This is a little addition I am trying to perfect for a HB campaign I'd like to run. The basic premise is that the PCs all carry in them the divine essence of dead gods. This makes them significantly more powerful than normal characters. I don't want this addition to characters to increase their ECL but I think it should increase the CR, especially for NPC avatars. Well here is a brief run down of my idea. It is definitely not complete, but I would like feed back on what I have so far or even just thoughts on feasibility.
Avatars
Avatars are beings whose blood is the blood of gods. Avatars are blessed with powers and abilities beyond those of lesser mortals. The abilities of avatars are an addition rule set meant to be overlaid on top of the existing DnD rules. Basically they are supposed to work similarly to action points with more benefits. Avatars gain an extra stat called essence and this is what grants them their extra powers.
Essence can be used in to different ways. The first called free essence most closely resembles action points. Characters can temporarily spend their free essence to enhance rolls or bring about certain one time actions, like using it to do more damage, increase threat ranges or even to power spells. The exact ways an avatar can use their essence are determined by what domain they are. So an avatar of destruction has access to different powers than an avatar of magic.
The other way essence can be used is by investing essence. By investing essence an avatar permanently loses a point, or more, of essence but gains a permanent bonus to things like stats, AC and what not. So an avatar of strength could invest most of their essence to have a super human strength score but would lose out on the ability to use any abilities that require free essence.
Avatars begin the game with 3 points of essence and gain an extra point every level. They can only use one point of essence per turn per level. To regain free essence once it is used requires a full round action to “draw” essence from the surrounding world. While drawing essence an avatar is considered flat footed. An avatar regains essence at a rate of their charisma modifier to a minimum of +1 for every turn spent drawing essence. An avatar cannot draw more essence than their free essence total.
Basic Abilities
All avatars are able to spend free essence on these basic powers.
Divine providence:
As an immediate action an avatar may add +1, per point spent, to any of their rolls, even after the roll, altering reality in their favor.
Divine life:
As a move equivalent action an avatar can heal 1d4 hp, per point spent. This action provokes AoO.
Avatars
Avatars are beings whose blood is the blood of gods. Avatars are blessed with powers and abilities beyond those of lesser mortals. The abilities of avatars are an addition rule set meant to be overlaid on top of the existing DnD rules. Basically they are supposed to work similarly to action points with more benefits. Avatars gain an extra stat called essence and this is what grants them their extra powers.
Essence can be used in to different ways. The first called free essence most closely resembles action points. Characters can temporarily spend their free essence to enhance rolls or bring about certain one time actions, like using it to do more damage, increase threat ranges or even to power spells. The exact ways an avatar can use their essence are determined by what domain they are. So an avatar of destruction has access to different powers than an avatar of magic.
The other way essence can be used is by investing essence. By investing essence an avatar permanently loses a point, or more, of essence but gains a permanent bonus to things like stats, AC and what not. So an avatar of strength could invest most of their essence to have a super human strength score but would lose out on the ability to use any abilities that require free essence.
Avatars begin the game with 3 points of essence and gain an extra point every level. They can only use one point of essence per turn per level. To regain free essence once it is used requires a full round action to “draw” essence from the surrounding world. While drawing essence an avatar is considered flat footed. An avatar regains essence at a rate of their charisma modifier to a minimum of +1 for every turn spent drawing essence. An avatar cannot draw more essence than their free essence total.
Basic Abilities
All avatars are able to spend free essence on these basic powers.
Divine providence:
As an immediate action an avatar may add +1, per point spent, to any of their rolls, even after the roll, altering reality in their favor.
Divine life:
As a move equivalent action an avatar can heal 1d4 hp, per point spent. This action provokes AoO.