Alia:Alternate Rules
Contents
Hit Points, Healing, Wounds and Death
These rules for death and dying make it more difficult for characters to die (permanaently) in combat but also make reduction to 0 hitpoints have some consequences. There are two motivations, the first is for dramatic purposes as will be discussed later. The second is simply for character development. In the rules as written, dying without the means to be returned to life means the permanaent loss of a character - which for most players is not fun and dying with the means to be returned to life is a but small setback - which reduces the excitement of attempting to stay alive. While some players relish the challenge of staying alive and the ever-present, looming consequences of going to -10 hitpoints adds to the fun and exitement, actually dying is rarely fun or exiting for players who have put a lot of effort into developing their characters.
For lower level characters, who don't have the funds for or possibly access to Raise Dead and other life giving spells, death is often permanent. Later on in an adventurer's career, there is only a small cost in wealth and XP for dying, and is often taken as a matter of course that characters will die on occasion, and in fact at high levels the 10 HP buffer between a fully functional low hit point character and a dead character is pitifully small in relation to the typical amount of damage a character may take in a single attack. Allowing cheap and easy access to raise dead spells to allow low-level characters to return to the story actually lowers the fun and exitement of avoiding death and makes such a dramatic event as a death a mundane inconvenience for those of higher level.
A solution is to make death less frequent, but more permanent.
What are Hit Points
Hit Points (HP) are a simple abstraction. Two things that we know about hit points are as follows.
- When creatures are above 0 HP they are fully functional.
- When creatures are at 0 HP they are semi-functional.
- When they are below 0 HP they are dead (or dying).
Many systems incorporate a more realistic system reflecting wounds, often applying penalties as creatures are take wounds. It's true that it's more realistic, but it's additional bookkeeping and it's not D&D. The objective of these alternate rules is to keep with the basic simplicity of HP and apply a different mechanic to creatures who are taken out of combat. So, at least for conditions 1 and 2, everything remains the same as the RoW, but once creatures fall, then things are treated differently. This should minimize the affect of in combat bookkeeping but allow for a more heroic attitude to reaching 0 HP, with different consequences.
D&D wounds are all rather quick healing. Creatures typically heal (at least) their hit dice of hitpoints per day of rest (without magical healing). That means that regardless of the amount of damage taken, one can expect to recover it within a week or so. That leads to the conclusion that HP loss, at least abouve 0 HP are not serious wounds, but more on the lines of bruises, scrapes, fatigue, sprains and shallow cuts. Below 0 Hit Points, creatures are unconcious and dying. This implies that HP's represent the grinding down of creatures defenses, and once said creature is ground down, then they are vulnerable to a killing blow.
Wounds
- HP above and including 0 are treated by the rules.
- HP below 0 result in a wound.
A wound's magnitude is the number of negative hit points a character is reduced to in the round that he was felled. Additional attacks to the character during the round that the character is Wounded count toward the magnitude of the wound.
Regardless of the magnitude (within the DM's judgement of course), characters never die immediately from a wound. Although they are unconcious and mortally wounded, they have seconds, minutes or even hours to live before they are truly dead.
When a character is wounded they are helpless, unconcious and bleeding and may be killed by a coup-de-grace, they may bleed to death, or they may take additional wounds. Wounds inflicted on additional rounds aggrevate the initial wound and may kill the character.
Wound Magnitude and Severity
The magnitude of a wound is the number of negative hit points that have been inflicted on the creature. In order to establish the severity of a wound compare the magnitude of a wound to the current maximum hit points of the creature.
Severity Magnitude/Max HP Check Freq Bleed Duration DC
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Light up to 25% hour 10 hours 15
Moderate up to 50% minute 10 minutes 20
Serious up to 100% round 10 rounds 25
Critical greater than 100% * 1 round 30+
The severity of the wound determines the frequency of a recovery/death check. Critical wounds get no recovery checks, but the creature will die over the course of 1 round.
Recovering from Wounds
A recovery check may be made once every Check Frequency. The recovery roll is a Con check for an unaided individual or a Heal check + wounded creatures CON for creatures under a healer's care. Creatures that recover do not regain conciousness but cease to worsen in condition. Creatures that receive healing attention get an immediate additional check. Rolling a 1 on a recovery check or failing the DC by 15 or more results in death. A stabilized creature will begin to deteriorate again if they are exposed to any source of damage. Once stabilized creatures recover from wounds at 1 + CON modifier hit points per day (this can be negative!). Under the care of a healer, this rate improves by one HP per day if a Heal + wounded creatures CON succeeds a check versus the wound severity DC - 5.
Healing Magic
Healing magic does not work the same on wounded characters as on unwounded. After all, unwounded characters don't have any serious injuries, but rather have "scrapes and bruises". However, each "Cure" spell may be used to stabilize up to it's descriptors severity of wound. So Cure Serious Wounds will stabilize a creature who has a Light, Moderate or Serious wound, but won't help a person with a Critical wound. Heal or Regenerate, automatically stabilizes a wounded creatures and heals wounds completely, bringing the creature to 0 hitpoints, at which point they may recover normally.
After stabilization, application of the appropriate Cure Spell heals one point per application.
Death Magic
Spells like "Finger of Death" and Disintegrate are capable of killing instantly. With the "wound" system:
- Finger of Death inflicts a critical wound (or serious if there's no ressurection magic).
- Without ressurection magic, Disintegrate should say "any creature _inflicted a critical wound_ by this spell is entirely disintegrated" instead of 0 hit points.
CON modifications
Wearing off of Bull's strength or Barbarian Rage, or other effect that lowers CON normally reduces a character's hit point total. If a creatures HP are reduced to below 0, they become wounded. However if the wound is *only* due to CON reduction then they are immediately stable.
Increasing a wounded creatures's CON to the point where its hit point totals are positive (via Bull's Endurance or Restoration of CON ability damage) do not heal wounds, but do return the character to conciousness. They may act normally while above 0 HP, but must heal as if they were wounded, additional damage will worsen their wound and immediately return them to unconciousness.
Scars
Regular hit point damage does not cause debility or serious scarring. Taking wounds however does. Light wounds produce cosmetic scars. Moderate to Critical wounds produce increasing levels of debility.
Light Scars
Moderate d4 Temporary Ability Damage to random ability score.
Serious d6 Permanent Ability Damage to a random ability score.
10% chance of d2 complications.
Critical d8 Permanent Ability Damage to two ability scores.
30% chance of a d4 complication.
Complications ======================================================= 1 - blind in left eye 2 - blind in right eye 3 - deaf in right ear 4 - deaf in left ear 5 - maimed in right leg (%50 move penalty) 6 - maimed in left leg (%50 move penalty) 7 - maimed right arm 8 - maimed left arm 9 - breathing/heart problems (constant exhaustion) 0 - insanity (as spell)
Ability Damage is apparent once the creature regains conciousness, will not lower a score below 1 and may be healed with spells like Restoration, Heal or Cure Blindness.
Resurrection
Raise Dead, Resurrection, True Resurrection or other spell that grants return from death are candidates for removal or increase in costs. (for example, the spell must be cast on seven consecutive days and the material component cost is for 7 castings).
In Alia Reincarnate works with a single casting, reinforcing the reincarnation beliefs of the Golanists. Random die rolls for determining new race should be eschewed for Golanists in favor of selection based on Golanist "karma".
Alternate Magic Item Creation
XP costs for magic item creation
In my experience wizards rarely if ever take or use item creation feats, due to experience costs, minimal as they may be. In Alia, these XP costs are removed from item creation. The only cost is time and money. Having a friendly wizard in a party with item creation feats means that if he has the time, the party may have access to item the wizard can create at half price (or whatever the wizard wishes to charge). DMs may also require knowledge checks to find the 'recipe' for any given item i.e. DC 10 knowledge: arcana check to find how to make a +1 weapon, with circumstance bonuses for use of library or other resources. The creating character should be able also to craft the item in question, or retain the services of a craftsman for the whole of the creation period.
Upgrading of Magic Items
It is possible to add enchantments to weapons and armor of masterwork quality or better or to items that have a variable bonus (belt of giant strength +4 may be upgraded to strength +6). In order to determine the cost for such an upgrade, calculate the price for the new item with all old and new enchantments and subtract the cost of the original item. Enchantments can not be removed.
Alternate Dual Classing Rules
These rules for multiclassing are meant to allow for multiclass spell casters to gain some amount of power but may be applied to any combination of classes with the following restriction: only two classes may be chosen, one embarked upon the path there's no turning back.
These rules are used by several NPC's in Alia, and may be used by players, if they wish. For easy conversion to regular D20 multiclassed characters, split the classes evenly between the two dual classes.
The method for dual classing is as follows:
At first level the character chooses their first class, at second level the second class, these levels are gained as usual. At 3rd level the character chooses to instead become a dual class and becomes a Dual class character of level 3 instead of a Class level 2/Class level 1 character. Any character with two classes at the same level may choose to become a dual class character, but may not go back. At this point one class is chosen as the "first" class, some recalculation happens, and the character advances according to the following rules:
- Hit Points: Every odd level, the character gains HP as if they gained a level in the first class, and every even level, they gain they gain HP as if they gained a level of the second class.
- Skill Points: Each class's class skills are the dual characters class skills. Max ranks are based on the character level. Average the skill bonus for both classes to determine how many points to receive at each level. Recalculate the point totals, and redistribute the skill points when becoming dual classed (this will happen is a character choose a higher skilled class like rogue as their first character level).
- Feats: Dual class characters gain a general feat once every 3rd character level as usual.
- BAB and FRW, skill points: choose the better progression for each of BAB fortitude, Reflex and Willpower and calculate the bonus based on 3/4 of the character level, rounded down.
- Abilities: Gain the all class abilities of both classes based on 3/4 level, (round down), all limitations of each class still apply. Barbarians can't use skills or spells while raging, and sorcerers can't cast spells while in armor. If both classes have access to the same abilities, then use the better ability - do not add them.
- At 5th level and every 4th level thereafter, when the character would not gain new class abilities upon advancing, they choose one of their classes and gain early access to that classes abilities.
Example of Progression: a Fighter-Wizard
A fighter 1/wizard 1 who advances to a Fighter-Wizard 3, has 3 hit dice, 1d10+1d4+1d10+con*3 hp, has a BAB of +2, has a base F/R/W +3/0/+3, has the two bonus fighter feats of a 2nd level fighter and casts spells exacty like a level 2 wizard.
At character level 4, they character would be a Fighter-Wizard 4, would have 4 hit dice, 2d10+2d4+4*con hit points, has a BAB of +3, has a base F/R/W +3/0/+3, would have the class abilities of a 3rd level fighter and a 3rd level wizard.
At character level 5, they character would be a Fighter-Wizard 5, would have 5 hit dice, 3d10+2d4+5*con hit points, has a BAB of +3, has a base F/R/W +3/+1/+3, would have the class abilities of a 3rd level fighter and a 4th level wizard, or a 4th level fighter and a 3rd level wizard.
At character level 6, they character would be a Fighter-Wizard 6, would have 6 hit dice, 3d10+3d4+6*con hit points, has a BAB of +4, has a base F/R/W +4/+1/+4, would have the class abilities of a 4th level fighter and a 4th level wizard (gaining the class abilities of the class not chosen at 5th level.
At character level 10, they character would be a Fighter-Wizard 10, would have 10 hit dice, 5d10+5d4+10*con hit points, has a BAB of +7, has a base F/R/W +5/+2/+5, would have the class abilities of a 7th level fighter and a 7th level wizard (gaining the class abilities of the class not chosen at 9th level.
Comparing the fighter-wizard to a fighter 10, a wizard 10, a fighter 5/wizard 5 from the core rules:
Fr-Wz 10 Wiz 10 Ftr 10 Fr5/Wz5 ------------------------------------------------- Max HP 70 40 100 70 BAB 7 5 10 7 FRW 5/2/5 3/3/7 7/3/3 5/2/5 Feats 8 4 10 7 Casting Lvl 7 10 0 5
Comparing Fr-Wz to Wizard. The wizard gains access to 5th level spells, has more spells per day, greater spell power versus SR. The fighter-wizard gains improved hitpoints, and BAB, plus 4 fighter feats. He can't cast spells in armor, but he has access to martial weapons and can take weapon specialization.
Comparing to fighter: The fighter gains almost 50% hit points and BAB, can wear heavy armor with no problems and gets 2 additional feats. The fighter-wizard gets access to 4th level spells.
Comparing to the old Fr5/Wiz5, the Fr-Wz 10 is strictly better. Gets access to 4th level spells instead of 3rd, has better spell penetration - everything else is identical - HP, BAB, and saves.
Example: Comparing a Druid-Sorcerer 10
Dr-Sr 10 Sor 10 Dru 10 Dr5/Sr5 ------------------------------------------------- Max HP 60 40 80 60 BAB 5 5 7 7 FRW 2/5/5 3/3/7 3/7/7 2/5/8 Sor Abil 7 0 10 5 Druid Abil 7 10 0 5
Comparing a Druid-Sorcerer 10 to the other spell casting classes, we can see that they give up higher level spell access for greater spell selection. The number of spells that may be cast is very large and the selection is great as well. The Druid-Sorcerer 10 gives up access to 5th level spells and gains the ability to cast spells up to level 4 from two spell lists as a 7th level caster. The caster power level is lower as will the maximum DC to save versus the spells.
Example: Bard-Barbarian 10
Bd-Bb 10 Bard 10 Bbn 10 Bd5/Bb5 ------------------------------------------------- Max HP 90 60 120 90 BAB 7 7 10 8 FRW 5/5/5 3/7/7 7/7/3 5/5/5 Bard Level 7 10 0 5 Barb Lvl 7 0 10 5
Comparing the Bard-Barbarian 10 to a Bard5/Barb5, The Bard5/Barb5 has a better attack bonus. The dual class has access to higher level class abilities, can cast as a 7th level bard instead of as a 5th, and gains the barbarian abilities of DR 1/- and trap sense +2.
Arcana Unearthed
Monte Cook's "Arcana Unearthed" is a good extension to the D&D 3.5 ruleset for Alia. It is recommended that the core D&D 3.5 edition be used for the bulk of the campaign, and Arcana Unearthed rules used as an extension for additional flavour.
Races
Recommended Races:
- Giants - Half-giants in Prolia should use the Giant race.
Additional Races (and locations):
- Faen - The Northern Forest or the Harrowwood.
- Verrik - South of Shadowwood (off the map).
- Mojh - Scattered Golanist, dragon-followers.
Classes
Recommended Classes
- Witch: as is, give Witches access to Cleric spells instead of access to Simple spells. At 9th level gain access to two Domains as a cleric, using the following lists:
- Wood: Plant, Travel
- Iron: Earth, Fire
- Air: Air
- Mind:
- Winter:
- Water:
- Mageblade: as is, give the mageblade access to Mage Spells of two schools of magic, plus Divination and Universal.
Magic
D&D 3.5e and Arcana Unearthed magic systems are quite different, and unless the GM is prepared to do a good deal of work doing a total conversion to Arcana Unearthed, it is recommended that the Arcana Unearthed magic system not be used with Alia.
Equipment
- The new armor types and exotic armor fits right into Alia's style and spirit, although the more expensive exotic armor should be quite rare.
- Weapon and Armor templates are certainly also possible. Replace the "Devanian" template with a more generic light weight construction template, because there was no ancient Devanian empire or it's equivalent, such processes must be discovered by advanced armor and weaponsmiths of today, it's not a lost art but a developing art.
Feats
- Exotic Weapon, Exotic Armor feats should be used if weapon and armor templates are used.
