Victorian Eberron idea

Hmm, question - I'm assuming that since Alchemy = Big and Magic = Not so Big, that the Spellcasting requirements on Craft: Alchemy will be suspended?

Also, in regards to the last post about Extra Skill points : Instead of (Or, maybe, in addition to) extra skill points, I'd think a more 'educated' society would have more CLASS skills as opposed to so many being cross class, with some obvious ones being nearly nonexistant (Knowledge:Arcana/The Planes, and Spellcraft spring to mind, while other knowledge skills would probably be MORE common.)


As for nonmagical equipment, I like the "Masterwork/Exceptional quality" functions... You could still have a "+2 sword", it just wouldn't be a MAGICAL +2. (Such a system exists in both d20modern and star wars).

Also, if you're doing the Class defense bonus, then perhaps the armour=DR variant? I know armour would be a bit out-of-date in a time like this, but even in Modern times people still wear (Albeit highly different) armour. Elven Chain could be the equivalent of Kevlar.. Light fitting, good protection, etc. Full plate = Tactical full-body armour?

I'm consolidating replies to a lot of things in this post, which is being constructed in bits and pieces....

EvolutionKB said:

On another note, hefe is a variant mashal, critiqued and modified using rules from ToB. I really like it. Sublime Marshal

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In the interests of keeping things simple for me, I'm keeping just one magic system in this game (standard D&D spellcasting, albeit via nonstandard classes). No ToB manuevers, no psionics, no binders, no pact/shadow magic, and no warlock/dragonfire adpet invokations. So suggestions for an improved marshal are still welcome.

Jemal said:

The reason swashbuckler's suck is b/c they're basically a dip class, (Similar to monks/paladins, except monk's and paladins have SOME reason to take more than a few levels). After level 3 they don't really have anything that I find fun.

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I'm going to be using the Living Eberron modified Swashbuckler that stonegod referenced above; there's now a pointer to it in the first post.

nonamazing said:

It seems like alchemy will will be important in this setting. Will it be fairly common?

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It's more important, and more common, than in standard D&D, or standard Eberron. But generally speaking, 'conventional' chemistry is more important than alchemy (anything not explicitly magical or alchemical should obey the laws of physics).

I was kind of thinking along the line of a human or changling(if possible). A paladin/rogue (high dex, chr). Obscessed with personal honor("I challenge you to a duel.") Kind of a James Bond type, good socially but can carry their own on the front lines(not sneaky). Having a woman in every city. Main role in the church is to be the mediator with those in power, attending political functions, big ceremonies, as well a info gathering.

Well, it definitely looks like there's enough interest to try and run this thing. So once I get the rules flushed out and come up with a first adventure, I'll post a recruiting thread. In the mean time, I'm going to keep adding on rules proposals and background here.

classes

archivist
The archivist is modified from its presentation in Heroes of Horror

- Archivists can learn any spell on the cleric, druid, dread necromancer, healer, or sorcerer/wizard list. They cannot learn spells which only appear on other lists, including domain lists.
- All spells the archivist casts are considered divine, no matter where they came from
- Archivists only learn one new spell per level automatically, which must be from the cleric list
- If a spell appears on the cleric list, its level for archivists is its level on the cleric list; if it appears on more than one other list that the archivist has access to (but not on the cleric list), its level for archivists is the highest level that it appears at
- archivists gain 6 skill points/level, not 4

dread necromancer
- dread necromancers do not gain the lich body ability
- dread necromancers do not gain fortification
- dread necromancers do not automatically become a lich at 20th level
- dread necromancers gain 4 skill points/level, not 2

fighter
- the alternate class features from PHB2 are available
- fighers gain 4 skill points/level, not 2
- add knowledge (history) and knowledge (Architecture and engineering) to the fighter's list of class skills

healer
- healers spontaneously cast any spell on their list, in the manner of the dread necromancer or warmage
- healers do not gain a unicorn companion
- at first level, healers gain the ability to turn undead, as per the cleric ability; a healer's effective cleric level for purposes of turning undead is her healer level
- healers gain the Advanced Learning class feature (as per the Dread Necromancer or Warmage) at 3rd, 6th, 11th, and 16th level; each time, they can add one spell to their list from the Good, Protection, or Sun domains
- healers may be of any nonevil alignment

Note: Healers in the Orthodox Church of the Silver Flame (the majority) will not cast Raise Dead, Resurrection, or True Resurrection in most cases.

hexblade
- The Dark Companion alternate class feature is available
- hexblades gain 4 skill points/level, not 2
- knowledge (religion) is a class skill for hexblades

knight

TBD; I'd like to have them around, but the heavy armor/mounted combat focus seems hard to redirect.

marhsal

- marshals can use the alternate class feature in PHB2
- at third level, the marshal gains the inspiration ability, which can be used once per day per 3 marshal levels. This is identical to the bard's Bardic Music ability, except that the relevant skill is Diplomacy, the Marshal only learns the Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Inspire Greatness, and Inspire Heroics abilities, and these abilities are (Ex), not (Su).

paladin

- Instead of gaining a special mount at level 5, paladins automatically gain the Leadership feat.
- paladins gain 4 skill points/level, not 2

rogue
- the alternate class feature from the PHB2 is available
- at 6th, 12th, and 18th level Rogues gain a free Skill Focus feat; I'm giving almost everyone else extra skill points, and rogues should stay the top skill guys

scout
- scouts gain the Track feat at first level
- manyshot and improved manyshot may be used in conjunction with the skirmish ability

swashbuckler
The Living Eberron version of the scout at
http://www.enworld.org/showpost.php?p=2964384&postcount=3
will be used

Just some things to think of:
Are you starting at first level or higher? (pls say higher, I'm bored of first and second level).
Some examples of the chemical/Mechanical advances & things available to characters
What ARE you doing to compensate for the lack of Magic?(If anything?)
What're the Defense bonuses going to be for the varrying classes?
Who are these people? (Seinfeld joke)

Jemal said:

Just some things to think of:
Are you starting at first level or higher? (pls say higher, I'm bored of first and second level).

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Somewhere in the 3rd-5th range.

Jemal said:

Some examples of the chemical/Mechanical advances & things available to characters

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I haven't really thought of anything beyond firearms and alchemical substitutes for certain magic qualities (as per up-thread).

Jemal said:

What ARE you doing to compensate for the lack of Magic?(If anything?)

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- magic weapons should be nicely compensated for by firearms, superior quality and/or alchemical weapons, and limitted availability of certain magic weapons
- magic armor and other magical protective devices should be compensated for by a class defense bonus
- stat boosters should be compensated for by gaining stat bonuses somewhat faster than the standard +1 every 4 levels

Jemal said:

What're the Defense bonuses going to be for the varrying classes?

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I'm not sure yet. I'm thinking for now ...

good: +6 (at level 1) to +18 (at level 20)
- swashbuckler
- fighter
- paladin
- knight

medium: +4 (at level 1) to +14 (at level 20)
- hexblade
- scout
- marshal
- rogue

poor: +2 (at level 1) to +10 (at level 20)
- dread necromancer
- healer
- archivist

It may be hard to find now, but there was an early WoTC book called the Arms & Equipment Guide which had a lot of neat non-magical equipment in it. You might want to check it out if you have a chance. There's also some neat alchemical stuff in Complete Adventurer which would be pretty useful, and the skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel might also fit into this game.

What do you specifically see as the main weakness of the Marshal? I think it's a neat class too, and I'll do my best to come up with ideas for it.

okay, here goes various bonus progressions

nonamazing said:

It may be hard to find now, but there was an early WoTC book called the Arms & Equipment Guide which had a lot of neat non-magical equipment in it. You might want to check it out if you have a chance. There's also some neat alchemical stuff in Complete Adventurer which would be pretty useful, and the skill tricks from Complete Scoundrel might also fit into this game.

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I'm probably going to allow mundane and alchemical equipment from any of the Complete books except for Psionic, as well as PHB2 and the Mini's Handbook. I've got the Arms and Equipment guide, but it's a 3.0 book, so I'll review anything there on a case by case basis.

nonamazing said:

What do you specifically see as the main weakness of the Marshal? I think it's a neat class too, and I'll do my best to come up with ideas for it.

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It seems like their primary roll is a buff guy, and they don't really do that as well as a bard -- which isn't all that strong of a class.

Hmm.. first cut
- marshals can use the alternate class feature in PHB2
- at third level, the marshal gains the inspiration ability, which can be used once per day per 3 marshal levels. This is identical to the bard's Bardic Music ability, except that the relevant skill is Diplomacy, the Marshal only learns the Inspire Courage, Inspire Competence, Inspire Greatness, and Inspire Heroics abilities, and these abilities are (Ex), not (Su).