Anybody tired of god-o-centric d&d worlds

[Sadrik]

Because you need faith in something in order to tap into the Ring of Siberys. It doesn't have to be a god or organized religion, but it has to be something.

Oh, faith in oneself doesnt count I would suppose! :\

I like the idea of heal feats increasing your abilities with the heal skill. Like an epic feat that will let you heal one point per skill point or one point per level with an 80 DC. If you can defeat all illusions with an 80 spot DC, why not this?

Hmm, interesting. How about the healing skill giving a for every point over DC 15 you heal one point of damage. Then skill focus: healing would give you a +3 HP bonus. That could work. But the skill could only be used once after a fight and could not heal more damage than you took. BTW then that DC 80 would heal 65 HP. Also, a DC of 20 could heal an ability score point and every 5 over could heal another. A DC of 25 could heal a negative level and every 10 over that another. Something like this could go a long way.

Hmmm... I suppose you could use the Domain Wizards (from Unearthed Arcana) and create a Healing domain (among others), to diversify.

Domain wizards would be too limiting. Not because they are not cool just that every wizard would have to take the healing one.

 

[Corlon]

I wanted gods to have less of an impact on the world, so I created a bunch of different religions within the campaign world. One of the continents is filled with various city states that each worship one deity (from the PHB, sorry guys, I didn't take the time to make up my own), but the deities don't interfere with anything. There aren't angels or demons ont he prime material plane, as there aren't easy magics to get them there (the astral plane IMC is an ocean that must be crossed manually, teleportation and plane traveling magics have a way of...creating mishaps), and this has led to the creation of many different religions as you cross the regions. One region believes all the gods are nothing but very powerful dragons trying to twist the world to their own means, and therefore most of the people don't worship any deity. Further to the east, there is a socialistic country that believes in no gods but the overruling government. The cleric of the party has taken it upon himself to try and convert many people from these different regions to his way of thinking.

But in the mechanics of it all, I keep the cleric the way it is. I find that worshipping an ideal rather than a god works well for many of the godless countries. Clerics, instead of being gods holy warriors, are now more of spellcasters that get their powers from believing in a higher cause rather than an all powerful deity. I think small changes like this (which aren't really even changes if you think about it) allow you to create a world with a smaller amount of deity influence (or even none) without removing or tweaking classes.

 

[Raduin711]

One possibility is to just go to the campaign variant presented in Unearthed Arcana. All players make characters using 3 very broad core classes... Warrior, Expert (a PC version) and Spellcaster. Both Clerics and Wizards use the same kind of magic. (as they are the same class.)

 

[Sadrik]

One possibility is to just go to the campaign variant presented in Unearthed Arcana. All players make characters using 3 very broad core classes... Warrior, Expert (a PC version) and Spellcaster. Both Clerics and Wizards use the same kind of magic. (as they are the same class.)

Yes, yes. I am familiar with the variant. However, most people, I would think, don't like the variant because it sharply cuts down on their options. It also changes the game pretty dramatically. removing two classes (cleric and druid) and altering two others (paladin and ranger) seems less of an alteration to the game.

The possible variant for a game where the gods have no power or dont exist:
The wizard, sorcerer and bard can all use any spell.
wizards and sorcerers have 1d6 HD. (Increased for their potential diminished offensive capacity)
Bards and Rogues have a 1d8 HD. (Becuase wizards and sorcerers took the 1d6 HD and their is no 1d8 HD class other than monk)
Paladin and ranger both have no spells under this variant, instead they get abilities. (Or maybe rangers should get spells from any spell list harkening the 1st edition ranger. Paladins could get a domain or two from their god and thats it.)

 

[Ferret]

I've had an idea for a setting stuck in my head for a while, the gods are ascended spirits of powerful 'mages'. Every spell caster is empowered by a god, Gods of wanton destruction, Trickery, health etc. I haven't worked it out to cover all of these, but the gods don't make appearences, they do nothing direct, people doubt their existance etc.

 

[Sadrik]

Here is my latest thoughts on how it would be put together. The variant for a game where the gods have no power or dont exist:

Barbarian: no change.
Bards: have a 1d8 HD and use any spell at the lowest possible level.
Clerics: cannot be chosen as characters
Druids: have a poor BAB, a 1d6 HD, and use any spell at the lowest possible level.
Fighter: no change.
Monk: no change.
Paladins: cannot be chosen as characters
Rangers: can use any spell at the lowest possible level.
Rogues: have a 1d8 HD.
Sorcerers: have a 1d6 HD and can use any spell at the lowest possible level.
Wizards: have a 1d6 HD and can use any spell at the lowest possible level.

Is the druid too powerful? Do their abilities equal the wizards? even with the neutering I gave them. They get more skill points have more class abilities compared to the wizard with the bonus feats.

Oh and since all spells would be considered arcane should I give out the bard abilty to cast spells in light armor to the ranger and druid? Hmm, probably not the druid.