Hello, Bay 12, I've been working on writing my very own setting, the Realm of Fog, which is now at the point where it looks ready to start testing. This game features a custom setting
with different racial choices and such. For more information, consult the area below. If you see anything inconsistent or have any suggestions, don't hesitate to point them out
.
Dwarves:
Dwarves are short, bearded, heavily muscled creatures fond of drink and industry.
Little is known about the dwarves, as they rarely leave their mountain fortresses in their heavily-guarded kingdom in the north, and they are rather secretive as a rule, but it is known that their culture focuses on stoicism, patience, the reading of signs, and the worship of their mysterious god of light, Sinderion. As such, dwarves often specialize as monks, clerics, and seers. Dwarven architecture and craftsmanship is second to none, and dwarven constructs are renowned for their impressiveness. Dwarves stray little from their Sanctum in the north, a great mountain halls which few have seen, for the northlands they call home are encircled by a great stone barrier which wards off ships, apart from the fortress of Wavebreak Hold in the Broken Isles, though it is suspected that dwarves were the first mortals, and ancient abandoned ruins have been found scattered across the Material Plane, and several others besides. The reason for this is s secret lost to time.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Proficiencies: Racial Weapons, All Crossbows, All Polearms
Languages: Dwarven
Bonuses: +2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma, Small Size, Immunity to Poison, +2 Craft (Any), Darkvision, Stonecunning, Small size, Immunity to Armor Speed Reduction
Class Bonus: Dwarves can use their Wisdom bonus in place of their strength when rolling to hit and damage with melee weapons.
Sun Elves:
Sun Elves are the ruling class and primary occupant of the dominant elven nation, known as the Sil'Merrion Empire. Sun Elves are proud, arrogant, and fanatical. They stand taller than the average human, averaging just below six feet in height, but are more frail, with olive, gold-tinged skin. They are vicious authoritarians, theocrats, and slavers, and carry an ingrained sense of superiority and disregard for other races. Sun Elves are cruel but honorable and greatly hierarchical. They favor the building of large stone pyramids and towers. Their ships are generally light and fast, built from shaped wood, with a sleek winged design. Sun Elves are often wizards, and specialize in evocation. They view sorcerers as impure, inferior beings, and Sun Elven sorcerers are exiled, enslaved, and killed. They are led by their empress and sun goddess incarnate, the name of whom is forbidden. This sun goddess forms their single monotheistic religion. Sun Elves are the principal elven trading partner available, and Sil-Karr trade forms a principal source of revenue for both nations. Sun Elves pray to the sun at dawn each day. Sil'Merrion holdings include a portion the Elven Lands stretching north to the Cursed Land and south to the Sun-Moon River. These boundaries were set after the ancient Sil-Merrion Alliance halted their march at the Coast of Lost Souls to the north and failed to conquer the Moon Elves to the south. The capital of the Sil'Merrion empire is the floating stone city of Silthern on Lake Sil. Imperial territories and colonies include Moonwalker Isle within the Broken Isles and the isle of Nova Serenia in the south. Sun Elven tactics make heavy use of lightly-armed swordsmen, cavalry, longbowmen, including the formidable users of the Elven Double-Bow, the Assassin Corps, a variety of magical tricks and war machines, captured prisoners, ballistae, and battlemages, including the fearsome Sunbeam Aerial Attack Cabal. Sun Elves are widely hated by groups throughout the Human Lands, and the common derogatory term for them is 'Sils'.
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Languages: Common, Elven
Proficiencies: Elven Double-Bow as Martial, Longbow, Shortbow, Longsword, Shortsword
Bonuses: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Intimidate, Immunity to Sleep,
Class Bonus: Sun Elves who can cast arcane spells can cast spells which would take a standard action as a swift action.
Dark Elves:
Dark Elves are the lower classes of the Sil'Merrion Empire and the principal residents of the Undercity built in the shadow of Silthern. Generations without exposure to the sun has made this race, descended from ancient Sun Elven political prisoners, highly sensitive to light and able to see in complete darkness. They resemble Sun Elves but are generally shorter, averaging five and a third feet in height, and bear milk-white eyes, light hair, and dusky gray-purple skin. Dark Elves bear the same mentality as their brethren, but are much less structured, and the Undercity is filled with thieves, criminals, and underground political struggles. Dark Elves rarely leave the darkness of their land, but when they do they often enlist themselves as pirates and intrigue experts, often against their autocratic empire. Dark Elves are less pious than Sun Elves, but those that do worship, having never seen a sunrise, do so at differing times of day. The principal Dark Elven timekeeping tool is the chime of the Cathedral Belltower on each hour, though it is not widely agreed upon what times of day these chimes correspond to. Undercity is a maze of dark, rambling stone passages.
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Languages: Common, Elven, Undercommon
Proficiencies: Dagger, Shortbow, Sickle, Spiked Chain
Bonuses: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Charisma, -2 Intelligence, +2 Poison Use, +2 Sense Motive, Immunity to Sleep, Darkvision, Sensitivity to Light
Class Bonus: Dark Elves gain the basic sneak attack feature as if a rogue. Dark Elves who already can sneak attack increase their progression by one step.
Wild Elves:
Wild Elves are a feral subset of the main elven race which make their homes in the deep forests of the Elven Lands. They are nomadic and unpredictable. Their domain ranges throughout the main continent, with larger concentrations further inland, and due to their uncontrollable nature it is conventional to let Wild Elves be. They generally worship nature as an entity, and are solitary and disorganized, banded into cloisters of druids and rangers, and little is known of them. Wild Elves are similar in size to Sun Elves, but bear paler, tanned skin and green eyes.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Languages: Common, Sylvan
Proficiencies: Longbow, Shortbow, Shortspear, Longspear, Javelin, Quarterstaff
Bonuses: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom, -2 Constitution, -2 Charisma, +2 Survival, +2 Handle Animal, +2 Knowledge (Nature), Immunity to Sleep
Class Bonus: Wild Elves who can cast divine spells can communicate with plants and animals (magical or otherwise) at will languagelessly, though this does not mean they can carry a conversation.
Moon Elves:
Moon Elves are the reclusive denizens of the temperate, humid swamps in the south of the Elven Lands below the Sun-Moon River. They closely resemble their Sun Elven cousins, but their skin is pale to the point of being white and carries a silver tinge. Moon Elves are organized into several city-states, typically ruled by direct democracy. They are master illusionists and pathfinders in their treacherous homeland. For reasons unknown, all Moon Elves are mute, and this combined with their reclusiveness has lent a relative obscurity to their presence. Moon Elves communicate only by a sign language of their own invention known as Moonspeak. Their territory includes the port cities of Bonewatch, Southguard, and Stargate, the inland city of Greenrest, and the legendary City of the Moon, where the city-states convene to act together. It is believed that Moon Elves worship the moon at moonrise just as Sun Elves. Moon Elves measure time in nights, rather than days. Moon Elf ships are very similar to Sun Elven ones, likely a sign of a past fracturing of elven races. Moon Elves fight in guerilla warfare, making heavy use of terrain, ambushes, stealth, and illusion, and favor the hatchet as both a weapon and navigational tool. Moon Elves build primarily by shaping a silver wood which is common in their lands, supplemented by stone, and otherwise build in a similar manner to Sun Elves.
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Languages: Moonspeak
Proficiencies: Shortsword, Kukri, Axe, Net
Bonuses: +2 Dexterity, +2 Intelligence, -2 Constitution, -2 Charisma, +2 Survival (Tracking), Immunity to Sleep, Mute, Low-Light Vision
Class Bonus: Moon Elves ignore verbal components to spells.
Frost Giants-
These savage nomads wander the Frostplains of the North, tending to the wooly goats which are one of the few creatures which can thrive on the desolate tundra. Wrapped in furs, the Frost Giants boast a keen resistance to the cold, and are possessed of massive strength. They live in loose bands, and have little religious, cultural, or political organization. Frost Giants are exotic and little-seen, as they live beyond the seawall which encircles the Frozen North.
Stats: +2 Strength, -2 Dexterity, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
Weapons: Greataxe, Spear, Maul, Greatclub
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Languages: Giant
Bonuses: Large Size
Class Bonus: Frost Giants have immunity to cold.
Britannia-
The Kingdom of Britannia is an island nation powerful in reputation if not in territory. Located on a set of twin isles, typically referred to as the East and West Ends, in the far north, in the cold bay beyond the Northlands, Britannia is an aristocratic nation famed for their large, superior warships and their military discipline. Britannian ships are typically run by charter, with only allegiance to, but not close control from, the queen at the Britannian capital of Londinium, and though captains generally sympathize with the races of men, such vessels serve as mercenaries for all manner of groups, protecting shipping and important missions across the plane. Britannia possesses a strong tie to the worship of Pelor, the sun god, particularly among the soldiers, and most Britannian crews have at least some experience as paladins or clerics. Britannia cannot match the elves or even the Karrians in magical talent, but they have a strong line of Artificerial Guilds, which provide most of the innovations which form the basis of Britannian power. Chief among these is the artificer-made valence gem, a simple cut stone aligned with a particular elemental plane which, when properly activated, can charge a weapon with power. Britannian primary tactics involve firing lines which use a specialized pike known as the casting spear, forged completely from metal, which, when such a gem is placed in a socket at the spear's butt and crushed, fires a ray of elemental energy. Britannia holds the mainland port of Calais, which serves as the primary line for disposing harmful magical failures created by the Artificerial Guild.
Stats: +2 to one score of choice
Weapons: Longspear, Longsword, Battleaxe, Rapier
Alignment: Lawful Good
Bonuses: Bonus Feat, +2 to Knowledge (Religion)
Languages: Common
Class Bonus: All Britannians can use the Smite class feature. Those with the Smite feature already gain twice the damage bonus.
Northlands-
The Northlands is the cold, flat steppe in the north of the Lands of Men. The Northlandish, owing to the terrain, are a savage and primarily-nomadic pastoral people. Horses are central to Northlandish society, and many learn to ride before they can walk. Northlandish tribes spend the spring, summer, and fall on the steppes, sleeping in fur tents, and winter in small permanent communities on the coast primarily dealing in fishing and trade, called Watches, the largest of which are Spears Head Watch, Eagle's Watch, and Hoshead Watch, where they purchase that which they cannot make on the move. Each year, on the winter solstice, all the tribes convene at a sacred grove known as the Clanmoot to discuss matters of intertribal discipline, national concerns, and to observe major religious ceremonies, which focus around the appeasement of spirits and are overseen by the Druids.
Stats: +2 to one score of choice
Weapons: Longbow, Shortbow (and Composites), Lance, Javelins
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Bonuses: +2 to Ride, Bonus Feat
Languages: Common
Class Bonus: Northlanders ignore ranged and magical penalties for mounted combat.
Midrath-
Midrath is a collection of three mountainous peninsulas in the middle climes of the Lands of Men. It is composed of the city-states of Cloedia, Carcina, Rheson, and Mnemosyne. and is unified by a common political body known as the Council of Dead. The Council of Dead, and its military arm, the Legion of Doom, are centered around the Legion Headquarters inland from Rheson and Cloedia. Despite the ominous name, the ruling institutions are fairly democratic and not evil as led to expect. Midrathi culture centers around the virtue of duty to the state and the honoring of the dead and of ancestors. As such, and because of the extensive traditions in the area of necromancy, the undead are a common and everyday sight in the nation, serving as counsel, soldiers, and manual labor. As undeath traps the soul, often in reduced capacity, in the body, preventing entrance into the afterlife, this is seen as the ultimate expression of heroic duty. The Council of Dead is populated by the expertly-animated, and thus highly sentient, corpses of the Midrathi elders, along with representatives of the citizens of each city. The Legion of Doom, likewise, includes companies of clerics to maintain and use the dead among the ranks. Legion tactics center around the use of powerful, heavily-armored phalanges with spear and tower shield, along with auxiliaries wielding javelins and short cutting swords. Midrath does not as a nation have much interest in the sea, and apart from coastal fishing and light warships, little expansion eastward has yet occurred.
Stats: +2 to one score of choice
Weapons: Longspear, Shortsword, Javelin, Tower Shield
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Languages: Common
Bonuses: Bonus Feat, +2 to Knowledge (Arcana) and Diplomacy
Class Bonus: Midrathi characters can use tower shields for cover as a move action.
Karr-
Located in the south of the Lands of Men, Karr is an arid, desert area, with population concentrated in coastal cities. Karr was once and still nominally is divided into two nations: the more temperate, smaller, and more prosperous North Karr and the arid larger peninsula of South Karr. These are united by the Karrian Sultanate, which rules from the shining Crown City on the Isla Karra, in the center of the bay between the two peninsulas. The Grand Sultan is the hereditary ruler of the Karrian Sultanate, and under him are the ruling class of Alai, who the Grand Sultan appoints as Sheiks of each town and city. Karrian territories include the cities of Karah'lai, Ola'shamar, El'fandis, Siloth, Menshan, Leth'nach, Brundisium, Akalabeth, the dread city of Tha'zul, and the remote town of Mirror's Edge on the border of the Infinite Mountains in the Lands of Men, the ports of Savinia and Fasz on Victory Isle in the Broken Isles, and an expeditionary presence in the southern Far Land. Karrian religion focuses on many of the more well-known deities, particularly Fharlaghn, god of travel and trade. Karr is heavily focused on maritime trade, and Karrian ships are often heavily crewed and make heavy use of rams, boarding, and oar-assisted sailing. Karrian tactics utilize a diverse mix of lightly-armored polearmed companies, archers, heavy cavalry, and mystics.
Stats: +2 to one score of choice
Weapons: Shortbow, Glaive, Spear, Scimitar
Alignment: True Neutral
Languages: Common
Bonuses: +2 to Profession (Sailor) and Swim, Bonus Feat
Class Bonus: Karrians make use of skilled swordplay and weaving, hit-and-run tactics, and can automatically avoid one attack of opportunity per turn.
Halflings-
The Halflings are a race of preternaturally small islanders living in loose clans on the Bitaway Islands south of the mainland. They are an exotic and isolated people with a loose, politically-fractious nature. Their primary settlement is called Brindle. The halflings have a historied trading relationship with Karrian merchants from the city of Akalabeth, which is located in the remote reaches of the mainland bordering on the area. Halflings are peaceful, and their culture centers around culinary artisanship. Halfling drinks are widely prized for their strength and quality. Halflings are little-known, and a rarity outside their home country.
Stats: -2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
Weapons: Halfling Hand Catapult, Spear, Quarterstaff
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Languages: Common
Bonuses: +2 to Profession (Cooking), Climb, Hide, and Move Silently
Class Bonus: Halflings carry an innate immunity to poison
Orcs-
Orcs are the large, greenskinned, chaotic inhabitants of the heavily-jungled Emerald Isle. They are strong, bulky humanoids which primarily live above the forest floor, in loose tribes, as is common to the denizens of the South. Orcs have excessively large, strong arms which reach to their knees, suitable for climbing and vaulting between trees, and mottled green skin which camouflages them within the canopy. Orcs practice a tree-based form of shamanistic nature worship, believing the massive jungle trunks to be their ancestors. Indeed, Orcs have a close symbiotic relationship to their trees, drawing energy from them and in turn providing them with proteins from the creatures' carnivorous diets. Orcish society is organized by size, with the largest member of a group being the leader. This carries a religious as well as a practical significance, as such size is fostered by better nutrition gained from the symbiotic bond; the "boss" of a group of Orcs is both political and religious leader.
Stats: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Languages: Orcish
Weapons: Spear, Longsword, Kukri, Greatsword
Bonuses: Orcs have a +2 to Jump and Survival checks. Orcs must maintain close contact with a tree or live cutting taken from their home island or take penalties as though suffering from lack of food.
Class Bonus: Orcs have a 60 foot climb speed, have +10 on climb checks, etc.
Goblins-
Goblins, whether through mutation, insufficient contact with the trees, or some other problem, are Orcs which exhibit stunted growth and a retarded symbiotic relationship. While somewhat rare on the Emerald Isle, where they serve as a lower class or are simply made outcasts commonly, Goblins are much more common in communities outside the Isle, particularly among the Sil'Merrion slave camps. Goblins have adapted to eschew the dependency of their larger brethren, and are found in the dregs of many civilized areas, where their rapid life cycle and small body mass grants them superior adaptability.
Stats: -2 Strength, +2 Desterity, -2 Constitution, +2 Wisdom
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Languages: Orcish, Common
Weapons: Dagger, Spear, Javelin
Bonuses: Small size
Class Bonus: Goblins can become stealthed while in view of aware targets.
Kobolds-
Kobolds are small, brown, reptilian creatures which dwell in the mountain valleys of the elf-claimed land of Nova Serenia, in craggy caves within the steep rock face. Kobolds are organized into bands, each band sharing one cave, and are generally cruel, greedy creatures. Kobolds spend much of their time mining the rock for gems, and rarely step out of their homes, hunting small animals by night for sustenance. As a result, kobolds have surprisingly advanced alchemical and mining technology. Being small, frail, and cowardly, if vicious, Kobolds eschew toe-to-toe fighting in favor of guerilla tactics, making use of such things as traps, explosives, acid flasks, spears, and advantageous tunnel layouts to dispatch adversaries.
Stats: +2 Dexterity, -2 Intelligence
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Languages: Kobold
Weapons: Grenades, Spear, Net, Spiked Chain, Bolas
Bonuses: Darkvision, Sensitivity to Light, +2 to Profession (Miner) and Craft (Alchemy), Small size
Class Bonus: Kobolds gain +1 AC from each ally within five feet.
Ogres-
Ogres are large, brutish tribal creatures which live on the southerly Bonetooth Islands. They are giant gray-toned brutes which, while primitive and unintelligent, possess great strength and toughness. Ogres have few practitioners of any forms of magic, as the beasts have an innate resistance to such things. For this reason, ogres make good mercenaries, and are quite often employed by armies as shock troops which can stave off enemy spellcasters. Ogre society is centered around the idea of physical prowess, and the ultimate proof of such skill is an ogre's collection of trophies taken from creatures one has killed. Ogre bands favor large two-handed weapons and throwing weapons, which make best use of their strength. For longer-range firepower, ogres often employ Ogre Ballistae, large shoulder-mounted bolt throwers cobbled together from bits of wood and metal which fire oversized spears at long range.
Stats: +4 Strength, +2 Constitution, -2 Intelligence, -2 Wisdom, -2 Charisma
Weapons: Ogre Ballista, Greatclub, Javelin, Shortspear, Club
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Languages: Ogrish
Bonuses: Large Size
Class Bonus: Ogres have Spell Resistance equal to ten plus their hit dice.
Mermen-
Mermen are the aquatic inhabitants of the southern ocean. Mermen, or Mer are arranged into courts, which meet to discuss problems at a lone seabound mountain known as the Mermount, which serves as the residence of the High King of the Mer. Mermen are nimble and quick, but ill-suited to all-out combat. When attacking, Mermen favor a combination of nets, magic, and other tactics to quickly immobilize and dispatch foes, before disappearing into the sea. Mermen are a considerable hazard to ships in the area around the Mermount, and travelers from the Lands of Men commonly swing around through the Broken Isles to avoid the stretch of ocean.
Stats: +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution
Weapons: Trident, Net,
Alignment: True Neutral
Languages: Aquan
Bonuses: Darkvision
Class Bonus: Mermen are Aquatic, with a swim speed of 60 ft.
If you wish to play something other than the above choices, consult me, as I'd need to draw whatever you choose into the setting.
Credit to Wrex and My Name is Immaterial for rules input (and piracy)
• Clerics of any alignment can cast Cure or Inflict spells spontaneously and turn or rebuke undead. The positive and negative energy planes no longer pertain to specific alignments.
• Nonsentient undead are True Neutral, like animals, constructs, and other creatures without full consciousness. Sentient undead can be of any alignment.
• There is a feat known as Phalanx Tactics which allows a character to treat a two-handed piercing weapon as one-handed while using a shield.
• Heavy crossbows (including their repeating forms) have their base damage die increased by one step. As this is a modification to the base item, it stacks with any other effects of that type.
• Crossbows can be made to utilize the user's Strength bonus by mechanisms that provide more resistance, and recoil when fired that requires a stronger user in order to utilize properly. This otherwise works just like composite bows, including the +75 (light) or +100 (heavy) gold per + of strength bonus on the 'pull'.
• Crossbows, but not bows can ignore a number of points of armor or natural armor bonus equal to the strength bonus of the crossbow or the strength bonus of the wielder, whichever is the lower. Crossbows do not bypass AC that is not armor or natural armor, and if the target has less armor or natural armor than you have penetrating power the remainder has no effect. Yes, this does effectively give you Str and Dex to hit with a crossbow against armored foes.
• Composite bows and crossbows can have their pull increased, but not decreased by a skilled bowyer. This requires materials of a total cost of the price difference between the current and the new item + 50 gold, 1 hour of time, and a successful Craft (bowyer) check made at the end of this process. The DC on this skill check is 10 + the new composite bonus of the bow + 2 if the bow or crossbow is an exotic weapon. Failing this check requires the bowyer to restart the hour long process from the beginning but their materials remain intact. Failing by 5 or more ruins the materials but does not harm the bow or crossbow. Yes, the DC is intentionally low. That's because...
• A new wondrous item exists in the form of the Sniper's Bowstring. Despite its name, it also works fine with any crossbow, including magical bows and crossbows. Any bow or crossbow fitted with a Sniper's Bowstring automatically counts as composite adjusted to their current Strength score. Its market value is 1,000 gold and can be crafted by anyone with a CL of 3, Craft Wondrous Item, and Bull's Strength.
• Magic Vestment and Barkskin now gives a bonus of +1 per 2 CLs, rounded down, minimum +1 and maximum +8. Shield of Faith now gives a bonus of +2, +1 per 3 CLs rounded down, max 8. Greater Magic Weapon remains unchanged, but if you prepare any of these spells in a slot 4 levels higher than the spell is for you or cast them spontaneously out of a slot 4 levels higher you can instead cast a Mass version of that type, targeting up to one target (people for Barkskin and Shield of Faith, armor or shields for Magic Vestment, weapons for Greater Magic Weapon) per caster level within 30 feet. The exceptions are Rangers and Barkskin, who can cast a mass Barkskin out of a 4th level spell slot and Artificers, who can cast a Mass Greater Magic Weapon out of a 6th level infusion slot.
• Anyone who would normally have 2 + Int skills instead has 4 + Int skills. Those that already have 4 or more skill points per level remain unchanged.
• Untrained Knowledge skills can reveal information with a DC higher than 10. Of course you're still untrained, so don't expect miracles here.
• When using the Craft skill to create a non magical item, determine the time it will take to complete the item using the formula for magic items (1,000 gold/day) instead of the existing formula. If this would result in a time of less than 1 day instead use the following formula: Less than 50 gold = 1 hour, 51-250 gold = 2 hours, every 125 gold or fraction thereof = +1 hour. Yes, this does mean you can make most mundane gear rather quickly. Good for you.
• Permanent increases to Intelligence provide retroactive skill points. Temporary increases to Intelligence do not grant additional skills.
• The Toughness feat grants 3 + HD HP, and cannot be taken more than once.
• Improved Toughness grants 3 + HD HP, requires Toughness and a base Fortitude save of +2, and can still only be taken once.
• Improved Two Weapon Fighting and Greater Two Weapon Fighting no longer exist.
• Two Weapon Fighting grants you a number of offhand attacks equal to the number of main hand attacks you are entitled to, and does not impose additional to hit penalties for a one handed weapon in the off hand. It also no longer has any prerequisites. Happy birthday.
• Two Weapon Defense provides an Insight bonus to AC equal to the number of mainhand attacks you can make derived from BAB.
• A third feat exists in the Two Weapon Fighting line called Two Weapon Parry. It requires both of the previous feats and a BAB of 11. With it you can 'hold' a pair of attacks from Two Weapon Fighting, and use those attacks as an Immediate action against an attack made on you. This pair of attacks can either be your primary pair or one of your secondary pairs. If either of your attack rolls are higher than the attack roll of the attack, the attack is parried and does not harm you. If both attack rolls are higher, the attack is parried and if the attack rolls are also sufficient to hit the enemy's AC + 4, you hit them normally with your attacks. If neither are higher, the parry fails and the attack is resolved normally. You must choose to use your stored Parry before learning the result of the attack roll. Parries not used by the start of your next turn are lost.
• Improved Trip no longer requires Combat Expertise.
• Improved Critical and Keen stack. Happy birthday. In addition Improved Critical applies to a category of weapons rather than a single type chosen from the following list: Bludgeoning, Piercing, or Slashing.
• Any of the feats that give +2 to 2 different skills no longer exist. If they were needed somewhere as a prerequisite, now you don't.
• All three of the feats that give +2 to a save still do, except that if your base save bonus of that type is at least +6 you also no longer auto fail saves of that type on a natural 1. You must still actually roll high enough to save normally. If your base save bonus of that type is at least +12 you gain the following additional effect: Fortitude/Will: Mettle. Reflex: Evasion. If you already have these abilities for any reason you instead get a 1/day reroll on a failed save of that type. You must choose to use it after you know you failed the save, but before knowing what the result of doing so is. If the reroll is worse than the original roll, well too bad.
• Monks are proficient with their own bodies (finally! They still fail though). They are also automatically proficient with gauntlets, which are considered a Monk weapon and do the listed damage or their unarmed strike damage, whichever is the greater.
• Craft feats no longer grant a discount on the gold cost of an item, and no longer have an XP cost. They still cost the usual amount of time, but are granted automatically to anyone with a sufficient caster level.
• Keen and Improved Critical stack. A winner is you.
• Burst type effects (elemental burst, holy burst, etc) have the burst aspect of their damage doubled. The basic on hit damage remains unchanged.
• Magic armor, magic shields, enhancement bonus to natural armor items, and deflection bonus to AC items have the cost of said properties cut in half. Thus armor and shields are 500 * bonus squared and natural armor and deflection items are 1,000 bonus squared. Magic weapons keep the same cost.
• Monks suck a barrel of cocks. But if you really want to play one anyways, gauntlets are considered an unarmed strike and can be enchanted the same as any other weapon.
• Vorpal now triggers on a critical hit, not just on a natural 20. Yes, I am aware that lets a fool with IC: Slashing and a Keen Vorpal slashing weapon behead people 45% of the time or so. It's a fucking +5 enchantment, it needs less fail and more awesome. To dual wield with it you need two such weapons, at a minimum cost of 196,000 gold. Also Vorpal was errataed so Death Ward blocks it, and if some dumbass is running around without Death Ward at these levels they deserve what's coming to them. This also makes Heavy Fort block it. See previous comment.
• The Bane weapon enchantment also bypasses all damage reduction by creatures of that type, even if you could not normally bypass that type of damage reduction with that type of attack and even if that type of damage reduction normally cannot be bypassed at all! Now non Artificers might actually use it!
• Iterative attacks from Base Attack Bonus have a penalty of -5, non stacking. Yes, this does mean a 20th level Warblade swings at +20/+15/+15/+15. This penalty can be further reduced with feats.
• Full attacks are a Standard action. You still need Pounce in order to benefit from charge based effects on a full attack.
• If you have at least 1 BAB, you can Power Attack with any weapon you are proficient in and are treated as if you have the Power Attack feat without actually taking it. Yes, this does include ranged weapons. Call it a Headshot. Also see feat section.
• If you have at least 1 BAB, you can Point Blank Shot with any ranged weapon you are proficient in and are treated as if you have the Point Blank Shot feat without actually taking it. Also see feat section.
• If you have at least 4 BAB, you can Precise Shot with any ranged weapon you are proficient in and are treated as if you have the Point Blank Shot feat without actually taking it. Also see feat section.
• You can become proficient with any weapon by training with it for (7 days - your BAB, minimum 1 day) and making an Int check. The DC is 5 for Simple weapons, 10 for Martial weapons, 15 for Exotic weapons. You cannot take 10 on this check. If this check fails you can try again from the beginning, but if it fails by 5 or more you cannot reattempt to learn that weapon until your BAB permanently improves.
• You can become proficient with any armor by training with it for (14 days - your BAB + the armor bonus of the armor, minimum 1 day) and making an Int check. The DC is 7 + the armor bonus of the armor. You cannot take 10 on this check. If this check fails you can try again from the beginning, but if it fails by 5 or more you cannot reattempt to learn that armor until your BAB permanently improves. If the armor has other negative effects such as arcane spell failure or violates Druidic oath you still suffer those drawbacks.
These both require you to train under someone who actually has the proficiency already.
• Barbarians gain DR x/- equal to their Con modifier or their Barbarian class level, whichever is lower. This is in addition to the DR x/- gained at level 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19 and any DR x/- the Barbarian has from items.
• Barbarians of level 11 or higher also have Mettle, but only while raging.
• Monks get full BAB. Not that that will stop them from failing.
• Paladin Smite Evil can be used x times per encounter instead of per day and applies to any attacks made for one round, including AoOs. In addition if you Smite a target that is neither Good nor Evil the Smite still has half normal effect. Note the change to Smite also applies to any other Smite abilities with the target lines changed accordingly.
• Paladins have good Will saves, and every six levels they can take a bonus feat from the following list: Great Fortitude, Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will. Before you laugh, keep in mind what those feats do now.
• Paladins and Rangers have full caster level. Their actual access to spells remains unchanged.
• Paladin casting is now Charisma based. Happy birthday.
• Ranger's Animal Companion progresses at the same rate as the Druid's.
• Warlocks can Eldritch Blast as an attack action as long as it is your turn. Happy birthday.
• There was a Hexblade fix around written by the creators. I can't find it, but it's in.
• Tome of Battle classes, when using a maneuver that specifies they attack once and deliver the effect of the maneuver can full attack with the maneuver, but it will only be used on the first attack of the sequence or the first pair of attacks for those TWF maneuvers. If a maneuver does already allow you to full attack and gain the benefit on each swing you still do. Yes, this does mean Warblades can use a maneuver, then full attack and use a second maneuver while recovering both.
• Swordsages get Adaptive Style as a bonus feat. It only applies to maneuvers learned from being a Swordsage. It otherwise functions exactly the same. Fuck you feat taxes.
Magic items cannot be destroyed without extraordinary means. If you want to destroy your ring, you'll need Mount Doom for the task.
Magic items no longer have maximum enchantment values. +25 Keen Vorpal daggers exist.
Characters will be starting at level one, with maximum starting gold. 26 Point Buy is in effect. Take maximum HP per level.
All going well, this will be running at 4:00 PM GMT, starting Saturday the 10th of January.
Some other people who don't have sheets, also.
Author
Topic: Realm of Fog 3.5e Campaign Setting [In Need of Players] (Read 32114 times)