Saturday, June 26, 2010

The Aberrant Template

Aberrant Creatures

What is an aberrant? Aberrant creatures dwell past the eons that lie between the stars, beyond the planes as we know them, nestled in far realms beyond our very imagining. Some know them as the realms of insanity due to their bizarre and seemingly unnaturalness, but others simple call them “The Far Realms”. When summoned to the Material Plane aberrant creatures often take the form of, and emulate the abilities of familiar creatures, though they are more gruesome in appearance than their earthly counterparts. Alternatively, they may appear in a manner more consistent with their origins: a mass of writhing tentacles is a favorite, although other terrible forms are always possible.



Aberrant Template

A aberrant creature uses all the base creatures statistics and special abilities except as noted below. The creature's type changes to “Outsider”.


Special Attacks:
The creature retains all it's special attacks and also gains the following:

True Strike (Su)

Once per day, the creature can make a single normal attack with a +20 insight modifier on a single attack roll. The creature is not affected by the miss chance that applies to attacks made against a concealed target.


Special Qualities: The creature retains all it's special attacks and also gains the following:


Spell Resistance (Equal to the creature's HD + 10. If it has class levels that changes to Character Level + 10.)


Unusual Anatomy (Immunity to critical hits and sneak attack damage dealt from non aberrant creatures.)


Blindsight (60 foot range)


Damage Reduction 5/-


Alternate Form (Su): At will an aberrant creature can take on the form of a grotesque, tentacle mass (or other appropriately gruesome form determined by the GM), but all it's abilities remain unchanged despite the alien appearance. Changing shape is a standard action. Other creatures receive a -1 moral penalty ti their attack roll made against aberrant creatures in this alternate form.


Saves: Same as base creature.


Abilities: Same as base creature but Intelligence is at least 3.


Skills: Same as base creature.


Feats: Same as base creature.


Climate/Terrain: They are native denizens of the Far Planes, though their somewhat adaptive biology allows them to call almost any place home.


Organization: Same as base creature.


Challenge Rating: +1-+2*


Treasure: Same as base creature.


Alignment: Same as base creature.


Advancement: Same as base creature.



*Design Note: Lower level they are much more of a challenge due to DR & Immunity to crit/sneak attack.

Note for GMs running one shot games

When running a 1 shot, don't have enemies with high defense or defensive capabilities. The longer and less exciting the fight the less players wanna play. I recently ran into my players in my low fantasy play test campaign loosing some of their gusto when faced with enemies they had to roll rather high to hit (AC 20 vs level 4 characters). This morning we where playing a Savage Worlds 1 shot and the enemy had "hearty" which negated the "2 stuns = a wound" roll. We ended up rolling dice and stun locking it for about an hour or more...

In short- just give players a quick thrill. High attack enemies are great for this, multi-target enemies are nice too (I think 4th ed calls them "solo monsters"). Toss in a bunch of mooks, toss in a maybe one significant challenge at the end. (BBEG* :D) Still- remember players dislike discouragement (like 99% of the world) so low defense is advisable. Remember- they want to win.

Just a quick note based on observations of recent games I've been playing it : )



*BBEG stands for "Big Bad Evil Guy" aka "the boss".

Friday, June 25, 2010

Alienist Prestige Class Pathfinder Conversion

Alienist

Hit Dice: d4


Requirements:

To qualify to become a Alienist, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Skills: Knowledge (Arcana) 8 Ranks, Knowledge (The Planes) 8 Ranks

Feats: Alertness

Spells: Ability to cast at least one Divination spell and at least one summoning spell of 3rd level or higher.

Special: Prior contact with an alienist or Aberrant creature.


Class Skills:

The Alienist's class skills are Craft (Int), Perception (Wis), Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (Int), Profession (Wis), Linguistics (Int), Use Magic Device (Cha), Spellcraft (Int)

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.


Class Features:

The following are class features of the Alienist.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Alienists gain no additional proficiency in any weapon or armor.

Spells Per Day: When a new alienist level is gained, the character gains new spells per day as if he had also gained a level in a spellcasting class he belong to before adding the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained (improved chance of controlling or rebuking undead, metamagic, or item creation feats, hit points beyond those he receives from the prestige class, and so on), except for an increased effective level of spellcasting. If a character had more than one spellcasting class before becoming an alienist, he must decide to which class he adds each level of alienist for the purposes of determining spells per day. An Alienist can channel stored spell energy into summoning spells that he hasn’t prepared ahead of time. He can “lose” a prepared spell in order to cast any summon monster spell of the same level or lower.


1 Summon Alien

2 Aberrant Form

3 Metamagic Secret

4 Mad Certainty

5 Aberrant Familiar

6 Extra Summoning

7 Metamagic Secret

8 Unusual Anatomy, Insane Certainty

9 Aberrant Form

10 Transcendence

(Chart coming later)

BAB: 10th level +5 (1,1,2,2,3,3,4,4,5,)

Good Save: Will

Spells Per Day: +1 level of existing class per level


Summon Alien (Sp): When an alienist casts an summon monster spell, he summons a “ Aberrant” version of the creature chosen from the appropriate list on page 351 of the Pathfinder Core Rulebook. For example, by casing summon monster V, he could summon a Aberrant dire lion. This adds the “Aberrant template” (see Aberrant Creatures below). If the selected creature would normally be celestial or fiendish, the Aberrant template replaces that template.

Alien Blessing: An alienist applies a +1 insight bonus on all saving throws, but he permanently looses 2 points of Wisdom.


Metamagic Secret: An alienist listens to the secret voices whispering from beyond time's end, and profit thereby. At 3rd and 7th levels, he may choose any metamagic fear as a bonus feat.


Mad Certainty: At 4th level, the alienist's mad certainty in the power of entities beyond the reach of normal space and time lends him an unnatural fortitude. He gains +3 hit points. For every Hit Die he possess beyond 3, he gains an additional +1 hit point as though from the Toughness feat. If he has more than 3 Hit Dice, he gains +1 hit points whenever he gains a Hit Die (such as when he gains a level). However, constantly dwelling on such beings is mentally corrosive, and the alienist's mind begins to fracture. He develops a phobia against a specified kind of creature, suffering a -2 penalty to saving throws, attack rolls, and charisma-based skill and ability checks in regards to those creatures. The selected creature gains a +2 morale bonus to their AC and saving against the phobic alienist. The DM determine the creature feared. Good choices include spiders, snakes, birds, or insects. Beings that share attributes with or those that resemble the selected creature also trigger the phobia.


Aberrant Familiar: At 5th level any familiar the alienist already possesses takes on aberrant qualities and gain the Aberrant template as a result. From this point onward any familiars summoned by the alienist already posses the Aberrant template


Extra Summoning: From 6th level on, the alienist gains one extra spell slot at his highest spell level. This slot can only be used for a summon monster spell. As the alienist becomes able to learn higher level spells, the extra slot migrates up to the new highest level.


Unusual Anatomy (Ex): An Alienist's anatomy is changed, giving him a 25% chance to ignore any critical hit or sneak attack scored against him. If you already have this benefit from the Aberrant Bloodline this bonus increases to 50%. If that to has already been obtained then you gain the “Alien Resistance” ability instead.


Insane Certainty: The alienist's mad certainty crystallizes into a truly chilling mania.He gains another +3 hit points. For every Hit Die he possess beyond 3, he gains an additional +1 hit point as though from the Toughness feat. If he has more than 3 Hit Dice, he gains +1 hit points whenever he gains a Hit Die (such as when he gains a level). His phobia likewise intensifies. All penalties and bonuses listed under Mad Certainty for the selected creature increases to -6/+6.


Aberrant Form (Ex): An Alienist's body becomes truly unnatural, you are immune to critical hits and sneak attacks. In addition, you gain blindsight with range of 60 feet and damage reduction 5/-. The promise of transcendence is near...


Transcendence (Su): At 10th level the alienist though long association with alien entities and intensive study of insane secrets, transcends his mortal form and becomes an alien creatures altogether. His type chances to “outsider”, which means (among other things) that he is no longer effected by spells that specifically target humanoids, such as charm person, but he an be hedged out by a magic circle spell against his alignment. Upon achieving transcendence, the alienist's appearance undergoes a minor physical change, usually growing small tentacles or other strange addition or substitution, such as an extra appendage, organ, eye, or enigmatic lump. The alienist can his this abnormality but the alienist's growth is not under the alienist's control and sometimes it moves, twitches, opens, or otherwise animates of it's own accord.


Anyone who shares the alienist's study of the Far Realms immediately recognizes him as being transcended and he gains a +2 circumstance modifier on all charisma-based skill and ability checks when interacting with such beings. He gains a +2 modifier on Intimidation checks against all other creatures whom he reveals his abnormal nature to.



Aberrant Template coming later

(Same as Pseudonatural template, though I will have to revise it a bit)

Kinslayer Prestige Class

Kinslayer

Once you've tasted the blood of a kin- it compels you to do more. Some are moral crusaders while others are nothing shy of serial killers. Whatever their reason- the crime of “kinslaying”, or killing one of your one blood is a crime most heinous. In some lands it is simply punishable by death but in others, where the offense carries a social taboo, death is to good for you. Torture and solitary confinement are a Kinslayer's only companions and in time even they fade into the dull gray background of prison life. Hatred grows and old malices festers in incarceration until freedom is either taken by force or opportunity.


Alignment: Though the path to becoming a Kinslayer is varied as there are reasons for murder all grow a deep-seated hate for those who simply act as agents of the Law. Incarceration pits “them” against “us”, “guards” against “prisoners”. This hatred generally compels one towards an evil alignment, but some are able to resist. Man's will alone is not strong enough to stop the change- but some cling to religion or philosophy to stay strong. Nothing is strong enough to resist the dislike of the law however and all Kinslayers are considered to be of Chaotic alignment.

Hit Dice: d8


Requirements:

To qualify to become a Kinslayer, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.

Alignment: Chaotic

Skills: Escape Artist 5 Ranks, Survival 5 Ranks

Special: The character must have been detained for a period of time no less than one year for the crime of Kinslaying.


Class Skills:

The Kinslayer's class skills are Acrobatics (Dex), Appraise (Int), Bluff (Cha), Climb (Str), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Disable Device (Dex), Disguise (Cha), Escape Artist (Dex), Intimidate (Cha), Perception (Wis), Perform (Cha), Profession (Wis), Sense Motive (Wis), Sleight of Hand (Dex), Stealth (Dex), Swim (Str), and Use Magic Device (Cha).

Skill Ranks per Level: 4 + Int modifier.


Class Features:

The following are class features of the Kinslayer.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Kinslayers are proficient with all simple weapons, plus the hand crossbow, rapier, sap, shortbow, and short sword. They are proficient with light armor, but not with shields.


Favored Enemy (Kin) (Ex): At 1st level, a Kinslayer becomes adept at tracking his own kind. He gains a +2 bonus on Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks against creatures of his same type and subtype. Likewise, he gets a +2 bonus on weapon attack and damage rolls against them. A Kinslayer may make Knowledge skill checks untrained when attempting to identify these creatures. At 1st level and every four levels thereafter (5th and 9th) the bonus against creatures of his same type and subtype increases by +2.


Escape Artist (Ex): You can apply your Kinslayer level to your escape artist checks.


Kinslayer: A Kinslayer knows where to hit to make it hurt. Having felled many of his own kind, a Kinslayer has become adept at the art of murder. Anytime he is dealing damage to his own kind (same type and subtype) he gains an extra 1d6 damage at 2nd level, and increases by 1d6 every two Kinslayer levels thereafter. Should the Kinslayer score a critical hit with a Kinslaying attack, this extra damage is not multiplied. Ranged attacks can count as Kinslaying attacks only if the target is within 30 feet. With a weapon that deals nonlethal damage (like a sap, whip, or an unarmed strike), a Kinslayer can not apply this extra damage. He cannot use a weapon that deals lethal damage to deal nonlethal damage in a Kinslaying attack, not even with the usual –4 penalty. The Kinslayer must be able to see the target well enough to pick their favorite target area and must be able to reach such a spot. A Kinslayer cannot apply this extra damage while striking a creature with concealment.


Shank (Ex): Incarceration has taught you a valuable lesson when it comes to survival. The man with the weapon wins. If you are without a weapon you may take 1 hour to fashion yourself a “Shank” which counts as a Dagger or a Sap but are treated as improvised weapons. You may only fashion a shank once per day for every Kinslayer level you posses. Additionally you may ignore all penalties associated with fighting with improvised weapons.


Track (Kin) (Ex): A Kinslayer adds half his level (minimum 1) to Survival skill checks made to follow or identify tracks if they are of his own kin.


Smite Lawful (Su): Once per day, a Kinslayer can summon up his great hatred for all things lawful to aid him in his struggle against the oppressors. As a swift action, the Kinslayer chooses one target within sight to smite. If this target is lawful, the Kinslayer adds his Charisma bonus (if any) to his attack rolls and adds his Kinslayer level to all damage rolls made against the target of his smite. If the target of smite lawful is an outsider with the lawful subtype, or a lawful-aligned dragon the bonus to damage increases to 2 points of damage per level the Kinslayer possesses. Regardless of the target, smite lawful attacks automatically bypass any DR the creature might possess. In addition, while smite lawful is in effect, the Kinslayer gains a deflection bonus equal to his Charisma modifier (if any) to his AC against attacks made by the target of the smite. If the Kinslayer targets a creature that is of chaotic or neutral alignment, the smite is wasted with no effect. The smite lawful effect remains until the target of the smite is dead or the next time the Kinslayer rests and regains his uses of this ability. At 5th level, and at every three levels thereafter, the Kinslayer may smite lawful one additional time per day to a maximum of three times per day at 10th level.

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

Sentai Team Member Design Notes

Sentai Team Member


I was inspired (quite comically) when reading Besm's d20 anime (revised edition). I've had it for a while and it's been sitting in my car for some reason. Here is my design notes on my own “Sentai Team Member” class XD (VERY Tv the RPG if you know about that :D )


-Gains power based on the number of other Sentai Team members there are around them. +1 to all saves, +1 to Charisma for each member around them within 5feet times Sentai level.


-“Aid Another” for other Sentai Team Members give a +4 bonus instead of a +2. At 10th level this becomes a +6. At 15th a +8 and a +10 a 20th.


-Can discern the location of other team members at will. General direction.


-When a teammate takes damage they are aware of their exact location.

(So long as they are within 50feet x Sentai Member level)


-Smite Evil


-Treat a certain piece of armor as your “costume”. This armor can be dawned or removed as a swift action.


-You gain a magical weapon that increases in power as you level up. 5th level it is a +1 weapon (or +1 to the bonus), 10th a +2, 15th it becomes a +3, and at 20th level it becomes a +4 (or +4 to the bonus).

Monday, June 21, 2010

MUD Concept

MUD Concept


Stats

There are a massive number of stats that are intentionally left unexplained to the player as to their exact nature. This can be done because it's an obscured and automated action by the PC. They are all used to determine derived values. This is done on a d20 system using a


Physical Strength (How physically strong you are)

Physical Constitution (How physically resistant to harm you are)

Physical Dexterity (How precise you are with your motions)

Physical Agility (How graceful you are)

Physical Reaction (How quick you react)

Physical Charisma (How attractive you are)

Mental Intelligence (How much you know academically)

Mental Wisdom (How broad of a range of topics you are knowledgeable about)

Mental Wit (How quick you are mentally.)

Mental Charm (How eloquently and effectively you speak.)

Spiritual Clarity (How clear your focus is)

Spiritual Devotion (How strong your faith is)


For example:

To hit: (Physically)

d20 (roll) + 2/4th Dexterity Modifier + 1/4th Reaction Modifier + 1/4th Agility Modifier vs AC of target.


Damage (Physical Damage):

Weapon Damage + ½ Strength Modifier + 1/4th Dexterity + 14th Reaction Modifier


Glancing Blow:

If the value of the “to hit” roll is less than your Constitution Modifier you get your Constitution Modifier in damage reduction.

If To Hit <>


Critical Hit

If the value of the “to hit” roll is twice the AC of the target then you add a x2 multiplier to all damage dealt. If it is three times the AC, this bonus becomes x3. Four times the damage, x4- so on and so forth.


Physical AC

10 + 1/4th Reaction Modifier + 1/4th Agility Modifier + Armor Value (Includes shields)


To Hit (Spell)

d20 (roll) + 2/4th Clarity Modifier + 1/4th Wit Modifier + 1/4th Intelligence Modifier vs Spell AC of target.


Spell AC

10 + 1/4th Wit Modifier + 1/4th Agility Modifier + Armor Value (Includes shields)


Fireball Damage

Devotion Modifier +1/4th Arcane (General) or +½ Arcane (Elemental) or + Arcane (Fire) attunement value [Whatever is highest]



Stats are only generated and directly increased upon character creation. Every level a character gains two points to spend on “Attunement” and/or “Role”. Every 5th rank in a role the character gains a bonus to a derived stat. (“To hit” or AC) Every 5th rank in a attunement gains them acess to a new domain


Power Sources

Divine (General)

Divine (Heaven)

Divine (Hell)

Divine (Disease)

Divine (Cruelty)

Divine (Excess)

Arcane (General)

Arcane (Elemental)

Arcane (Fire)

Arcane (Wind)

Arcane (Water)

Arcane (Earth)

Arcane (Necromantic)

Emotional (General)

Emotional (Rage)

Emotional (Serenity)

Emotional (Deception)


Roles

Striker (This offers offensive skills)

Defender (This offers defensive skills)

Leader (This buffs allies/debuffs enemies)

Crafter (Increasing this allows a character to craft more/better.)

Academic (They study things. Effectively this makes them gain a wider degree of use out of their per-existing skills. It's an option vs progression thing and this is pure “option”. )



Explanation:

Lets say Timmy has 5 points in Divine (General) and he unlocked Divine (Heaven) and has 5 points in it too. He likes to hit things so he has 5 points in the Striker role. From his striker role he gains the ability “Slash”. Because he has unlocked Divine (Heaven) he can use the “Holy” descriptor on all of his abilities he gains from his roles. In this case he now has “Holy Slash” which deals additional holy damage.


Lets take a look at Timmy if he had put 5 points into the “Defender” roll rather than the Striker role. He would have gained “Guard” which raises his AC by 1 when used. Since he has Divine (General) he can raise his AC by ½ his Devotion Modifier as well!


If Timmy had kept his striker role but instead took Arcane (General) and Arcane (Fire) he would have had “Fire Slash” which dealt fire damage instead of holy damage!