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<blockquote data-quote="Dias Ex Machina" data-source="post: 5356916" data-attributes="member: 58907"><p>The news today deals with Essentials and how it affects the future of DEM. Recently, WOTC…released…another…update…to D&D. This one reflects most of the design changes showing up in Essentials. It doesn't directly alter the original classes but makes the system receptive to the new ones arriving with the Essentials line. I neither purchased the Red Box nor the Rules Compendium, though I did have the opportunity to read the latter. Funny story there, when I sat down at a table at my local gaming hole, I found an open copy of Amethyst next to me. Being idiot that I am, the first thought that entered my mind was, did I open this book like four months ago and it's been open ever since? No, someone was reading it. Beyond that, the rules aren't dissimilar to the rules in the original 4E…IF you update it, which I have done. </p><p></p><p>By the way, don't do that. </p><p></p><p>I spent six hours pasting rules directly into my books and the result is efficient but appalling upon a cursory examination. It was necessary when dealing with creating monsters, which I am currently doing for the next Amethyst book. I did, however, purchase the new Heroes of Fallen Lands. I now understand the mind of Mearls. Do I approve?</p><p></p><p>Actually, yes. </p><p></p><p>As a player of D&D. </p><p></p><p>As a business man trying to write within their system, it's somewhat frustrating. For one, they rewrote mount rules, meaning if you had chosen a Kannos Kavalier, everything the path and paragon offers…you can now do for free. So we may need to address that. WOTC also retroactively changed their races. This means Amethyst should do so as well. At least this way, there is a precedent. Therefore, expect to see an update relatively soon from DEM regarding new revised races for the original Foundations. This will only be the stat block and not a complete reprinting of the race. Those that pre-ordered will get it first, followed by everyone on our facebook page, and then after it will find itself on DEM's website.</p><p></p><p>Will we do the same for the classes as well? Noooo. 4E is a specific sandbox and Essentials, though using the same rules, feels like a different sandbox. So we won't be erasing the mechanics of the original Foundations classes. That would be cruel and unnecessary. We already announced that the next book will be a partial splat book, offering alternate features and powers for all the techan classes (as well as a new class, the vanguard). What we are currently playing with is the possibility of offering an "Essential" build to each of our techan classes. So far, the experiment has appeared promising. The end result will require someone to own both Foundations and Factions but if you do own both books, you'll be able to create traditional 4E techan classes as well as "Essential" techan classes. For those not endorsing or not liking Essentials, don't worry. We haven't embraced it whole cloth. The Vanguard will be offered in both formats. All those alternative powers are not available to someone using the Essential build. The final Factions word count is incredibly over-budget, meaning it may have to be split in half. I may get groans for this except that I won't be charging you full price for each book…in fact, it'll be about half. But if this does happen, it will be separated into a player supplement and a campaign supplement, which may be a good idea in any case. </p><p></p><p>As for my opinion on Essentials, personally, I think I'll reserve that for a <a href="http://www.livingdice.com/" target="_blank">Living Dice article...</a></p><p></p><p>On similar grounds, we probably won't be inserting Essential builds into Ultramodern4. U4 takes the 4E engine and offers even more variety, opening up the system to a new level of complexity. Essentials goes in the opposite direction. Since the system is already complicated enough, it may collapse if I try and cram in another bunch of rules.</p><p></p><p>I'll leave with our current build of a revised race. Since everyone appeared to complain about the Tilen, I'm offering them up now. This is not official until the file is made public, so if there are issues, speak now. </p><p></p><p><strong>TILEN </strong></p><p><strong>RACIAL TRAITS</strong></p><p><strong>Average Height:</strong> 5’8” – 6’4” </p><p><strong>Average Weight:</strong> 45-70 lbs.</p><p><strong>Average Starting Age</strong>: 30 years</p><p><strong>Estimated Life Expectancy:</strong> 600 years</p><p><strong>Ability Scores</strong>: +2 Wisdom, +2 Strength or Dexterity</p><p><strong>Size:</strong> Medium</p><p><strong>Speed:</strong> 6</p><p><strong>Vision: </strong> Darkvision</p><p><strong>Languages:</strong> Two human languages, one fae language</p><p><strong>Skill Bonuses:</strong> +2 Heal, +2 Insight</p><p><strong>Blessed Body:</strong> You receive a +2 to all defenses against necrotic attacks.</p><p><strong>Blood Surge:</strong> You gain Blood Surge as a racial encounter power.</p><p><strong>Blood Vengeance:</strong> You receive a +2 racial bonus to attacks and damage rolls against all undead. You also receive an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage against ghulath (vampires). </p><p><strong>Reduced Healing:</strong> Hit point recovery from healing spells, powers, healing surges, rituals, potions, and any other healing effects are halved. You can offset this with Blood Surge. Keep your unmodified healing surge amount recorded. </p><p><strong>Vampiric Remnants:</strong> Under direct sunlight, your vision is reduced to 10 squares and you lose all racial skill bonuses. Additionally, when you get emotional in any way (like in a combat encounter, when angered, or in passion), old vampiric traits emerge. Your eyes glow yellow or white or red (depending on the specifics of the character), and your incisors extend. When in this state, you gain a +2 bonus to intimidation, but a -4 penalty to diplomacy. </p><p></p><p><strong>BLOOD SURGE Tilen Racial Power</strong></p><p><em>Out of necessity, but still filled with trepidation, you drain the blood of a target to heal your wounds. </em></p><p><strong>2/Encounter * Healing, Reliable</strong></p><p><strong>Standard/Special Melee touch </strong></p><p><strong>Target</strong>: Any living creature </p><p><strong>Attack:</strong> Strength +2 vs. Fortitude or Dexterity +2 vs. Reflex. Increase bonus to attack to +4 at 11th level and +6 at 21st level.</p><p><strong>Hit</strong>: The target is grabbed. Spend a healing surge and the target takes damage equal to your full healing surge value. Every additional round in the grab inflicts an additional 1d6 + Constitution modifier damage. Increase bonus to attack to +4 at 11th level, and to +6 at 21st level. You are healed the same amount of damage inflicted (which is not lessened by Reduced Healing). Additional damage caused by the power also heals. You do not need to spend a healing surge on subsequent rounds. </p><p><strong>Special:</strong> When you create your character, choose Dexterity or Strength for the key ability for Blood Surge. This choice remains through your character’s life. If the target is offering itself willingly, you can control the amount of damage inflicted and the amount healed increases by +1d6 (increasing to +2d6 at 11th level and +3d6 at 21st level). Subjects killed via Blood Surge do not become ghulath (vampires). If you already have a target in a grab, this power is reduced to a move action.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dias Ex Machina, post: 5356916, member: 58907"] The news today deals with Essentials and how it affects the future of DEM. Recently, WOTC…released…another…update…to D&D. This one reflects most of the design changes showing up in Essentials. It doesn't directly alter the original classes but makes the system receptive to the new ones arriving with the Essentials line. I neither purchased the Red Box nor the Rules Compendium, though I did have the opportunity to read the latter. Funny story there, when I sat down at a table at my local gaming hole, I found an open copy of Amethyst next to me. Being idiot that I am, the first thought that entered my mind was, did I open this book like four months ago and it's been open ever since? No, someone was reading it. Beyond that, the rules aren't dissimilar to the rules in the original 4E…IF you update it, which I have done. By the way, don't do that. I spent six hours pasting rules directly into my books and the result is efficient but appalling upon a cursory examination. It was necessary when dealing with creating monsters, which I am currently doing for the next Amethyst book. I did, however, purchase the new Heroes of Fallen Lands. I now understand the mind of Mearls. Do I approve? Actually, yes. As a player of D&D. As a business man trying to write within their system, it's somewhat frustrating. For one, they rewrote mount rules, meaning if you had chosen a Kannos Kavalier, everything the path and paragon offers…you can now do for free. So we may need to address that. WOTC also retroactively changed their races. This means Amethyst should do so as well. At least this way, there is a precedent. Therefore, expect to see an update relatively soon from DEM regarding new revised races for the original Foundations. This will only be the stat block and not a complete reprinting of the race. Those that pre-ordered will get it first, followed by everyone on our facebook page, and then after it will find itself on DEM's website. Will we do the same for the classes as well? Noooo. 4E is a specific sandbox and Essentials, though using the same rules, feels like a different sandbox. So we won't be erasing the mechanics of the original Foundations classes. That would be cruel and unnecessary. We already announced that the next book will be a partial splat book, offering alternate features and powers for all the techan classes (as well as a new class, the vanguard). What we are currently playing with is the possibility of offering an "Essential" build to each of our techan classes. So far, the experiment has appeared promising. The end result will require someone to own both Foundations and Factions but if you do own both books, you'll be able to create traditional 4E techan classes as well as "Essential" techan classes. For those not endorsing or not liking Essentials, don't worry. We haven't embraced it whole cloth. The Vanguard will be offered in both formats. All those alternative powers are not available to someone using the Essential build. The final Factions word count is incredibly over-budget, meaning it may have to be split in half. I may get groans for this except that I won't be charging you full price for each book…in fact, it'll be about half. But if this does happen, it will be separated into a player supplement and a campaign supplement, which may be a good idea in any case. As for my opinion on Essentials, personally, I think I'll reserve that for a [URL="http://www.livingdice.com/"]Living Dice article...[/URL] On similar grounds, we probably won't be inserting Essential builds into Ultramodern4. U4 takes the 4E engine and offers even more variety, opening up the system to a new level of complexity. Essentials goes in the opposite direction. Since the system is already complicated enough, it may collapse if I try and cram in another bunch of rules. I'll leave with our current build of a revised race. Since everyone appeared to complain about the Tilen, I'm offering them up now. This is not official until the file is made public, so if there are issues, speak now. [B]TILEN [/B] [B]RACIAL TRAITS Average Height:[/B] 5’8” – 6’4” [B]Average Weight:[/B] 45-70 lbs. [B]Average Starting Age[/B]: 30 years [B]Estimated Life Expectancy:[/B] 600 years [B]Ability Scores[/B]: +2 Wisdom, +2 Strength or Dexterity [B]Size:[/B] Medium [B]Speed:[/B] 6 [B]Vision: [/B] Darkvision [B]Languages:[/B] Two human languages, one fae language [B]Skill Bonuses:[/B] +2 Heal, +2 Insight [B]Blessed Body:[/B] You receive a +2 to all defenses against necrotic attacks. [B]Blood Surge:[/B] You gain Blood Surge as a racial encounter power. [B]Blood Vengeance:[/B] You receive a +2 racial bonus to attacks and damage rolls against all undead. You also receive an additional +1 bonus to attack and damage against ghulath (vampires). [B]Reduced Healing:[/B] Hit point recovery from healing spells, powers, healing surges, rituals, potions, and any other healing effects are halved. You can offset this with Blood Surge. Keep your unmodified healing surge amount recorded. [B]Vampiric Remnants:[/B] Under direct sunlight, your vision is reduced to 10 squares and you lose all racial skill bonuses. Additionally, when you get emotional in any way (like in a combat encounter, when angered, or in passion), old vampiric traits emerge. Your eyes glow yellow or white or red (depending on the specifics of the character), and your incisors extend. When in this state, you gain a +2 bonus to intimidation, but a -4 penalty to diplomacy. [B]BLOOD SURGE Tilen Racial Power[/B] [I]Out of necessity, but still filled with trepidation, you drain the blood of a target to heal your wounds. [/I] [B]2/Encounter * Healing, Reliable Standard/Special Melee touch Target[/B]: Any living creature [B]Attack:[/B] Strength +2 vs. Fortitude or Dexterity +2 vs. Reflex. Increase bonus to attack to +4 at 11th level and +6 at 21st level. [B]Hit[/B]: The target is grabbed. Spend a healing surge and the target takes damage equal to your full healing surge value. Every additional round in the grab inflicts an additional 1d6 + Constitution modifier damage. Increase bonus to attack to +4 at 11th level, and to +6 at 21st level. You are healed the same amount of damage inflicted (which is not lessened by Reduced Healing). Additional damage caused by the power also heals. You do not need to spend a healing surge on subsequent rounds. [B]Special:[/B] When you create your character, choose Dexterity or Strength for the key ability for Blood Surge. This choice remains through your character’s life. If the target is offering itself willingly, you can control the amount of damage inflicted and the amount healed increases by +1d6 (increasing to +2d6 at 11th level and +3d6 at 21st level). Subjects killed via Blood Surge do not become ghulath (vampires). If you already have a target in a grab, this power is reduced to a move action. [/QUOTE]
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