Blog Archive

Tuesday 30 September 2014

My Simple Item Creation Feats

While I love magic thingies, I really don't like the official rules in any of the 3.x / Pathfinder books. These pare it down and make it simpler and easier for players while avoiding the bloat that happens.  None of these require experience points or wealth, just some knowledge and the time to create simple items that will help them.

Create Holy Symbol
You can create a holy symbol of your faith in the most available substance available nearby.
Prerequisite: 1st level cleric, ranger, druid or paladin
Benefit: After 1 hour of prayer of holy grounds an appropriate holy symbol of your devotion is created. If not on holy ground, you need 6 hours of prayer.

Create Holy Sand or Holy Water
You create holy sand or holy water.
Prerequisite: 1st level cleric, ranger, druid or paladin
Benefit: You can create three pinches of holy sand or ½ pint of holy water after 2 hours of prayer on holy ground. If not on holy ground, you need 6 hours of prayer.
(Holy Sand permanently buries the dead to prevent them from arising as undead. Most creatures killed by undead are buried this way to prevent them from returning.)

Imbue Spell-Gem
Pre-Requisite: gem of sufficient power; +2 levels higher than required power
You can imbue one gem with one or more spells depending upon the power level of the item. It the gem can hold only one spell, anyone who crushes or smashes the gem may activate it; spell-casters can release a spell from a gem without destroying the gem by making a concentration or level check. If the spellcaster fails in their check, the gem is ruined for future embedding but the spell is cast. If they are successful in their spell check, the spell is cast and the gem can be re-used.
A 3rd level spell-caster can create a spell-gem holding a first level spell. It will last for ten days before the spell and gem are lost. It takes three hours per spell level, to create an item; no more than 18 consecutive hours per day may be used for item creation. There is no xp cost to create these items.
(Note: While normally a one-use item, it is also something that non-spellcasters can utilize. Can also be used if the person is falling or they cannot speak, They need just to grasp the gem and squeeze to release the spell magic.)

Craft Talisman
Pre-Requisite: Item of quality; +3 levels of higher than required power
Create a temporary item that can hold one charge per level of spell-caster, and will last for five days per level of the spell-caster. Thus a 6th level spell-caster can create a wand that holds a magic missile spell with six charges, which can last up to 30 days. Spell-casters need 4 hours per level of spell to be imbued. There is no xp cost to create these items.

Craft Rune
Pre-Requisite: Knowledge (Arcane Lore) Spellcraft level+7
Create a rune on an item (usually a weapon, shield or armor) which can be used 1/day. A spellcaster can have no more than their level in inscribed runes, regardless of where the runes are or who holds them. There is no xp cost to create these items.

Brew Draught
Pre-Requisite: Knowledge (Lore) +4
Usually called druid potions these are herbal potions and do not require spell-casting capacity. Brewers must gather & distill the correct herbs. It takes three days of brewing per level of spell to brew a draught. No more than one draught may be brewed per kettle or drum. Draughts last no more than five days before they go inert.There is no xp cost to create these items.

Tuesday 23 September 2014

Guardians: Monk Prestige Class Also caled Game Knights or Dream Monks

Guardians: Also Game Knights or Dream Monks.
 
Description
The Guardians are members of a secretive cabal that play deadly games in astral and other-worldly arenas. While seemingly frivolous, their duty is sacred and incredibly important as evil and incredibly violent creatures are released into the mortal planes when the Guardians lose in the arenas. They usually disguise themselves when not in the arena, as they are threatened by infernals on a daily basis.

Responsibilities
Their primary duty is to win the arena competitions to either summon or dismiss planar creatures that attempt entry to the mortal planes. The secondary duty performed by many older guardians are to scour the mortal planes looking for new members. They often travel to some of the worst places imaginable, but always in the quest to find the best of the best.

Requirements: Unarmed Combat, Feat: Inner Peace
Oath: Loyalty to the Guardians
Alignment: Any non-evil

Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Climb, Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Heal, Hide, Intimidate, Jump, Knowledge (arcana, planes, religion), Listen, Move Silently, Perform, Profession, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival Swim and Tumble.

Skill Points: 4 + Int modifier
Hit Points: 1d10 / level

Weapons & Armor: Do not add or lose any weapon or armor proficiencies, however, most guardians prefer not to wear amor.

Class Benefits
Level BAB FOR REF WIL Special
1st +1 +2 +2 +2 Mind-Link
2nd +2 +3 +3 +3 Mind-Trick, Focus
3rd +3 +3 +3 +3 Focus
4th +4 +4 +4 +4 Mind-Touch, Focus
5th +5 +4 +4 +4 Craft Brilliant Weapon
6th +6 / +1 +5 +5 +5 Focus
7th +7 /+2 +5 +5 +5 Foresight, Focus
8th +8 / +3 +6 +6 +6 Planar Mind-Link
9th +9 / +4 +6 +6 +6 Focus
10th +10 / +5 +7 +7 +7 Focus, Enhance Brilliant Weapon
Class Focus: Advance in special features of their original class. (fighters gain additional combat feats, monks gain unarmed attacks, AC bonus & unarmoured speed bonus, spellcasters gain new spells.) If they had more than one class before they joined, they chose one class to advance in.

Mind-Link: Share a mental pathway between either all mind-linked creatures within 300 feet or with any one creature that they concentrate on. It is a standard action to create the pathway.

Mind-Trick: While using their mind-link gain a +5 on their bluff, diplomacy & intimidate checks.

Mind-Touch: Telekinesis. DC based on weight.

Craft Brilliant Weapon: After a week of effort, a guardian can craft a single melee weapon with a brilliant blade. A monk can utilize this weapon while attacking using flury of blows. They can turn their weapon's briliance power on and off as a free action. They can have only one active personal Brilliant Weapon at a time.
They can utilize the property on this weapon 1/level + 1/ either wisdom or charisma bonus.

Foresight: Pre-cognition of danger to self or others. Gain +10 on initiative checks if losing the initiative would put themselves or their allies in an imminent lethal situation.

Planar Mind-Link: As mind-link except no distance limitation on the same plane. Only one creature per round may be communicated with. Must have already “met” them personally or via normal mindlink for this to work, although their name is not required.

Enhance Brilliant Weapon: Capable of adding enhanced abilities to their personal brilliant weapon.

Required Feat: Inner Peace. This feat enables the character to go into a state of total concentration, enabling them to replace either a will or fortitude check, or any skill check that requires physical movement with a concentration check. This feat requires one full round of concentration and another full round to perform the action. They can perform this action 1 / monk or spellcasting level. For purposes of this feat, guardian levels are considered the same as monk levels.

Design Note: This prestige class is based on the Guardians from the TV show Reboot and the Jedi from the Star Wars movies.

Monday 8 September 2014

Cat Sphinx

A common inhabitant of the desert buildings in my fantasy lands. They are ever vigilant to the cause of protecting the home, but still exhibit other cat-like traits.

Cat Sphinx

CR 2
NG Small Animal
Init +4; Perception + 5

DEFENSE
AC 18, touch 16, flat-footed 14 (+2 size, +4 dexterity, +2 natural)
hp 18 (3d8+6)
Fort +4, Ref +10, Will +2 **

OFFENSE
Speed 30 ft.
Melee Claws +5 / +5 (1d3)

TACTICS

Morale 11

STATISTICS
Str 5 Dex 19 Con 14 Int 9 Wis 13 Cha 12
Base Atk +1; CMB 2 CMD 13
Feats: Double attack, Weapon Finesse
Skills Perception +15, Acrobatics +5, Survival +5

ECOLOGY
Environment: Phastian Desert
Organization: Solitary or mated pair
Treasure: None

SPECIAL ABILITIES
Special ability: Scent
Spells: Detect Poison, Purify Food, Excite or Fear (2/day); Cast as 5th level Druid.

Phastian or sphinx cats have long been bred by multiple inhabitants of the desert to be house companions and protectors. Their role is much like a watch dog kept in a house or temple, to both keep it free from vermin and to carefully watch and alert their owners when trouble appears. They appear as an small androsphinx with the traditional head ware to show their status.

It is important for the inhabitants of a building to understand these sphinxes are not owned or controlled as these animals are smart enough to disobey if mistreated. They serve a role and as such they desire certain amenities as restitution for their services, which if they are not provided will make them abandon their post. While not exactly rare, cat sphinxes are highly prized and few phastian households would abandon or cause grief to their beloved house protectors.

Cat Spinxes are incredibly long lived some noted to have lived more than 300 years and none have ever been seen to have died a natural death. At a certain point, a cat sphinx will abandon their house to enter the desert sands and never be seen again. There are some that believe these elder sphinxes emerge as larger sphinxes, or reincarnate as a humanoid, while others believe their final form is a cat statue, found at many desert oasis. 

Monday 1 September 2014

Wooren - Heavily Furred, Strong Armed, Noble Savage

Last, at least for now, of my Star Wars bastardization for my planned game; Wooren are rip-offs of Wookies. These are tree climbing, bow using hippies that want to be left alone but will get involved in a greater cause if the shared threat is significant enough.

Wooren

Wooren                              CR 3
NG Monstrous humanoid (Jungle & Desert)
Init +2; Senses darkvision 60 ft.

DEFENSE

AC 10, touch 10, flat-footed 10
hp 19 (3d8+3)
Fort +3, Ref +2, Will +1

OFFENSE

Speed 30 ft.
Melee: Bow +3 (1d8+3) or Fists +6 (1d4+3)
Rage: Gain +4 Strength & Constitution for 1d4+1 rounds otherwise as per Barbarian's 1st level Rage.

STATISTICS

Str 17 Dex 10 Con 12 Int 9 Wis 13 Cha 8
Base Atk +3; CMB +6; CMD 16
Feats Skill Power Attack, Improved Unarmed Strike (Combat)
Minor Skills: Acrobatics, Disable Device, Knowledge (Nature, Local), Perception +2
Major Skills:Climb & Intimidate +5
Feat Choices: Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Precise Shot (Range Feats always With Crossbow), Cleave, Imp Bull Rush, Extra Rage, Overrun, Imp Sunder, Weapon Specialization
Languages Wooren plus one of Elven, Dwarven or Common

ECOLOGY
Environment: Desert or Jungle
Organization: Scouting Party (3-6), War Party (10-30)
Treasure Half

SPECIAL ABILITIES

Wooren gain these advanced abilities in replacement of class levels. They may stop advancing in these and gain a class level at any time, but once they do they are unable to gain new racial levels.

Advancement as Fighter for Saving Throws, and BAB
4 HD +4 in skills; Gain 1 Feat; +1 in Natural AC; Advance Unarmed Dmg (+d4)
5 HD +2 to Any Ability Score; +4 in skills; Jump +5; Advance Unarmed Dmg (+d6)
6 HD Gain 1 Feat; +4 in skills; +1 in Natural AC, Gain 5 ft base movement
7 HD +2 to Any Ability Score; +4 in skills; Advance Unarmed Dmg (+d8)
8 HD +1 in Natural AC; +4 in skills; Gain 1 Feat; Jump +5; Track
9 HD +2 to Any Ability Score; +4 in skills; Gain 1 Feat, Advance Unarmed Dmg (+d10)
10 HD +1 in Natural AC; +4 in skills; Gain 1 Feat; Gain 5 ft base movement
11 HD +2 to Any Ability Score; +4 in skills; Advance Unarmed Dmg (+2d6); ; Jump +5
12 HD +4 / +4 to any two ability Scores; +8 in skills, +3 in Natural AC; Gain 1 Feat

Wooren are large, hairy ferocious humanoids that reside in the jungles that fringe much of Phastian desert. They are legendary for both their ferocity to enemies and their softer side for smaller creatures. For a long time they were thought of as legendary figures on the edges of Phastian civilization, but around 800 years ago they were first captured and enslaved as an a manual labour force in the building of Pyramid cities. However, subsequent rulers released them, as their rage and strength meant they were incredibly difficult to control them.

They are an eternal force in the Wooren jungles. While many times they are dismissed as mindless, savages this has been proven wrong for those who come to know them. They reject the trappings of modern, magical ways. Though their society is a wild one, Wooren never come to blows with each other or their allies. They accept that even the best intended allies will not always agree with each other, as sometimes one must walk away and keep their honour intact.

It has long rumoured that wooren are non-magical, but this is not exactly true, they reject arcane traditions but they have a small druidic one in their tribes that is ready to aid their tribe.They maintain a balanced equilibrium with the land and their fellow forest inhabitants. They usually reside in tree huts, high above the jungle floors. While they do not care to control territory, they do maintain excellent patrols to ensure they are never enslaved or surprised again.

Wooren rarely learn Phastian or other human languages. The only language they sometimes learn is elvish though mostly they learn just enough to get by. They tend to avoid armor, because they like to be able to climb up and down trees quickly, but those who are adventurers may wear any type but tend to chose medium or less heavier armor.