Homebrewer Community Chat Thread

[Welknair]

For all that delicious meta-brew discussion! This thread was suggested by Morph Bark in TheWombatOfDoom's So You Want to Make a Homebrew thread. If you support having a stickied, centralized thread for general homebrew discussion, I'd suggest shooting Roland a PM asking him to sticky this thread. It'd be nice if it was a proper sticky as opposed to being added to the Notable Threads list, but that may be against policy.

Later on I hope to add useful links to things like ongoing competitions, compendiums, and guides.

[Eldan]

So, to get discussion flowing, what is everyone working on?

I'm not actively working on anything myself. I have two large things on the backburner, one being the Arcane classes (there's always more lores and rituals to be done), the other is a complete re-write of Etherworld, my campaign setting. I'm fearing that one is turning into a monster, it's 40 pages long so far, and I have so much more I want to add to it. I don't think anyone will ever read it all.

[Welknair]

I'm working on several things, myself.

1. Typing up the last bits of my Conceptualist class
2. My Fourthland game, bit by bit
3. Juggling ideas around from half-finished bloodline work. Things like bloodine feats, PrCs and another Base Class. Not sure if any will be refined enough to post.

And of course I'm running a minecraft RP server now, so that's taking some of my brew-time.

[sirpercival]

I have a huge homebrew to-do list involving my various projects...

Currently I'm working on brainstorming the warcrafter.

[Morph Bark]

Hi, I'm Morph Bark the Tierer and I approve this thread.

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[GunbladeKnight]

I am working on an almost complete system overhaul of 3.5 to hopefully get everyone more balanced. It will be things like giving the martial and expert classes maneuvers while removing partial casting (it doesn't sit well with me to have half-casters), changing several spells to rituals that anyone can use if they know them (also would explain why kings don't simply hire clerics to revive them when assassinated), spell revisions, as well as other more minor things (such as removing sorcerer in favor of limited list casters).

Actually, I'm at a roadblock on two points for now: The wizard will no longer receive bonus spells in their spellbook simply due to leveling up, so the thought is to either: they all know the summon monster line by heart and can cast those much like a druid can use SNA, or to create school 'domains' with school specific spells (ie, only an evoker can cast fireball) and have those be spontaneous.

The other one would be that I am trying to think of a fifth divine caster. So far I have:
Cleric: has a prayerbook like the wizard's spellbook. Knows all spells from selected domains and can use those spontaneously instead of cure/inflict.
Druid: prayerbook like cleric. Knows SNA and can use those spontaneously.
Healer: spontaneous limited list caster that focuses on healing, buffing, and non-damaging spells.
Shaman: spontaneous limited list caster that focuses on the four elements.

I'm also working on various things to help keep my mind fresh while working on this. In fact, I am almost done with a new martial discipline and will be posting it soon.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

That sounds like a lot of work, Gunblade! Good luck with that. Maybe the last time can be a "summoner"?

I'm currently considering what to homebrew for Troll Brau's latest competition. Thinking about captain planet, or working on some race or monster 'brews from one show or the other.

Also working on a homebrew called 'Arcane Artist'. I'm really excited about this one.

[Yora]

I am completely occupied with setting. I want the setting to stand on it's own legs without being held up by specific RPG mechanics. And with D&D 5th edition slowly but steadily taking shape I suspended statting monsters and creating new magic mechanics entirely for the time being.

[WaylanderX]

Nice Thread you guys have here, lemme join in on da Fun!

Currently Im working on adding more material for my Gaoler of Frostflame class, namely an Elemental Summoning Path, which should be ready and aviable for PEACHing later today.
I also have 2 new magic systems for my Iugon campain setting in the Concept Phase:


Soul Magic: Magic that has various effects depending on HD, alignment, race and gender. Usable a number of times per creature per day, instead of just a fixed number per day. Involves buffing, damage and illusions probably. (Ripping somebodies soul appart ftw!)

Insanity Magic: Magic that grows stronger the more Wisdom and Charisma damage you take. 2 types of Spells: Induce Spells and Insane Spells. Induce spells give you Wis or Cha damage and Insane Spells become stronger the more Wis and Cha damage you have. Also, you can cast Insane Spells a number of times per day equal to the number of point of damage you've taken.

These 2 magic thingies are both very rough as I thought them up yesterday. I'm most excited about the Insanity Magic, as I haven't seen a good magic system based on mental ability damage and madness yet.

[bindin garoth]

Well I'm currently working on the Spellbound, speaking of which I haven't updated it for a while. I'm hoping to get a chance to take a second look at the burst effects, some of them seem a little weak right now.

And after that, well...........

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Finish the Protege of the Iron Dragon. I really need to get to this at some point, it doesn't need much more.

Re-work my Dual-Heritage Disciple to be open to all races and a general rework.

Enter the current PRC contest. I don't know what I'm going to do. Seriously.

Finish my Armorsworn - I've been working on and off this project for a long time. Gotta finish it up at some point.

Finish the 2 spellshaper base classes I've started.

Work on my new magic system for gishes.

Finish the Spellshape Circles I started, Liquid Metal and Nature's Claw.

And finish the many Prc's and Base class I currently have on my laptop.

I think that's everything. Not daunting at all

And note, this list is in no particular order.

[Eldan]

I just had a small idea.

Earlier, years ago, I proposed making Weapon Focus, weapon specialization and it's follow-up feats skills instead of feats. Choose a weapon group, invest skill points, gain +1 to hit per three skill points and +1 to damage per two skill points.
Now I had the idea to expand upon that. Make combat maneuvers skill checks as well. A disarm skill, a grapple skill, a trip skill, etc., with more complicated combat maneuvers as higher DC skill checks (beat your enemy by 10 points on the grapple skill check, he becomes pinned. DC 30: your enemy can not use his hands while grappled). The Improved X feats would now simply become "trained - untrained", at least as far as provoking attacks of opportunity is concerned.
The goal being, of course, taking away some of the feat tax fighters and their allies suffer, and taking away some of the more boring feats. They would all gain a lot more skill points (probably 8+ for the fighter).

Do you think this would be worth properly writing up?

[Eurus]

I just had a small idea.

Earlier, years ago, I proposed making Weapon Focus, weapon specialization and it's follow-up feats skills instead of feats. Choose a weapon group, invest skill points, gain +1 to hit per three skill points and +1 to damage per two skill points.
Now I had the idea to expand upon that. Make combat maneuvers skill checks as well. A disarm skill, a grapple skill, a trip skill, etc., with more complicated combat maneuvers as higher DC skill checks (beat your enemy by 10 points on the grapple skill check, he becomes pinned. DC 30: your enemy can not use his hands while grappled). The Improved X feats would now simply become "trained - untrained", at least as far as provoking attacks of opportunity is concerned.
The goal being, of course, taking away some of the feat tax fighters and their allies suffer, and taking away some of the more boring feats. They would all gain a lot more skill points (probably 8+ for the fighter).

Do you think this would be worth properly writing up?

My worry would be that people would be inclined to invest all their skill points in direct combat things, when skills are really the only out-of-combat functionality that 90% of noncasting classes have. I like the general idea, though, and I think I've seen a variant some 'brewers have tried that gives characters Prowess points, either based on class or on BAB, which are invested in such a way.

[Kane0]

I've actually been a little quiet on GitP lately, mostly due to how much work i've been putting into '3.U', my own little D&D rewrite (some of which can be seen in my sig). I have the majority of the framework hammered out now and ive moved onto some early testing and tweaking, as well as having a hard look at ToB maneuvers and vancian magic. Unfortunately my own alternatives to vancian have so far proven less elegant than i hoped by the upside is that 3.U is rather simple in play so far, though not quite as refined as i'd like.

[Eldan]

My worry would be that people would be inclined to invest all their skill points in direct combat things, when skills are really the only out-of-combat functionality that 90% of noncasting classes have. I like the general idea, though, and I think I've seen a variant some 'brewers have tried that gives characters Prowess points, either based on class or on BAB, which are invested in such a way.

Hm. Prowess points. Yes, I've seen those. Fax Celestis introduced them first, I believe? Should they be a separate resource from skill points? Many of them already have combat applications. (Tumble, stealth, perception).

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Hm. Prowess points. Yes, I've seen those. Fax Celestis introduced them first, I believe? Should they be a separate resource from skill points? Many of them already have combat applications. (Tumble, stealth, perception).

Definitely separate. You want to encourage skill use, not have a system that allows you to sacrifice skills for more combat utility. Hell...I'd make the combat uses of skills separate from skill points before I'd use one resource for combat bonuses AND skills.

[Eldan]

Right. I must admit that I'm not the best person to ask there, as I wouldn't invest skill points into combat power anyway.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Heh, another big 3.75-type project here... started off as sort of a new core using a bunch of my own 'brew, but has started expanding... trying to hold down the scale, though; I don't want to rewrite too many fundamental rules, but it might wind up that way :S. I'm also looking at a distinct Civilization vs Savagery theme, partly because an awful lot of classes fall along that axis, and partly to give my rewrite a bit of fluff all its own.

Class-wise, look out for a new Rogue fix, possibly hybridizing with the Factotum; a possible scout/ranger merging; possibly a slightly tweaked Bard/Savage Bard (which is tier 3, but really needs splatbooks to make it work); and maybe a generic gish class that can replace the Duskblade, Hexblade, and things of that nature.

Also, still working on my own super-rules-light system, STaRS.

[Welknair]

That reminds me of something I thought of a while ago. Why not the Playground Brewers get together and try to create a definitive fix for 3.5? It'd be a huge job and there'd be tons of differing opinions, but I think we could pull it off. Thoughts?

[Grod_The_Giant]

That reminds me of something I thought of a while ago. Why not the Playground Brewers get together and try to create a definitive fix for 3.5? It'd be a huge job and there'd be tons of differing opinions, but I think we could pull it off. Thoughts?

I dunno... I suspect there may be too much disagreement about methods, but it would certainly be cool to try. One thread to gather people, work out core mechanics first, then do classes... might need captains of some sort to make executive decisions... hmm...

[Eldan]

Yeah, that. I mean, just look at how many Paladin or monk fixes there are. How many people want to axe vancian casting entirely. Nevermind disagreements over power level.

[TheWombatOfDoom]

And let's not forget about the 200 fighter fixes.

However, I am genuinely intrigued in such an endevour.

[Grod_The_Giant]

I mean, I'd certainly be down to try.

[Eldan]

Alright. Who'd be up for it? Discussion would have to start at the basics.

Organization: How do we decide what gets in or not? Who brews what?
Basics: Power level, mechanics, class archetypes?
Design goals: versatility? Balance?
How close to 3.5? Just rebalance? Completely redo? Legend?

[Morph Bark]

Wait, isn't that basically what Legend did?

But yeah, lots of rewrites. And that linked thread doesn't even have half of them.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Organization: How do we decide what gets in or not? Who brews what?

Everyone can have input. Those who are willing to commit to the project should put a tag in their signatures. But for who does the actual 'brewing... pretty sure we need captains of some sort, elected or otherwise. I do collaborative writing pretty regularly-- a college radio drama-- and group brainstorming is great, but there needs to be someone yelling at people to stay on topic, people to flesh out parts once the broad strokes are finished, and one or more people to make sure everything's integrated.

Basics: Power level, mechanics, class archetypes?
Design goals: versatility? Balance?
How close to 3.5? Just rebalance? Completely redo? Legend?

That'd be the first discussion, wouldn't it? I favor "re-balance when possible, rebuild when necessary." Like, as close to 3.5 as we can get it while keeping things balanced.

[Eldan]

Wait, isn't that basically what Legend did?

But yeah, lots of rewrites. And that linked thread doesn't even have half of them.

I don't like Legend for... a variety of reasons, shall we say.

But yes, there's many good rebuilds already out there. But then, if we can get people on board, they can bring in their old ideas.

As for re-balance vs. redo... I would promote a few bigger changes, actually. More options for all classes. Perhaps even an inclusion of Tome of Battle maneuvers into the basic book.

[Welknair]

I similarly am a fan of the "Rebalance when possible, redo when necessary" policy. But as per Eldan, 3.5 has some serious problems that aren't to be fixed by simple tweaks and rewrites.

I also like the idea of having captains to direct things. I doubt much will get accomplished otherwise.

[Eldan]

Well, anyone volunteering for Captaincy? And we should probably get our own thread for that.

[Grod_The_Giant]

But yes, there's many good rebuilds already out there. But then, if we can get people on board, they can bring in their old ideas.

Sure.

As for re-balance vs. redo... I would promote a few bigger changes, actually. More options for all classes. Perhaps even an inclusion of Tome of Battle maneuvers into the basic book.

More options, for sure-- one of the coolest parts of 3.5 is all the tasty little subsystems that can make two classes feel so differently. On the other hand, I feel like the closer we are to "classic" 3.5, the easier it will be to spread things, and the easier it will be to convert spells and prestige classes and the like. I mean, most of the game's biggest problems-- Tier 1 casters, under-appreciated melee, and the like-- are right there in the PHB. Fix that, and everything else instantly becomes so much more usable.

[Welknair]

Well, anyone volunteering for Captaincy? And we should probably get our own thread for that.

Before we get into captains, perhaps we should determine what we need captains OF? How do we plan to divide this? How will we ensure that despite the number of participants, it maintains a cohesive feel?

(I'm interested in being a Captain, but we may want to discuss a nomination/voting system for those)

And yes, I think we are quickly nearing the need for a separate thread.