True20 Adept Feat Addition

[halfpintgamer1976]

Hi there,

I'm scheduled to begin a faerie campaign using True20 in about 3 weeks. I love the paths already laid out (in the Blue Rose and the BR Companion), but knowing my players I know they would want a little more specialization in the adept role. While cruising the True20 forums I came across a post similar in nature to this thread, so i gleaned some info from it and added my own flavor to fit it within my campaign. Essentially it is a set of feats that would allow an adept to broaden their specialization in the available paths.

Take a look and tell me what you think.

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Arcane Traditions

New Feat Category: Tradition Feats
This is a new category of feats that is only available to Adepts. Every adept in the setting, at 1st-level, must choose a single Tradition feat for free. This represents the adept's chosen form of magic.


Elementalism [Tradition]
You are trained in the mystic tradition of elementalism, granting you powers over the five elements of earth, fire, water, wind, and wood.
Prerequisite: Adept level 1+.
Benefit: As an elementalist you gain an Elemental Focus. You gain a +1 on all arcanum checks when using arcana relating to your element. The following arcana benefit from Elemental Focus: Earth shaping, Fire shaping, Water shaping, Wind shaping. The Wood element cannot be specialized in, and so cannot gain the benefits of this ability.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to two skill checks determined by your Elemental Focus. Earth (Climb and Jump), Fire (Intimidate and Perform), Water (Escape artist and Swim), and Wind (Acrobatics and Sense motive). The Wood element cannot be specialized in.
Key Ability: Your key ability is Wisdom.
Special: You are considered to be at half your adept level when using arcanum of your opposing element. Wood is never an opposed element.

The Five Elements
• Earth embodies stability, resilience and resolve, the body and it's strength. This element controls the very ground underneath one's feet, using sheer might to overcome their foes. The Earth is a balanced element as it has both good offensive and defensive capabilities.
• Fire is aggressive, direct, destructive, and the element of all forms of energy. It is also the source of inspiration, creativity, and intelligence. This element can control fire and other pure forms of energy like electricity. This is a very offensive element with little in the way of defense and other abilities.
• Water is an element of change, constantly flowing as the situation dictates. This element is rather defensive, relying on using an opponent's force against them. Water is also seen as cleansing, healing, transformation, and the source of the cold.
• Wind shares many traits with Water; wind is defensive in nature, conveying the concepts of freedom, mobility, pacifism, the mind, and illusion. This element controls the winds, can affect someone's speed, agility, and the mind, defense through evasion, and non-lethal offensive attacks.
• Wood is seen as being the combination of all four elements. This element controls all manner of plants and vegetation, powers duplicating the natural abilities of plants, like the curing of disease, and also the power of transformation and nature reading.

Elemental Opposition
Earth opposes Wind, Wind opposes Fire, Fire opposes Water, and Water opposes Earth. Wood is never considered an opposing element.


Witchcraft [Tradition]
You are trained in the mystic tradition of witchcraft, granting you powers over the heart, mind, and nature.
Prerequisite: Adept level 1+.
Benefit: As a witch you can bestow a Witches' Curse. By spending a Conviction point you can place a curse on a subject. This curse must have a way of removing the curse and the recipient must be able to understand it. The curse lasts for a total of one full year unless lifted. When placing a curse choose one of the following effects:
• Enfeeblement (-3 decrease to an ability score (minimum of -2))
• Bad luck (-4 penalty on attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks)
• Befuddlement (each turn, the target has a 50% chance to act normally; otherwise, it takes no action).

Other types of curses may also be created, but it should be no more powerful than those described above (and must be approved by the DM).
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Medicine skill checks and another skill as determined by your Witches' Path. Heart path (Diplomacy), Spirit path (Sense motive), and World path (Handle animal).

Witches' Path
Path of the Heart: This path revolves around the mind, emotions, and dreams. The skill associated with the path is Diplomacy.
Path of the Spirit: This path revolves around the powers of the soul. The skill associated with the path is Sense Motive.
Path of the World: This path is one with power over the natural world. The skill associated with the path is Animal Handling.
Key Ability: Your key ability is Charisma.
Special: You are considered to be at half your normal adept level with all Elemental powers.

Disciple [Tradition]
You are a disciple, a chosen of a Divine Patron.
Prerequisite: Adept level 1+.
Benefit: As a disciple you gain the ability to become a Divine Vessel. By spending a Conviction point you can imbue yourself with a portion of your Divine Patron's power. As a Divine Vessel you gain the following benefits:
• Damage Reduction equal to +3 plus +1 per five adept levels, maximum of +8. This damage reduction is bypassed by supernatural attacks and weapons.
• Supernatural Resistance equal to 10 + your adept level.
• +1 to all saving throws, excluding Toughness saves.
• +1 per five adept levels to attack rolls and damage, minimum of +1 and maximum of +4.

These benefits last for a total of one minute (10 rounds) per four adept levels.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Knowledge (theology and philosophy) skill checks and with one other skill as determined by your Divine Patron.
Key Ability: Your key ability is Wisdom.
Special: You have a power that must be taken at 1st-level, as per your Divine Patron.
Special: You have a Code of Conduct or other similar restriction. Failure to follow the tenets of the faith: First transgression penalizes your power checks by -2. Second transgression is a -2 penalty to all checks, and the third is a complete stripping of your powers. All transgressions are cumulative. The specifics to atone are different based on the Divine Patron and the circumstances of the transgressions.

Divine Patrons
Each adept of this tradition must choose a Divine Patron that they follow. Each Divine Patron is representative of a set of ideals and concepts. The selection of this patron dictates the required power of the adept and the second bonus skill.


Deity: Arawn
The Reaper
Power: Drain Vitality
Bonus Skill: Stealth

Deity: Daghda
The South
Power: Body Control
Bonus Skill: Concentration

Deity: Manannan Mac Lir
The Privateer
Power: Wind Shaping
Bonus Skill: Knowledge

Deity: Arianrod
The Shadow Lord
Power: Heart Shaping
Bonus Skill: Stealth

Deity: Diancecht
The East
Power: Cure
Bonus Skill: Heal

Deity: Math Mathonwy
The Enchanter
Power: Scrying
Bonus Skill: Concentration

Deity: Beli-Mawr
Fire Lord
Power: Fire Shaping
Bonus Skill: Acrobatics

Deity: Epona
The West
Power: Gentle Beasts
Bonus Skill: Ride

Deity: Midir
The End
Power: Ward
Bonus Skill: Survival

Deity: Brighit
The North
Power: Heart Shaping
Bonus Skill: Diplomacy

Deity: Goibhniu
Warsmith
Power: Manipulate Object
Bonus Skill: Craft

Deity: Morrigan
The Hunter Huntress
Power: Mind Probe *
Bonus Skill: Sense Motive

Deity: Caibre
The Lyricist
Power: Fascinate
Bonus Skill: Perform

Deity: Lugh
Light Lord
Power: Elemental Aura
Bonus Skill: Diplomacy

Deity: Nuada
The Knight
Power: Enhance Self
Bonus Skill: Intimidate

Diety: Kernunnos
No living being has become a Divine Vessel for this Deity
Deity: Danu
No living being has become a Divine Vessel for this Deity

Deity: Oghma
The Champion
Power: Enhance Senses
Bonus Skill: Acrobatics



Shamanism [Tradition]
You're trained in the mystic tradition of shamanism, becoming a medium between this world and the Spirit World.
Prerequisite: Adept level 1+.
Benefit: As a shaman you have the ability to exorcise spirits and banish them into the Spirit World. By spending a Conviction point, you can try to banish a spirit by making a check (1d20 + half adept level + Wisdom score) against the spirit's check (1d20 + half spirit's level + Wisdom score). If successful the shaman banishes the spirit into the Spirit World. This can also be used on those under possession from spirits.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to Sense motive skill checks.
Key Ability: Your key ability is Wisdom.
Special: You can potentially anger the spirits. Any time a natural 1 is rolled during a power check, roll again and if that power check fails too, the shaman is possessed by a spirit for 10 minutes. A shaman can make a Will save (DC = 10 + half the spirit's level + Charisma) each minute thereafter to regain control, or can spend a Conviction point to overcome this possession automatically. Either way the shaman is fatigued afterwards.


Necromancy [Tradition]
You're trained in the mystic tradition of the dark art of necromancy, granting you over the dead and perverting the life-energies of the living.
Prerequisite: Adept level 1+.
Benefit: As a necromancer you have mastery over the undead. By spending a Conviction point you can try to gain control over any uncontrolled, mindless undead within 60 ft. Make an Imbue unlife check against a check (1d20 + double undead's level) for each mindless undead within the area. If successful, you gain control over those undead who failed their check, the closest and weakest first.
Benefit: You gain a +1 to Knowledge (life sciences) skill checks.
Key Ability: Your key ability is Intelligence.
Special: You are subject to Corruption.
Special: You are considered to be at half your normal adept level when using the following powers: Cure powers, Elemental powers, and Mind powers.
Special: You can never learn the following powers: Imbue life, Purifying light, and all Psychic powers.


Sorcery [Tradition]
You're trained in the mystic tradition of the dark art of sorcery, granting you the powers of Hell for the cost of your soul.
Prerequisite: Adept level 1+.
Benefit: As a sorcerer you can call on the powers of Hellfire. By spending a Conviction point, you can attack using a blast of hellfire. Treat this as an elemental blast (fire) with a power rank equal to half your adept level. Because this fire is supernatural in nature, the benefits of fire resistance and fire immunity are ignored. This ability does not use the elemental blast (fire) power. This ability calls for a Corruption save each time it is used.
Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to skill checks with one of the following skills: Bluff or Intimidate.
Key Ability: Your key ability is Charisma.
Special: You are subject to Corruption.
Special: You can never learn the powers of Imbue life and Purifying light.

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Thanks for all the feedback!

 

[Quickleaf]

I'm scheduled to begin a faerie campaign using True20 in about 3 weeks.

Sounds fun!

Arcane Traditions

Do these limit which powers the adept can access using The Talent core ability?

Elementalism [Tradition]

First thing I noticed was that while the other traditions require expenditure of Conviction to use their benefit, Elementalism doesn't (and is considerably weaker). I would change this to make Elementalism work like the other traditions.

You say an adept can't specialize in wood - but why not? It seems to me Plant Shaping/the Cure powers/Imbue Life/Nature Reading makes the perfect "wood" themed power group. You could make it opposed to necromancy/the void (perhaps this needs a new power, but I was thinking Drain Vitality/Harm/Imbue Unlife). Give +1 Medicine and Survival.

Frankly, I think the skill check bonuses according to element are a little loose. Also, consider that a bonus to a skill which requires training (e.g. Acrobatics) isn't that helpful cause you can't make the skill check. Instead you might provide the bonus to all Knowledge checks concerning the element in question. Alternately, do what you did for the Disciple tradition and have each elemental path provide a bonus skill.

Witchcraft [Tradition]

Cursing witches - looks good. Does it detect as supernatural to an adept using Second Sight? Can Ward protect you from being cursed? What about a "Dispel" type power? Must the curse be earned or can a witch curse anyone she wishes?
I posted a Curse power on the True20 Rules board...can't find it at the moment, but it's also in Tales of the Caliphate Nights.

Witches' Path
Special: You are considered to be at half your normal adept level with all Elemental powers.

So the idea is that Witchery is opposed to Elementalism? Are Elementalists penalized when trying to learn Witchery? What powers consitute Witchery?

Disciple [Tradition]

I thought the benefits were kind of...well, odd...I get supernatural resistance, but save bonuses (Take the a feat like Lucky), attack/damage bonuses (take Favored Foe), and damage reduction (I just don't understand it and it seems too powerful). I would consider coming up with some new ones. Like take 3 "universal" disciple powers (supernatural resistance is 1), and then give each Celtic deity a unique disciple power.

Shamanism [Tradition]

Good ability, though it seems like banishment should be a power (or an extension of an existing power like Ward). Caliphate Nights has a Spirit Sense power based on Second Sight -you could easily design your own based on your campaign's mythos. The "spirit possession" thing is intriguing - what shamanic tradition are you trying to model?

[quote[Necromancy [Tradition] [/quote]
Looks solid, though I wonder why a virtuous Necromancer couldn't learn Imbue Life, Purifying Light, or Psychic powers? I can see wanting to keep Imbue Life and Purifying Light as the realm of divine worshippers, but Psychic powers?

Sorcery [Tradition]

I like the feel, but are the "powers of Hell" limited to gouts of hellfire? I mean, what about betrayal, deceit, seduction and temptation? (i see you trying to accomodate that idea with the skill check bonus, but I'd like to see it more fully developed, perhaps like the various deities for the Disciple there could be "Departments" of hell).

 

[Turanil]

This is a new category of feats that is only available to Adepts. Every adept in the setting, at 1st-level, must choose a single Tradition feat for free. This represents the adept's chosen form of magic.

Well, maybe don't give those feats for free. Rather, explain these are alternate Talents/Core Abilities for the adept. Then, the regular Adept's talent (i.e.: use a conviction point to use a power they don't know or to reduce fatigue gained from spellcasting) could be considered the new Academic Magus tradition, of scholarly mages who extensively study spellbooks and academic treatises on magic.