Basically, I'm writing up a set of house rules that work with the flavor of my campaign world I'm building. I haven't been able to test anything, and right now am doing everything on paper. The biggest change would be to magical classes. It's important to note that feats will be given out every two levels. Here are those changes: (you'll notice a lot of inspiration from UA)
Complete removal of Paladin, Cleric, Druid, and Sorcerer. Some of their spells might be added to the Arcane caster list. I'm not sure about Cure spells. Removal of all-spell casting ability of Ranger and Bards.
Rangers. Gain some of the benefits of the Scout class and can progress both with Favored Terrain and Favored Enemy(given both at level 1 and can choose which to enhance every 5 levels after).
Bard. which I need help with, will be given a single choice out of the following (small) melee bonuses: Sneak Attack, Range(Throwing Knives) feats, and Swashbuckler-style fighting. The part I actually need help with: this Bard is now more focused on music/poetry/story-telling to take the place of their magic, not exactly, but in terms of usefulness.
Fighting Style Monks.
Totem-based Barbarians.
Fighters. Lose level their 2 feat. Gain "Favored Fighting Styles" at level 5, 9, 13, 17. I have not developed these, but they are pretty much bonuses based on archetypes that have prerequisites. Like a style based on being an Archer who snipes from far away, or a dreadnought type character that is given bull-rush style bonuses, or a defender type that uses their shield as a weapon, or a swashbuckler type, ect. Prerequisites would be feats that match the bonuses given, in addition to the Fighter have to at least once perform that fighting style(like bull-rush a large amount of targets once in his career to select the dreadnought favored fighting style). A Fighter can choose to gain a new Favored fighting style instead of increase the strength of a previous one. If a Fighter meets no prerequisites or simply wants it, he will gain the "Battle-Hardened" fighting style, which gives a +1 Initiative, +1 AC against AoO, and +1 Attack with AoO per bonus.
Finally, the Wizard class is split into 8 specialist classes, exactly as listed in UA. It's impossible to be a 'main-stream' Wizard. They still keep their bonus spell, unlike the variant, but half the spells they prepare must be of their specialized school. Thinking about giving them a d6 hit die.
Added Classes:
Artificer and Spellthief.
Knight. 4 + INT Modifier skills. Gain Heal and all Knowledge skills except Arcana and Nature.
Dragon Shamans. In this setting, they are worshiping a dragonic race/god(it's not an option otherwise).
Mage Blade and Champion, from Arcana Unearthed. Not completely sure, would like to hear opinions on these.
A Shaman class with limited spell casting that is almost completely based on elements who also abide to the totems they share with Barbarians. I have not developed or found any classes to based this on. I was considering Dragon Shamans, but decided to make it a class on it's own, since dragon gods are one of the few worshiped ones. (Use WIS as main spell casting stat).
I know this is a lot of information to give out at once... but its fine, even encouraged, that anyone reading this focuses on one of the above variants instead of all of them when giving their opinion. I'm especially looking for a Bard that fits what I'm trying to describe(at least the focus on songs portion). And to a lesser degree the same for a totem-based shaman that focuses on elemental magic.
I'm looking to limit the amount of cure spells somewhat. I'm thinking about using "Reserve Points" for this, which is simply having a number of HP you can cure yourself with on hand when not distracted. I think adding all the cure spells to a school of magic might make that school over powered.
For lore purposes(to put some understanding): Gods outside of some nature/elemental spirits play a very small role in the world. In addition, there is no Divine magic, but simply Arcane and only Arcane magic. Religions vary from each other, from transcendentalism, diabolism, worshiping of family spirits(primary Dwarves, Gnolls, and Gnomes), worshiping of nature(primary Trolls, Halflings, Orcs, and some Goblinoids), worshiping of a sun-based god(primary Humans) and worshiping of two Parthenons of Dragon and Elf Gods(primary Elves, Kobolds, some Gobliniods, Lizardfolk, and Minotaur). And atheism of course.
Continent is split into many regions, but four most important regions would be a
: Elven magic empire, uncivilized land for nomads, a stripe of many small Dwarven democracies, and Hobgoblin socialist empire. In between are Human theocracies or democracies and at least one nation made up completely of Gnolls and a Vampiric subrace of Elves. In this setting, at least on this continent humans are not the most successful or expansive or technologically advance race, but play a role similar to Halflings or Dwarves in other settings.
Complete removal of Paladin, Cleric, Druid, and Sorcerer. Some of their spells might be added to the Arcane caster list. I'm not sure about Cure spells. Removal of all-spell casting ability of Ranger and Bards.
Rangers. Gain some of the benefits of the Scout class and can progress both with Favored Terrain and Favored Enemy(given both at level 1 and can choose which to enhance every 5 levels after).
Bard. which I need help with, will be given a single choice out of the following (small) melee bonuses: Sneak Attack, Range(Throwing Knives) feats, and Swashbuckler-style fighting. The part I actually need help with: this Bard is now more focused on music/poetry/story-telling to take the place of their magic, not exactly, but in terms of usefulness.
Fighting Style Monks.
Totem-based Barbarians.
Fighters. Lose level their 2 feat. Gain "Favored Fighting Styles" at level 5, 9, 13, 17. I have not developed these, but they are pretty much bonuses based on archetypes that have prerequisites. Like a style based on being an Archer who snipes from far away, or a dreadnought type character that is given bull-rush style bonuses, or a defender type that uses their shield as a weapon, or a swashbuckler type, ect. Prerequisites would be feats that match the bonuses given, in addition to the Fighter have to at least once perform that fighting style(like bull-rush a large amount of targets once in his career to select the dreadnought favored fighting style). A Fighter can choose to gain a new Favored fighting style instead of increase the strength of a previous one. If a Fighter meets no prerequisites or simply wants it, he will gain the "Battle-Hardened" fighting style, which gives a +1 Initiative, +1 AC against AoO, and +1 Attack with AoO per bonus.
Finally, the Wizard class is split into 8 specialist classes, exactly as listed in UA. It's impossible to be a 'main-stream' Wizard. They still keep their bonus spell, unlike the variant, but half the spells they prepare must be of their specialized school. Thinking about giving them a d6 hit die.
Added Classes:
Artificer and Spellthief.
Knight. 4 + INT Modifier skills. Gain Heal and all Knowledge skills except Arcana and Nature.
Dragon Shamans. In this setting, they are worshiping a dragonic race/god(it's not an option otherwise).
Mage Blade and Champion, from Arcana Unearthed. Not completely sure, would like to hear opinions on these.
A Shaman class with limited spell casting that is almost completely based on elements who also abide to the totems they share with Barbarians. I have not developed or found any classes to based this on. I was considering Dragon Shamans, but decided to make it a class on it's own, since dragon gods are one of the few worshiped ones. (Use WIS as main spell casting stat).
I know this is a lot of information to give out at once... but its fine, even encouraged, that anyone reading this focuses on one of the above variants instead of all of them when giving their opinion. I'm especially looking for a Bard that fits what I'm trying to describe(at least the focus on songs portion). And to a lesser degree the same for a totem-based shaman that focuses on elemental magic.
I'm looking to limit the amount of cure spells somewhat. I'm thinking about using "Reserve Points" for this, which is simply having a number of HP you can cure yourself with on hand when not distracted. I think adding all the cure spells to a school of magic might make that school over powered.
For lore purposes(to put some understanding): Gods outside of some nature/elemental spirits play a very small role in the world. In addition, there is no Divine magic, but simply Arcane and only Arcane magic. Religions vary from each other, from transcendentalism, diabolism, worshiping of family spirits(primary Dwarves, Gnolls, and Gnomes), worshiping of nature(primary Trolls, Halflings, Orcs, and some Goblinoids), worshiping of a sun-based god(primary Humans) and worshiping of two Parthenons of Dragon and Elf Gods(primary Elves, Kobolds, some Gobliniods, Lizardfolk, and Minotaur). And atheism of course.
Continent is split into many regions, but four most important regions would be a
: Elven magic empire, uncivilized land for nomads, a stripe of many small Dwarven democracies, and Hobgoblin socialist empire. In between are Human theocracies or democracies and at least one nation made up completely of Gnolls and a Vampiric subrace of Elves. In this setting, at least on this continent humans are not the most successful or expansive or technologically advance race, but play a role similar to Halflings or Dwarves in other settings.
Last edited:
