airwalkrr
Adventurer
Links
Rogues Gallery
OOC Discussion
IC Night of the Blood Moon
NPCs
Mandyran, mentor to Dorius
Kurt Karr'Aashta, mentor to Berrent
Iyanna ir'Talan, mentor to Brad
Hanamelk, mentor to Alise
Lt. Zaira Dane, mentor to Vigil
[campaign]The Wounded Elf[/campaign]
[campaign]The Short Elf[/campaign]
[campaign]House Rules[/campaign]
Character Creation
1) Ability scores will be selected from one of four different arrays:
-18, 12, 10, 10, 9, 8
-16, 14, 14, 10, 9, 8
-15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8
-14, 14, 13, 12, 10, 10
This gives you some flexibility and keeps everyone at the same power level of a 25 point buy.
2) Only the following sources may be used to select feats and spells: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, Eberron Campaign Setting, Sharn: City of Towers and the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Retraining may be used to swap feats whenever the character likes, so long as he has the money and the time (see Player's Handbook II). Other feats and spells may become available during the course of play as well. For example, if you get on the good side of the Church of the Silver Flame, they might offer to teach you some Divine feats.
3) Skills may be selected normally.
4) Character classes outside the Player's Handbook, Eberron Campaign Setting or Expanded Psionics Handbook require approval and a character concept that fits within Eberron. Races may be selected from any of the following: human, dwarf, goblin, gnome, elf, half-elf, shifter, changeling, orc, half-orc, warforged, and kalashtar.
5) Rather than buy equipment piece by piece, players must choose the starting equipment package listed in either the Player's Handbook or the Player's Handbook II. Since artificers have only one starting package that I am aware of, I am willing to be a little flexible on the armor and weapon choice, but nothing else. Besides that, starting equipment is not very important. After a short time you will replace most of it.
6) Starting character level will be 1st. If new characters are brought into the campaign, whether to replace a leaving character or to add to the existing group, they will also be starting at 1st. This is a story-driven campaign after all. Wits will be more important than things like HP and to-hit bonuses. Stats are just gravy. All characters will begin with a poor rent flat (4 gp a month with first month's rent already paid) consisting of a single room studio apartment in one of the poor districts in Sharn (you can pick one of the poor districts if you know Sharn or I will pick one for you if you do not know enough about the setting). Upward mobility as well as the prospect of purchasing a home will be possible during the course of play.
7) If you know something about Eberron, pick a Region of Origin (see Eberron Campaign Setting page 24) and (if your character is not a native of Sharn) a reason for why your character is now living in Sharn. If you know nothing about Eberron and do not own the Eberron Campaign Setting, assume your character was born and raised in Sharn.
8) Each character will be assigned an NPC mentor who is a member of the PC's character class or a similar class. This NPC will be either an employer of the PC, a trainer who taught the PC as an apprentice, or a confidant and colleague (players may determine the nature of this relationship after the mentor has been assigned). Mentors will serve as contacts for the PCs and offer leads to finding adventure in Sharn.
9) If any of the players have read or played the introductory adventure, The Forgotten Forge (which is located in the back of the Eberron Campaign Setting), I would like to know, as I may decide to use part of this adventure or at least some of the NPCs from it; knowing whether we have players who have knowledge of this adventure will guide my decision on how much of this adventure to use.
Skills
Synergy
I like simplicity. I also do not like to encourage optimizing skills by taking only 5 ranks just to get the synergy. Therefore, there are no synergy bonuses.
Appraise
The ability to determine the value of items as well as to differentiate the wheat from the chaff is quite useful to adventurers. So the uses for this skill are expanded.
Check: You can determine the approximate value of various items in an area simply by making a few cursory glances. Common items are those which are non-magical in nature and generally worth 50 gp or less. Valuable items are those which are either of masterwork quality or made by a master craftsman or artificer. It can also include raw materials or ingredients for more powerful items, such as reagents to create magical items, as well as common magical items such as a potion of cure light wounds or a feather fall talisman. Valuable items are generally worth 500 gp or less, although there are exceptions, such as full plate armor. Rare items are those which are worth a great deal, often thousands of gold pieces and may not appear to have value at first glance, although a trained eye can pick them out.
The DC for common items is 12, the DC for valuable items is 15, and the DC for rare items is 20. After examining an area, a character is able to pick out any items and identify their general type for any DCs he surpassed, although determining their actual value takes more careful inspection.
Action: Examining an area takes one full-round action for each 10-foot square area. An entire room can be examined with a single check. The only difference is the amount of time based on the size of the room.
Rules for appraising individual items are unchanged.
Bluff
I believe this skill works well as written for the most part. However, in order to reduce meta-gaming, whenever an NPC attempts to lie, I will roll the NPC's Bluff check and compare it to the PC's Sense Motive score + 10. This will be the PC's Passive Sense Motive score. If the NPC fails, then the PC will pick up on some tell that indicates the NPC is lying, such as shuffling of the feet or looking away while talking. PCs roll Bluff checks normally. I will determine what requires a Bluff check and what does not.
Diplomacy
Whenever you are introduced to an NPC for the first time, you may make a Diplomacy check to determine that NPC's starting attitude. However, I will add +1 to the DC for every level or hit die of the NPC to determine the outcome. Use of the skill for this purpose is optional and merely represents your character trying to make a good impression on the NPC, much like reaction checks in 1st and 2nd edition.
The primary use of the Diplomacy skill will be to persuade NPCs to accept a proposal, and will follow Rich Burlew's modified Diplomacy skill below with a couple modifiers removed as I feel they were superfluous:
Use this skill to ask the local baron for assistance, to convince a band of thugs not to attack you, or to talk your way into someplace you aren't supposed to be.
Check: You can propose a trade or agreement to another creature with your words; a Diplomacy check can then persuade them that accepting it is a good idea. Either side of the deal may involve physical goods, money, services, promises, or abstract concepts like "satisfaction." The DC for the Diplomacy check is based on three factors: who the target is, the relationship between the target and the character making the check, and the risk vs. reward factor of the deal proposed.
The Target: The base DC for any Diplomacy check is equal to the 15 + level of the highest-level character in the group that you are trying to influence + the Wisdom modifier of the character in the group with the highest Wisdom. High-level characters are more committed to their views and are less likely to be swayed; high Wisdom characters are more likely to perceive the speaker's real motives and aims. By applying the highest modifiers in any group, a powerful king (for example) might gain benefit from a very wise advisor who listens in court and counsels him accordingly. For this purpose, a number of characters is only a "group" if they are committed to all following the same course of action. Either one NPC is in charge, or they agree to act by consensus. If each member is going to make up their mind on their own, roll separate Diplomacy checks against each.
The Relationship: Whether they love, hate, or have never met each other, the relationship between two people always influences any request.
-10 Intimate: Someone who with whom you have an implicit trust. Example: A lover or spouse.
-5 Ally: Someone on the same team, but with whom you have no personal relationship. Example: A cleric of the same religion or a knight serving the same king.
+0 Just Met: Someone with whom you have no relationship or someone you have met several times with no particularly positive or negative experiences. Example: A guard at a castle or a traveler on a road.
+5 Enemy: Someone on an opposed team, with whom you have no personal relationship. Example: A cleric of a philosophically-opposed religion or an orc bandit who is robbing you.
+10 Nemesis: Someone who has sworn to do you, personally, harm. Example: The brother of a man you murdered in cold blood.
Risk vs. Reward Judgement: The amount of personal benefit must always be weighed against the potential risks for any deal proposed. It is important to remember to consider this adjustment from the point of view of the NPC themselves and what they might value; while 10 gp might be chump change to an adventurer, it may represent several months' earnings for a poor farmer. Likewise, a heroic paladin is unlikely to be persuaded from his tenets for any amount of gold, though he might be convinced that a greater good is served by the proposed deal. When dealing with multiple people at once, always consider the benefits to the person who is in clear command, if any hierarchy exists within the group.
-10 Fantastic: The reward for accepting the deal is very worthwhile, and the risk is either acceptable or extremely unlikely. The best-case scenario is a virtual guarantee. Example: An offer to pay a lot of gold for something of no value to the subject, such as information that is not a secret.
-5 Favorable: The reward is good, and the risk is tolerable. If all goes according to plan, the deal will end up benefiting the subject. Example: A request to aid the party in battle against a weak goblin tribe in return for a cut of the money and first pick of the magic items.
+0 Even: The reward and risk are more or less even, or the deal involves neither reward nor risk. Example: A request for directions to someplace that is not a secret.
+5 Unfavorable: The reward is not enough compared to the risk involved; even if all goes according to plan, chances are it will end up badly for the subject. Example: A request to free a prisoner the subject is guarding (for which he or she will probably be fired) in return for a small amount of money.
+10 Horrible: There is no conceivable way the proposed plan could end up with the subject ahead, or the worst-case scenario is guaranteed to occur. Example: A offer to trade a bit of dirty string for a castle.
Success or Failure: If the Diplomacy check beats the DC, the subject accepts the proposal, with no changes or with minor (mostly idiosyncratic) changes. If the check fails by 5 or less, the subject does not accept the deal but may, at the DM's option, present a counter-offer that would push the deal up one place on the risk-vs.-reward list. For example, a counter-offer might make an Even deal Favorable for the subject. The character who made the Diplomacy check can simply accept the counter-offer, if they choose; no further check will be required. If the check fails by 10 or more, the Diplomacy is over; the subject will entertain no further deals, and may become hostile or take other steps to end the conversation.
Action: Making a request or proposing a deal generally requires at least 1 full minute. In many situations, this time requirement may greatly increase.
Try Again: If you alter the parameters of the deal you are proposing, you may try to convince the subject that this new deal is even better than the last one. This is essentially how people haggle. As long as you never roll 10 or less than the DC on your Diplomacy check, you can continue to offer deals.
Disguise
This skill is essentially unchanged when used by PCs, but as with the Bluff skill, when NPCs use it, they will make a roll against the PC's Passive Spot skill which is their Spot score +10.
Forgery
Documents are very important in Eberron. Having the right papers can mean the difference between a friendly chat and imprisonment. Consequently, the Forgery skill is incredibly useful in Eberron and has some expanded description in the Eberron Campaign Setting page 46. The Player's Guide to Eberron page 38 also lists many of the documents that are common in Eberron.
Gather Information
There are two uses of the Gather Information skill, general and specific. Trying to learn general information such as the latest news is typically DC 10 and takes 1d4+1 hours as usual. Some checks for general information do not take nearly so much time, such as asking for the nearest temple or inn when one does not care what type of temple or inn. These checks take only 1d4x10 minutes.
Specific information, such as the location of a particular named tavern or the estate of a certain noble has a DC of 15 and takes 1d4+1 hours, provided the information is commonly known.
There are several modifiers that might make Gathering Information more difficult. If the community is particularly insular, such as an elf asking questions in a goblin town, the DC is increased by 5. If the information is not generally well-known, the DC is likewise increased by 5, while for secret information the DC is increased by 10.
In Sharn, information is a commodity, and commodities always have a price. It costs 1 gp per point of the DC of a Gather Information check. This price is the same whether the check is successful or not.
Failure: If you fail a Gather Information check by 5 or more while asking around in an insular community, the DC increases by a further 5 points, but this increase only applies after the first failed check. If you fail a Gather Information check by 5 or more while seeking secret information, then you may alert someone who does not want the information to be known. That party may take hostile action against the PC making the check.
Hide
When used by NPCs, this skill works as the Bluff skill, above. The PC uses a Passive Spot equal to 10 + his Spot bonus.
Intimidate
This skill has the same purpose as Diplomacy. Only the means differ. The same modifiers for Relationship and Risk vs. Reward Judgment apply, but otherwise the mechanics are the same. Similarly, you may attempt to Intimidate an entire group as opposed to an individual, using the highest of the group's level or hit die, Wisdom bonus, and saves against fear.
Move Silently
See Hide. The PC uses a Passive Listen equal to 10 + his Listen bonus.
Sense Motive
A Hunch has a DC of 15 + the target's level or hit die + the target's Charisma modifier. This can be incredibly useful when trying to determine the motivation of NPCs during negotiations.
Unless an NPC is lying, all uses of this skill are active. So it is not necessary to roll a Sense Motive check to determine if an NPC is lying. I will make the roll secretly and inform you if you notice a tell. But if you wish to get a hunch, sense enchantment, or see if someone is sending a secret message, then you will need to actively roll a Sense Motive check.
Combat
Initiative is simple. I add all the player initiative bonuses together and roll a d20 then do the same for the monsters. Whoever wins has initiative and goes first, either the party or the monsters. If there are NPCs on the side of the party, they roll with the party (but we'll try to keep that to a minimum). This gives large groups a potential advantage, which I feel makes a certain amount of sense. There could be a great deal of trepidation when facing a horde of 20 goblins.
Distances will be treated as Adjacent, Close, Medium, or Long. Adjacent means within melee range of an opponent. Close will be approximately within 30 feet. Medium will be up to about 100 feet. And Long will be any distance that is further. A character's speed will be rated as Slow, Average, Fast, or Exceptional. A character with Average speed (30-40) can generally move one distance closer and still take a standard action or two distances closer as a full round action. A Slow (speed < 30) character takes twice as long, so moving one distance closer takes a full round while moving two distances closer takes two full rounds. A Fast (speed 50-80) character can move as an Average speed character, but is also able to move two distances closer and still take standard action. An Exceptional (speed > 80) character can move three distances closer and still take a standard action. Taking the run action allows you to count your speed as one category higher for that turn but running is all you can do. If you have the Run feat, you can count your speed as two categories higher for that turn but running is still all you can do.
Ranged weapons with a range of 30 or lower can target Adjacent or Close enemies with a -2 penalty for each category further. Ranged weapons with a range between 30 and 100 can target Adjacent, Close, or Medium enemies with a -2 penalty for Long range. Weapons with ranges greater than that have no penalty unless I decide the target is out of range.
Spells follow the rules for distance quite simply. You must be Adjacent to use a touch spell, within Close range to use a Close range spell, and so on. The Enlarge Spell feat allows you to increase the range of Close or Medium spells by one category.
Spells with an area instead affect a certain number of monsters. A 15-foot cone affects up to two Adjacent or Close enemies. A 30-foot cone affects up to four Adjacent or Close enemies. A 10-foot radius affects up to two enemies within the same range category. A 20-foot radius affects up to four enemies within the same range category. Spells like bless with an emanation affect all allies within Close range. Spells like prayer affect all allies and enemies within Close range. Any ally adjacent to a target of an area effect has a 20% chance of being affected by the spell, but this chance does not apply to other enemies. This simulates the balance of using area effect spells in a melee consisting of allies and enemies. The Widen Spell feat allows you to affect up to two more targets within the same range category.
Ranges will all be relative. Say a party of four begins an encounter at medium range from a group of six goblins. The party wins initiative and the fighter charges one of the goblins, putting him Adjacent to one and Close to the others. The wizard casts a glitterdust which affects two of the goblins (not the one close to the fighter). The rogue moves in to flank with the fighter. The cleric moves to be Adjacent to the fighter in case he goes down. The goblins respond. Two are blinded by the glitterdust and flee for their lives. The one Adjacent to the fighter attacks him while one more moves in to attack. The other two goblins each move Adjacent to the rogue and cleric respectively and attack. And so on.
For those who want to get Adjacent to multiple enemies in a group within the same range category (like a fighter who wants to threaten multiple foes for the possibility of cleave), they can choose to move Adjacent to up to half of the opponents within the same range category, but no more than three.
Terrain will only matter when the situation really demands it. Two goblins might be at close range, but atop a large sewer pipe which requires a Climb check to get to reach the top. A goblin might run around a corner to take total cover from a spell-lobbing wizard, but a fighter within Close range can still follow to attack and a wizard could still spend a full round action to maneuver to a better vantage point for the next round.
Attacks of opportunity will generally only apply when leaving a threatened area, moving Adjacent to or out of the reach of an opponent with Reach, casting a spell, or using an ability or item which provokes.
The actual size of the opponent will generally not matter for determining range.
These will just be guidelines. Basically, the narrative will be a little more important than tactical play. If it is reasonable, I will allow it. As long as it fits the narrative and the spirit of the game I won't retroactively nullify a players' actions. I will mostly rely on players to police their own actions for what is reasonable and only take action when a player tries something patently absurd.
There are no 5-foot steps. It's too tactical. Casters should invest in the Combat Casting feat if they are afraid of having to cast in a melee. But devoted casters like the cleric and wizard are already the most powerful classes in the game. I do not think this is going to drastically impair their power.
Rogues Gallery
OOC Discussion
IC Night of the Blood Moon
NPCs
Mandyran, mentor to Dorius
Kurt Karr'Aashta, mentor to Berrent
Iyanna ir'Talan, mentor to Brad
Hanamelk, mentor to Alise
Lt. Zaira Dane, mentor to Vigil
[campaign]The Wounded Elf[/campaign]
[campaign]The Short Elf[/campaign]
[campaign]House Rules[/campaign]
Character Creation
1) Ability scores will be selected from one of four different arrays:
-18, 12, 10, 10, 9, 8
-16, 14, 14, 10, 9, 8
-15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8
-14, 14, 13, 12, 10, 10
This gives you some flexibility and keeps everyone at the same power level of a 25 point buy.
2) Only the following sources may be used to select feats and spells: Player's Handbook, Dungeon Master's Guide, Monster Manual, Eberron Campaign Setting, Sharn: City of Towers and the Expanded Psionics Handbook. Retraining may be used to swap feats whenever the character likes, so long as he has the money and the time (see Player's Handbook II). Other feats and spells may become available during the course of play as well. For example, if you get on the good side of the Church of the Silver Flame, they might offer to teach you some Divine feats.
3) Skills may be selected normally.
4) Character classes outside the Player's Handbook, Eberron Campaign Setting or Expanded Psionics Handbook require approval and a character concept that fits within Eberron. Races may be selected from any of the following: human, dwarf, goblin, gnome, elf, half-elf, shifter, changeling, orc, half-orc, warforged, and kalashtar.
5) Rather than buy equipment piece by piece, players must choose the starting equipment package listed in either the Player's Handbook or the Player's Handbook II. Since artificers have only one starting package that I am aware of, I am willing to be a little flexible on the armor and weapon choice, but nothing else. Besides that, starting equipment is not very important. After a short time you will replace most of it.
6) Starting character level will be 1st. If new characters are brought into the campaign, whether to replace a leaving character or to add to the existing group, they will also be starting at 1st. This is a story-driven campaign after all. Wits will be more important than things like HP and to-hit bonuses. Stats are just gravy. All characters will begin with a poor rent flat (4 gp a month with first month's rent already paid) consisting of a single room studio apartment in one of the poor districts in Sharn (you can pick one of the poor districts if you know Sharn or I will pick one for you if you do not know enough about the setting). Upward mobility as well as the prospect of purchasing a home will be possible during the course of play.
7) If you know something about Eberron, pick a Region of Origin (see Eberron Campaign Setting page 24) and (if your character is not a native of Sharn) a reason for why your character is now living in Sharn. If you know nothing about Eberron and do not own the Eberron Campaign Setting, assume your character was born and raised in Sharn.
8) Each character will be assigned an NPC mentor who is a member of the PC's character class or a similar class. This NPC will be either an employer of the PC, a trainer who taught the PC as an apprentice, or a confidant and colleague (players may determine the nature of this relationship after the mentor has been assigned). Mentors will serve as contacts for the PCs and offer leads to finding adventure in Sharn.
9) If any of the players have read or played the introductory adventure, The Forgotten Forge (which is located in the back of the Eberron Campaign Setting), I would like to know, as I may decide to use part of this adventure or at least some of the NPCs from it; knowing whether we have players who have knowledge of this adventure will guide my decision on how much of this adventure to use.
Skills
Synergy
I like simplicity. I also do not like to encourage optimizing skills by taking only 5 ranks just to get the synergy. Therefore, there are no synergy bonuses.
Appraise
The ability to determine the value of items as well as to differentiate the wheat from the chaff is quite useful to adventurers. So the uses for this skill are expanded.
Check: You can determine the approximate value of various items in an area simply by making a few cursory glances. Common items are those which are non-magical in nature and generally worth 50 gp or less. Valuable items are those which are either of masterwork quality or made by a master craftsman or artificer. It can also include raw materials or ingredients for more powerful items, such as reagents to create magical items, as well as common magical items such as a potion of cure light wounds or a feather fall talisman. Valuable items are generally worth 500 gp or less, although there are exceptions, such as full plate armor. Rare items are those which are worth a great deal, often thousands of gold pieces and may not appear to have value at first glance, although a trained eye can pick them out.
The DC for common items is 12, the DC for valuable items is 15, and the DC for rare items is 20. After examining an area, a character is able to pick out any items and identify their general type for any DCs he surpassed, although determining their actual value takes more careful inspection.
Action: Examining an area takes one full-round action for each 10-foot square area. An entire room can be examined with a single check. The only difference is the amount of time based on the size of the room.
Rules for appraising individual items are unchanged.
Bluff
I believe this skill works well as written for the most part. However, in order to reduce meta-gaming, whenever an NPC attempts to lie, I will roll the NPC's Bluff check and compare it to the PC's Sense Motive score + 10. This will be the PC's Passive Sense Motive score. If the NPC fails, then the PC will pick up on some tell that indicates the NPC is lying, such as shuffling of the feet or looking away while talking. PCs roll Bluff checks normally. I will determine what requires a Bluff check and what does not.
Diplomacy
Whenever you are introduced to an NPC for the first time, you may make a Diplomacy check to determine that NPC's starting attitude. However, I will add +1 to the DC for every level or hit die of the NPC to determine the outcome. Use of the skill for this purpose is optional and merely represents your character trying to make a good impression on the NPC, much like reaction checks in 1st and 2nd edition.
The primary use of the Diplomacy skill will be to persuade NPCs to accept a proposal, and will follow Rich Burlew's modified Diplomacy skill below with a couple modifiers removed as I feel they were superfluous:
Use this skill to ask the local baron for assistance, to convince a band of thugs not to attack you, or to talk your way into someplace you aren't supposed to be.
Check: You can propose a trade or agreement to another creature with your words; a Diplomacy check can then persuade them that accepting it is a good idea. Either side of the deal may involve physical goods, money, services, promises, or abstract concepts like "satisfaction." The DC for the Diplomacy check is based on three factors: who the target is, the relationship between the target and the character making the check, and the risk vs. reward factor of the deal proposed.
The Target: The base DC for any Diplomacy check is equal to the 15 + level of the highest-level character in the group that you are trying to influence + the Wisdom modifier of the character in the group with the highest Wisdom. High-level characters are more committed to their views and are less likely to be swayed; high Wisdom characters are more likely to perceive the speaker's real motives and aims. By applying the highest modifiers in any group, a powerful king (for example) might gain benefit from a very wise advisor who listens in court and counsels him accordingly. For this purpose, a number of characters is only a "group" if they are committed to all following the same course of action. Either one NPC is in charge, or they agree to act by consensus. If each member is going to make up their mind on their own, roll separate Diplomacy checks against each.
The Relationship: Whether they love, hate, or have never met each other, the relationship between two people always influences any request.
-10 Intimate: Someone who with whom you have an implicit trust. Example: A lover or spouse.
-5 Ally: Someone on the same team, but with whom you have no personal relationship. Example: A cleric of the same religion or a knight serving the same king.
+0 Just Met: Someone with whom you have no relationship or someone you have met several times with no particularly positive or negative experiences. Example: A guard at a castle or a traveler on a road.
+5 Enemy: Someone on an opposed team, with whom you have no personal relationship. Example: A cleric of a philosophically-opposed religion or an orc bandit who is robbing you.
+10 Nemesis: Someone who has sworn to do you, personally, harm. Example: The brother of a man you murdered in cold blood.
Risk vs. Reward Judgement: The amount of personal benefit must always be weighed against the potential risks for any deal proposed. It is important to remember to consider this adjustment from the point of view of the NPC themselves and what they might value; while 10 gp might be chump change to an adventurer, it may represent several months' earnings for a poor farmer. Likewise, a heroic paladin is unlikely to be persuaded from his tenets for any amount of gold, though he might be convinced that a greater good is served by the proposed deal. When dealing with multiple people at once, always consider the benefits to the person who is in clear command, if any hierarchy exists within the group.
-10 Fantastic: The reward for accepting the deal is very worthwhile, and the risk is either acceptable or extremely unlikely. The best-case scenario is a virtual guarantee. Example: An offer to pay a lot of gold for something of no value to the subject, such as information that is not a secret.
-5 Favorable: The reward is good, and the risk is tolerable. If all goes according to plan, the deal will end up benefiting the subject. Example: A request to aid the party in battle against a weak goblin tribe in return for a cut of the money and first pick of the magic items.
+0 Even: The reward and risk are more or less even, or the deal involves neither reward nor risk. Example: A request for directions to someplace that is not a secret.
+5 Unfavorable: The reward is not enough compared to the risk involved; even if all goes according to plan, chances are it will end up badly for the subject. Example: A request to free a prisoner the subject is guarding (for which he or she will probably be fired) in return for a small amount of money.
+10 Horrible: There is no conceivable way the proposed plan could end up with the subject ahead, or the worst-case scenario is guaranteed to occur. Example: A offer to trade a bit of dirty string for a castle.
Success or Failure: If the Diplomacy check beats the DC, the subject accepts the proposal, with no changes or with minor (mostly idiosyncratic) changes. If the check fails by 5 or less, the subject does not accept the deal but may, at the DM's option, present a counter-offer that would push the deal up one place on the risk-vs.-reward list. For example, a counter-offer might make an Even deal Favorable for the subject. The character who made the Diplomacy check can simply accept the counter-offer, if they choose; no further check will be required. If the check fails by 10 or more, the Diplomacy is over; the subject will entertain no further deals, and may become hostile or take other steps to end the conversation.
Action: Making a request or proposing a deal generally requires at least 1 full minute. In many situations, this time requirement may greatly increase.
Try Again: If you alter the parameters of the deal you are proposing, you may try to convince the subject that this new deal is even better than the last one. This is essentially how people haggle. As long as you never roll 10 or less than the DC on your Diplomacy check, you can continue to offer deals.
Disguise
This skill is essentially unchanged when used by PCs, but as with the Bluff skill, when NPCs use it, they will make a roll against the PC's Passive Spot skill which is their Spot score +10.
Forgery
Documents are very important in Eberron. Having the right papers can mean the difference between a friendly chat and imprisonment. Consequently, the Forgery skill is incredibly useful in Eberron and has some expanded description in the Eberron Campaign Setting page 46. The Player's Guide to Eberron page 38 also lists many of the documents that are common in Eberron.
Gather Information
There are two uses of the Gather Information skill, general and specific. Trying to learn general information such as the latest news is typically DC 10 and takes 1d4+1 hours as usual. Some checks for general information do not take nearly so much time, such as asking for the nearest temple or inn when one does not care what type of temple or inn. These checks take only 1d4x10 minutes.
Specific information, such as the location of a particular named tavern or the estate of a certain noble has a DC of 15 and takes 1d4+1 hours, provided the information is commonly known.
There are several modifiers that might make Gathering Information more difficult. If the community is particularly insular, such as an elf asking questions in a goblin town, the DC is increased by 5. If the information is not generally well-known, the DC is likewise increased by 5, while for secret information the DC is increased by 10.
In Sharn, information is a commodity, and commodities always have a price. It costs 1 gp per point of the DC of a Gather Information check. This price is the same whether the check is successful or not.
Failure: If you fail a Gather Information check by 5 or more while asking around in an insular community, the DC increases by a further 5 points, but this increase only applies after the first failed check. If you fail a Gather Information check by 5 or more while seeking secret information, then you may alert someone who does not want the information to be known. That party may take hostile action against the PC making the check.
Hide
When used by NPCs, this skill works as the Bluff skill, above. The PC uses a Passive Spot equal to 10 + his Spot bonus.
Intimidate
This skill has the same purpose as Diplomacy. Only the means differ. The same modifiers for Relationship and Risk vs. Reward Judgment apply, but otherwise the mechanics are the same. Similarly, you may attempt to Intimidate an entire group as opposed to an individual, using the highest of the group's level or hit die, Wisdom bonus, and saves against fear.
Move Silently
See Hide. The PC uses a Passive Listen equal to 10 + his Listen bonus.
Sense Motive
A Hunch has a DC of 15 + the target's level or hit die + the target's Charisma modifier. This can be incredibly useful when trying to determine the motivation of NPCs during negotiations.
Unless an NPC is lying, all uses of this skill are active. So it is not necessary to roll a Sense Motive check to determine if an NPC is lying. I will make the roll secretly and inform you if you notice a tell. But if you wish to get a hunch, sense enchantment, or see if someone is sending a secret message, then you will need to actively roll a Sense Motive check.
Combat
Initiative is simple. I add all the player initiative bonuses together and roll a d20 then do the same for the monsters. Whoever wins has initiative and goes first, either the party or the monsters. If there are NPCs on the side of the party, they roll with the party (but we'll try to keep that to a minimum). This gives large groups a potential advantage, which I feel makes a certain amount of sense. There could be a great deal of trepidation when facing a horde of 20 goblins.
Distances will be treated as Adjacent, Close, Medium, or Long. Adjacent means within melee range of an opponent. Close will be approximately within 30 feet. Medium will be up to about 100 feet. And Long will be any distance that is further. A character's speed will be rated as Slow, Average, Fast, or Exceptional. A character with Average speed (30-40) can generally move one distance closer and still take a standard action or two distances closer as a full round action. A Slow (speed < 30) character takes twice as long, so moving one distance closer takes a full round while moving two distances closer takes two full rounds. A Fast (speed 50-80) character can move as an Average speed character, but is also able to move two distances closer and still take standard action. An Exceptional (speed > 80) character can move three distances closer and still take a standard action. Taking the run action allows you to count your speed as one category higher for that turn but running is all you can do. If you have the Run feat, you can count your speed as two categories higher for that turn but running is still all you can do.
Ranged weapons with a range of 30 or lower can target Adjacent or Close enemies with a -2 penalty for each category further. Ranged weapons with a range between 30 and 100 can target Adjacent, Close, or Medium enemies with a -2 penalty for Long range. Weapons with ranges greater than that have no penalty unless I decide the target is out of range.
Spells follow the rules for distance quite simply. You must be Adjacent to use a touch spell, within Close range to use a Close range spell, and so on. The Enlarge Spell feat allows you to increase the range of Close or Medium spells by one category.
Spells with an area instead affect a certain number of monsters. A 15-foot cone affects up to two Adjacent or Close enemies. A 30-foot cone affects up to four Adjacent or Close enemies. A 10-foot radius affects up to two enemies within the same range category. A 20-foot radius affects up to four enemies within the same range category. Spells like bless with an emanation affect all allies within Close range. Spells like prayer affect all allies and enemies within Close range. Any ally adjacent to a target of an area effect has a 20% chance of being affected by the spell, but this chance does not apply to other enemies. This simulates the balance of using area effect spells in a melee consisting of allies and enemies. The Widen Spell feat allows you to affect up to two more targets within the same range category.
Ranges will all be relative. Say a party of four begins an encounter at medium range from a group of six goblins. The party wins initiative and the fighter charges one of the goblins, putting him Adjacent to one and Close to the others. The wizard casts a glitterdust which affects two of the goblins (not the one close to the fighter). The rogue moves in to flank with the fighter. The cleric moves to be Adjacent to the fighter in case he goes down. The goblins respond. Two are blinded by the glitterdust and flee for their lives. The one Adjacent to the fighter attacks him while one more moves in to attack. The other two goblins each move Adjacent to the rogue and cleric respectively and attack. And so on.
For those who want to get Adjacent to multiple enemies in a group within the same range category (like a fighter who wants to threaten multiple foes for the possibility of cleave), they can choose to move Adjacent to up to half of the opponents within the same range category, but no more than three.
Terrain will only matter when the situation really demands it. Two goblins might be at close range, but atop a large sewer pipe which requires a Climb check to get to reach the top. A goblin might run around a corner to take total cover from a spell-lobbing wizard, but a fighter within Close range can still follow to attack and a wizard could still spend a full round action to maneuver to a better vantage point for the next round.
Attacks of opportunity will generally only apply when leaving a threatened area, moving Adjacent to or out of the reach of an opponent with Reach, casting a spell, or using an ability or item which provokes.
The actual size of the opponent will generally not matter for determining range.
These will just be guidelines. Basically, the narrative will be a little more important than tactical play. If it is reasonable, I will allow it. As long as it fits the narrative and the spirit of the game I won't retroactively nullify a players' actions. I will mostly rely on players to police their own actions for what is reasonable and only take action when a player tries something patently absurd.
There are no 5-foot steps. It's too tactical. Casters should invest in the Combat Casting feat if they are afraid of having to cast in a melee. But devoted casters like the cleric and wizard are already the most powerful classes in the game. I do not think this is going to drastically impair their power.
