Ravenloft Campaign: Difference between revisions
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====Psionic Transparency==== | ====Psionic Transparency==== | ||
The rules for full psionic transparency are in effect. That means spell resistance is the same as | The rules for full psionic transparency are in effect. That means spell resistance is the same as power resistance, Knowledge (Arcana) is the same as Knowledge (Psionics), etc. | ||
====NPCs and Class==== | ====NPCs and Class==== | ||
Revision as of 05:03, 8 October 2007
Campaign Synopsis, Themes, Etc.
About Ravenloft
Real-Life History
Demiplane of Dread
The Dark Powers
Effects on Magic
The Mists
Domains
Barovia
The Surrounding Lands
Castle Ravenloft
About Strahd
Culture
Eastern European, Other Races, Vistani
Religion
The Vistani
Views on Magic
Availability of magic items and magical services
Non-Human Races
The Campaign
The Hook
Campaign Journals
The Rest of the Party
Ability Score Generation
Ability scores are to be generated using the Point Buy system also presented in the DMG (page 169) using the standard 25 point method. It can also be found here.
Ability Score & Age
Your character may be of whatever age you wish. However, the aging ability score adjustments given in the PHB are not in use.
Available Races
The following is a comprehensive list of races available to player characters. Races not appearing on this list are not allowed for play in the campaign.
Dwarves
Hill Dwarf (PHB 14), Deep Dwarf (MM 92)
Elves
High Elf(PHB 15), Gray Elf (MM 104), Wild Elf (MM 104), Wood Elf (MM 104)
Half-Races
Half-Elf (PHB 18), Half-Orc (PHB 18)
Halflings
Lightfoot Halfling (PHB 19), Tallfellow Halfling (MM 149), Deep Halfling (MM 150)
Other Races
Humans* (PHB 13), Rock Gnome (PHB 16), Caliban (R 37, PHB 18), Maenad (XPH 14), Xeph (XPH 15)
* Since part of the benefit from playing a human comes from having any favored class, this benefit has been replaced with the following benefit: At character creation a human may select one skill (for skills that are divided into sub-skills, pick one sub-skill). This skill is now always considered a class skill for that character.
Staring Taint
Characters may begin with however much Taint the player thinks fits her character concept, so long as it is not enough taint to cause the character to become a crazy NPC. Starting characters with 0 Taint is recommended both as it represents more "good" characters and is more mechanically beneficial.
Generic Classes
The generic classes variant from Unearthed Arcana (page 76) is in use. It is also available here. However, the following changes are in effect for the Spellcaster class:
- Spell Choice: Only Spellcaster (Divine) may choose spells from the Cleric and Druid lists. Similarly, only Spellcaster (Arcana) may select spells from the Sorcerer/Wizard list. Arcana casters experience spell failure from armor.
- Spellcaster (Psionic): Another option for the Spellcaster class is available: Spellcaster (Psionic). It is identical to the Spellcaster class in all ways except characters that take this class pick psionic powers from the Psion/Wilder list (but not discipline lists) and have the following Power Progression:
Level PP Known Max Power 1 3 3 1st 2 5 5 1st 3 8 7 1st 4 14 9 2nd 5 19 11 2nd 6 29 13 3rd 7 37 15 3rd 8 51 17 4th 9 63 19 4th 10 81 21 5th 11 97 22 5th 12 115 24 6th 13 131 25 6th 14 149 27 7th 15 165 28 7th 16 183 30 8th 17 199 31 8th 18 217 33 9th 19 233 34 9th 20 249 36 9th
Multi-Class Saves
Normally when multi-classing saving throws can get kind of screwy. Because of this, when multi-classing you can only ever get the +2 bonus from a good saving throw once. If multi-classing into a class that has a good saving throw you already have the +2 bonus from, you continue to get the good saving throw progression, just not the +2 bonus.
Example: Bob is a 2nd level fighter who is now multi-classing to take a level of Barbarian. The Fighter has a good Fortitude save, which started at +2 (the +2 bonus) and is now at +3. The Barbarian also has a good Fortitude save, which also normally starts at +2. When Bob takes his level of Barbarian he doesn't gain the +2 to Fortitude again, since he already has it from fighter. But he does continue the good Fortitude progression as level 3 on that progression. At third level of that progression, his Fort bonus is still +3.
Average Hit Points
Instead of rolling for hit points at each level you instead get a number of hit points as per the chart below. Note that as a caveat, you still get maximum hit points at first level, and you still apply your Constitution modifier to the number of hit points you get each level.
Level d4 d6 d8 d10 d12 Even 2 3 4 5 6 Odd 3 4 5 6 7
Allowed & Forbidden Spells
Characters may only have spells that appear in the PHB or XPH. All spells of the appropriate spell list appearing in the PHB and XPH are available to characters except as listed below. (But note the section on changed magical effects. Forbidden spell list ganked from the RPGA.)
- Forbidden Cleric and Druid Spells: Awaken; Destruction; Miracle; Shapechange
- Forbidden Wizard and Sorcerer Spells: Alter Self; Apopsi; Mordenkainen’s Disjunction; Permanency; Planar Binding; Planar Binding, Greater; Planar Binding, Lesser; Polymorph; Polymorph Any Object; Shapechange; Simulacrum; Wish
- Forbidden Psion and Wilder Powers: Incarnate; Metamorphosis; Metamorphosis, Greater; Psychic Reformation; Reality Revision
Psionic Transparency
The rules for full psionic transparency are in effect. That means spell resistance is the same as power resistance, Knowledge (Arcana) is the same as Knowledge (Psionics), etc.
NPCs and Class
Despite the fact that PCs are built using generic classes, NPCs may be built using either D&D's usual class method or using generic classes. Either way, challenge rating and so on should come out the same.
Traits & Flaws
Traits and Flaws are an optional way to personalize your character.
Traits
Characters may possess up to two different traits, as per the rules for Traits in Unearthed Arcana (page 86) and here. A character does not have to have any traits. They are optional.
The Distinctive trait may not be taken, as the Unearthed Arcana rules for Reputation are not in effect.
Flaws
A character may have up to two Flaws, mostly as per the rules on Unearthed Arcana (page 91) and here. However, instead of each Flaw granting you a feat slot, each Flaw instead grants you one extra Luck point. Flaws are optional, you do not have to take any.
Available Feats
Equipment
Starting Packages
Advancement
House Rules
Luck Points
Each player will get a number of Luck Points. This number is determined by the following factors: Every player gets at least 1 point. If a journal entry was made for last session, you get an extra Luck Point. You get another Luck Point for each Weakness you have. Finally, the player who was chosen as MVP from last session is granted an additional Luck Point.
Luck points are refreshed periodically, as specified by the GM. This may or may not correspond with the beginning of a session. Luck points can be spent to reroll any roll made directly affecting your character. So, for example, you may spend a Luck Point to reroll a save your character just made, or may be spent to make a character attacking you reroll her attack roll.
Taint
Instead of alignment, characters possess a Taint score. Taint functions the way it does in Unearthed Arcana (page 189) and here, with the following exceptions:
- Taint does not apply as a penalty to Constitution and Wisdom.
- Determining one's level of Taint is based off of Wisdom rather than Constitution.
- Taint can be gained both from tainted places/objects and from bad deeds. There is no save against taint from deeds you willing enact.
- Characters that are not tainted, or who have only Mild taint are treated as Good for the purposes of spells and effects. Characters that are Moderately tainted are treated as Neutral for the purposes of spells and effects. Characters that are Severely tainted are treated as Evil for the purposes of spells and effects.
- When a character's Taint score equals or surpasses her Wisdom score she does not die. Instead she has become so evil and bestial she is no longer a player character. This cannot be escaped by "embracing taint."
- Spells--with the exception of Atonement, Miracle and Wish--cannot remove Taint. Taint must be removed through good deeds and sacred springs.
- Taint-absorbing objects only protect from certain sources of taint, such as from tainted locations. They do not protect against tainted acts committed by one's character, and so on.
Dream Influences
Modified Magic
Critical Hit Deck
We will be using the Paizo Critical Hit Deck as a replacement for the normal critical hit rules. Whenever a character scores a critical hit, she draws a card from the top of the deck and looks at the section corresponding to the type of damage she is dealing (bludgeoning, cutting, piercing or magic). The effects indicated in that section are applied to the target.
To handle weapons and effects normally giving a x3 or x4 critical hit, the character making the critical hit draws two or three cards, respectively, and takes her choice of which effect to apply to the target. Not all effects are equal.