic points when using any one magical ability per use through this feat.

Penetrate Damage Reduction [S]
You know how to effectively strike an opponent and bypass their damage reduction.
Benefits: You can pierce all types of damage reduction by an amount of damage reduction that a creature possesses equal to your base combat bonus (minimum 3) +5 if your base combat bonus equals +11 or higher and you have the average hit dice type and an additional +5 if your base combat bonus equals +16 or higher and you have warrior hit dice type.
Alternatively, you can select one type of material, such as adamantine, cold iron, mithril, silver, or steel. Any natural, unarmed, or manufactured weapon you use is considered to be made of that material for bypassing damage reduction. You can select an additional material for every five points of your base combat bonus you possess (minimum 1).
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you select this feat, the amount of damage reduction you can bypass increases by 1, 3 if you have average hit dice, or 5 if you have warrior hit dice if you chose to pierce all types of damage reduction. If you chose to fully pierce one type of damage reduction, you can choose two additional material types. You can also select one alternative if you chose the other if you take this feat more than once.

Perfect Health [Epic]
Your body has such perfect health that you no longer need to worry about the mundane frailties that your body may have once suffered before achieving perfect health.
Prerequisites: Character Level 15th, Constitution 25+
Benefits: You never suffer from the effects of aging. If you live through to venerable age, you will never die of advanced age until the latest possible year +1d10 years. You are also immune to all poisons and diseases if the saving throw DC of that poison or disease is less than 10 + your base combat bonus + your constitution modifier.

Performance Animal [Animal]
Your animal is more knowledgable and especially trained for the performance needed by its masters.
Prerequisites: Domesticated, Intelligence 1 or 2
Benefits: This animal can gain up to four additional tricks in addition to the normal number of tricks normally allowed by that animal's intelligence. In addition, that animal gains a number of skill points equal to its hit dice. If this animal gains additional hit dice, it gains one skill point per hit dice it gains and it looses one skill point per hit dice if any circumstances forces the animal to loose hit dice.

Permanent Emanation [Epic] [Magic]
You can make a spell to affect you permanently.
Prerequisites: Extend Magic, Spellcraft 13 Ranks
Benefit: Select one spell on your character's spell list (regardless of whether or not it is a spell known) up to six spell levels lower than your highest spell level (minimum 0th level) whose area is an emanation from the character. This spell's effect is permanent (though the characater can dismiss or resume the effect as a free action.) Effects that would normally dispel this spell would instead suppress it for 1d4 rounds per spell level of the spell dispelling it.
You need not concentrate on spells such as detect magic or detect thoughts to be aware of the mere presence of absence of the things detected, but you must still concentrate to gain additional information as normal. Concentration on such a spell is a standard action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
Permanent spells, like persistant spells, take up a magic item slot of the player's choice as long as it remains active.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times. Each time you select this feat, you can select a new spell to become permanent.

Persistent Magic [Epic] [Metamagic]
You can make a magical effect persist on your person for 24 or more hours.
Prerequisites: Extend Magic, Spellcraft 11 Ranks
Benefits: You can extend a magical effect's duration to 24 hours. The magical effect altered by this feat must have a personal range or a fixed range. Magic with an instantaneous duration cannot be affected by this feat, nor magical effects whose effects are discharged. Magical effects that require concentration, such as detect magic or detect thoughts do not require continuous concentration to be aware of the mere presence of absence of the things detected, but you must still concentrate to gain additional information as normal. Concentration on magic is a standard action. Persistant magical effects take up any one magic item slot (see page XXX) of the player's choice as long as it remains active.
Using this feat requires six magic points from your magic point pool.
Special: Magical effects modified by this feat can have their 24 hour duration extended as per the rules in the spellcraft skill (see page XXX) by 24 hours by including the 6 magic point cost of the persistent magic feat in addition to the normal stated cost in magic points, spell slot, and the spellcraft check.

[nonsi]

If you ever want to see this project finished, you should start writing concrete rules.

It would help if you start by figuring out to yourself what the primary base classes would be.
You don't have to fully figure them out before touching anything else, but if would help if you had something to build everything else around.
Me - At some point, after a lot of trial & error, I decided that I wanted there to be 6 fundamental base classes:
1 martial
1 skillmonkey
3 fullcasters
1 invoker
From there, things became a lot easier
It also helped that I used 3e's building blocks (i.e. game mechanics) instead of making them up from scratch.

[Neoxenok]

As of now, I'm intending to include twelve classes and although my thoughts on their class features aren't concrete, here are my thoughts as to what I want in the final product:

The barbarian, which will include the option of selecting between the "normal" barbarian rage (the strength-based barbarian), whirlwind rage (or something to that effect, similar to the unearthed arcana barbarian rage variant that'll produce a mobility and dexterity-based variation of barbarian rage), defensive stance (the prestige class will be incoroperated into the barbarian class that'll include some fixes to the concept due to weaknesses with the prestige class), and a constitution-based juggernaut/dreadnaught variant of barbarian rage that'll just make the barbarian more difficult to damage and put down.

The bard, with more performances and an enhanced ability to select the type of performance the bard can produce. In essence, you select either 'verbal' or sound/noisemaking performance (singing, orating, comedic) that'll also make your bard spells not need somatic components but cannot be cast without verbal components or "somatic" performances (such as dancing) that works essentially like a gaze attack against all opponents in the radius of the performance. In that case, bard spells would all need somatic components but would not need verbal components.

The cleric, which would be altered to be a charisma-based spontaneous caster like the sorcerer (to fit with a more "preacher" or spreader of the faith or speaker of the faith sort of role). The cleric spell list would be severely pared down and the class spell list would be formed by a combination of the core list and gaining all five domains of a god or philosophy and the spells known you pick would be from that pool of spells.

The fighter would be there and I want to add a number of class features to make the end result have more actual class features with a more quadratic class advancement and the ability to select a sort of fighter overtype that might include whether you want to make a strength (melee-focused), dex (ranged or melee finesse-based), or intelligence-based fighter (fighter that takes advantage of smart combat tactics). I don't quite know how that last one would work, but I like the idea of a fighter that uses intelligence over power or speed.

The monk will be there and will receive fixes that actually allow it to better suit the role of mobile support fighter that flurries their opponents, among others that are likely to show up, but I don't have anything specific in mind at the moment.

The mystic is a new class I'll be introducing to replace both the druid and the fufill the preparation-based divine caster. The flavor surrounding them would essentially be a sort of "keeper of religious lore" and they'll prepare and cast divine spells as a wizard casts arcane spells (with a 'ritual book'). In terms of class abilities, I'm thinking along the lines of being something akin to a cross between a sort of cross between the "loremaster" prestige class, the 3.5e/pathfinder cleric, and some sort of ritual/runic sort of flavor about it. There's a lot I think I could do with this.

The paladin will look a lot like the pathfinder version with a number of changes about it considering my alterations as to how hit dice work in this version of the game but I can't imagine it'll look TOO much different outside of the general design ideaology that the non-casting classes will be more "quadratic" in terms of power advancement.

The psion will be here and exist as a sort of cross between the 3.5 and dreamscarred version of psionics, the 3.5e warlock, and the soulmelding classes from 3.5e. Also psionics and magic will be treated as essentially no different than arcane and divine spells in terms of interaction with one another. A lot of psionics-only mechanics will be melded into the core rules.

The ranger will receive an overhaul to be more player-oriented in terms of the power of their class abilities. Favored enemy and favored terrain will still exist, but I'm thinking to somehow reduce the presence of those sorts of abilities and extend abilities that are more general or something like "YOU are my favored enemy today" like the smite mechanic of pathfinder's paladin.

The rogue will get an overhaul in rogue-ish and skill-based powers and abilities as well as more abilities overall.

The sorcerer and wizard won't be too much different outside of some reshuffling of powers from the pathfinder variations of these classes.

A lot of other changes will come out of alterations to feats (similar to what I've already attempted to do), spells, and several areas of the general rules that will come into play with the classes, including the additional and ubiquity of "magic points" with all magic-using classes and creatures and the elimination of caster level and an overhaul of summoning and shapechanging magic and a change as to how companions and mounts work.

Edit:

Right now, i've completed rules concerning skills, combat, environment movement and lighting, and special conditions.

I'm currently working on the seven races: humans, dwarves, elves, giants, gnomes, Halflings, and orcs.

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Awesome! I love seeking these things pop up, because I love analyzing them every time they do.

Few major concerns strike me right off the bat with your specific ideas. There are more points than this in the document, but I figured it best to start with the conceptual issues rather than the smaller mechanical ones.

Archetypes
The way these are constructed just screams out a desire to make more powerful abilities for the Skilled type, and letting the Warrior type survive on it's incredibly better chassis. That's sort of one of the main reasons 3.5 balance issues are where they are: it's extremely hard to balance when you're balancing abstract and multi-purpose abilities against flat system numbers.

What will you give the Skilled, for example, that makes up for about 50 bonus hit points, an extra +10 to attack, AC, and initiative, 3 extra attacks, +2 to all saves, +40 skill points? How will you make sure that advantage is actually balanced?

Designers of all calibers have tried and failed over the years to balance this numerical, system-level power gap through abilities. It's given us some horribly weak classes, and some horribly powerful classes. As such, I'd strongly advise against it, especially because with three archetypes with such strict innate power differences, your system is already beginning to feel constrictive rather than expansive.

Also note that Skilled actually gets the least skill points, which seems...wrong. Maybe a different name?

Burden of Knowledge
"All classes will have 20 primary, 10 secondary, and 10 tertiary abilities, or rather abilities that can take advantage of all 20 primary, 10 secondary, and 10 tertiary and will have a mix of such abilities that allows them to fulfill multiple roles or the same role in more than one way."

This is...alarming. I have yet to meet a player who can reliably remember 30-40 abilities during the average play-session unless those abilities are nicely constrained by a sub-system (Wizard's Spells, 4e's At-Will / Per-Encounter / Per-Day system, etc.) that can help them immediately identify a smaller sub-set of their abilities that may have immediate use. This goes doubly for the Skilled classes since, by merit of their incredibly weak chassis, their abilities will have to all be stronger and thus more useful in more situations. We're looking at character sheet glut, likely player confusion, and a lot of abilities forgotten until after they would have been useful and/or necessary. 30-40 abilities is a lot to remember at a given time, and some amount of simplicity is required even in the most complicated of class-based systems. Then we add 6 starting feats, and feat every other level.

Classes + Archetypes: Why?
The whole point of Archetypes seemed to be to allow greater flexibility...but I can't imagine ever making a Skilled Fighter, Barbarian, or Paladin, for example. Nor a Warrior Psion or Wizard, unless the ability selection still allowed me to get all the strongest aspects of those classes, in which case I'd probably never not pick Warrior.

Basically, unless you're incredibly good at creating abilities and unless you limit the stronger "making up for a bad chassis" abilities to Skilled, the idea of Archetypes will, effectively, become a false choice. A Fighter with 10 less AC and a -10 to hit compared to the Fighter next to him isn't really a good Fighter, especially if anything he can take as an ability to make up the difference can be taken by the guy next to him as well.

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Closing Thoughts
These features are the core of your system, and they have me really worried. I don't think you'll find balance as easy to come by as you think, and the Archetype system really does seem like a false choice for 90% of the things these classes will want to accomplish during gameplay.

Personally, I think you're off to a rocky start based on these ideas alone. I am, however, very interested in seeing your reaction to this, as well as to seeing how you plan to circumvent these issues.