Ascension ability questions

[eduar]

hi thanks

for feats, divine abilities..., the bonus squared X 1000

if i craft an amulet +5 automatic metamagic capacity the cost is 25,000

 

[Upper_Krust]

Ahoy there eduar dude!

hi thanks

Happy to help.

for feats, divine abilities..., the bonus squared X 1000

if i craft an amulet +5 automatic metamagic capacity the cost is 25,000

Yes. But remember that +6 or above is x10,000 not x1000.

Also if the bonus is in a weapon then its x2000, or x20,000 for +6 or above.

 

[eduar]

hi

3 questions

first, the weapon mastery feat apply to perfect weapon focus divine, perfect weapon specialization, etc?

second why the divine bonus don't apply to damage?

third the alter reality cosmic ability add bonus to SR, AC and DC?

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hey guys meant to have a website update tonight, it will definately happen sometime Monday and another on Tuesday and possibly Wednesday too.

hi

Howdy eduar mate!

3 questions

Fire away.

first, the weapon mastery feat apply to perfect weapon focus divine, perfect weapon specialization, etc?

Yes.

second why the divine bonus don't apply to damage?

I vaguely recollect we debated this topic after the release and I think the consensus may have been that it should count towards damage. I remember I had an initial reason why it shouldn't but I can't remember that far back anymore, sorry.

third the alter reality cosmic ability add bonus to SR, AC and DC?

I think so.

 

[Betrayor]

Hello, as you can see I am new here....
I have a question and I didn't want to create a topic just for this.....
In Ascension it says that an outsider should be treated as a deity of the appropiate rank,so my question is:Would for example a Balor have more powers than it allready has in the Monster Manual?
In other words would I apply the hero-deity template to the balor?
Thanks for any answers....

Also I apologise for any mistakes as English is not my native tongue....

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hello,

Hey there Betrayor - cool screen name.

as you can see I am new here....

Welcome to the forums.

I have a question and I didn't want to create a topic just for this.....

Anyone should feel free to create topics as they wish.

In Ascension it says that an outsider should be treated as a deity of the appropiate rank, so my question is: Would for example a Balor have more powers than it allready has in the Monster Manual?

In other words would I apply the hero-deity template to the balor?

I wouldn't apply the Hero-deity Template on top of the Balor's existing powers. What you could do is build your own Balor by taking a 20 Hit Dice demon, giving it the hero-deity template and maybe the Fire and Chaos Portfolios, with Death Throes as one of its Divine Abilities for instance.

So the Balor is already Hero-deity equivalent - even if it is lacking a few things (like divine bonuses to AC and so forth), but you could rebuild aspects of the Balor.

Thanks for any answers....

Always happy to help.

Also I apologise for any mistakes as English is not my native tongue....

No need to apologise for that.

 

[Ltheb Silverfrond]

U_K!

Actually, I have some questions concerning Ascension. I think I (or someone else) had asked some of these long ago, but a lengthy search produced no results.

I may be soon in be running a 3.5E IH game. It'll be sandbox-y romp through the forgotten realms, and a giant train wreck of awesome. The PCs will be starting at level 1, and the game will go on as long as the PCs live or care to continue. (I can't conceive they'd get higher level than Greater God, but who knows) Given this brand of insanity, I have some questions on the 3E Ascension rules, rulings, and interpretations.

[sblock]
1. Effects. I get that taking an effect 1-4 times produced one potent effect, or several lesser ones, but the fifth time grants all the effects at full power, and the sixth makes them 'friendly-fire safe'. Also, you included some rulings on 'combining effects' where if I wanted to use both a Fire Beam and a Lightning Beam, I would apply some ratio of the effect's power together, for the end result. If a deity is in the position to be able to use two different kinds of effects in the same turn or round, should this ratio-limit apply? For example:
Bob has Uncanny Fire Mastery, and Uncanny Lightning Mastery. On Bob's turn, Bob already has his Fire Storm aura active. Can he then ALSO shoot a Lightning Beam at full strength? What if later in the round, he takes damage, can he use either of his Blood effects on his attacker?
Further, If a deity has a 'rank 5/6' effect, can they use it to use all of their effects in a single round, or would they need to split their HD for it, or just limited to one at a time? (difficult to adjudicate blood/Immolation in this case, since they are reactionary)

2. Ascension. Basically, since I don't want this game to drag, I plan on completely ignoring that rule about '1 level per adventure' If the Level 1 PCs earn 800k Xp in their first adventure, some how, well darn it they are level 20-something now. (there is a lot of content in the realms as far as potential adventures, but not ~80 some levels of it) Along the way, I will also be tracking any Worship Points, Power, etc the PC will have accumulated. Given that adventures are greedy, power-hungry psychopaths regardless of alignment, they will likely have a few deities in the party pretty quick. (Maybe a few disciples/prophets early on) Do you have any advice concerning administering portfolio trials? I plan to work some of the easier ones into the adventures themselves, but Ascension is pretty vague on the concept other than you do them when you first become a god to earn your portfolios.

3. Virtual Size Categories. What to do about them? The consensus was, if I am not mistaken, that they can get out of hand pretty easily. (I recall an example where a hypothetical Greater God of Strength could tack on far, far too many and sunder the omniverse; actually, I think you fixed that issue when you re-wrote the portfolios, but you know players: If they see an advantage, they will abuse it) At the levels of play where the game mechanics still vaguely apply (1-40), they probably won't be a problem. (And in fact, will help rebalance the gap between casters and non-casters)

4. Pantheons. Specifically, the insanely massive Forgotten Realms Pantheon. I know it's a giant train-wreck, but I want to keep everything as 'Forgotten-realms cannon' as possible. The realms has the most unbalanced Pantheon ever. More greater Gods than anything else, and certain portfolios (*Cough*Magic*Cough*) are more 'valuable' in the in setting context. Short of ret-coning deities' ranks, any suggestions? I can 'spell-plague' about half of them out of existence, but that only goes so far...
[/sblock]

 

[Belzamus]

I know you're probably looking for an official answer from U_K, but for what it's worth, my personal "fix" for VSCs has been to double the required strength needed for one every ten VSCs.

So, you'd get the first 10 VSCs for every 15 points over average; the next 10 VSCs for every 30 points beyond that, etc. It doesn't completely fix the problem, but slows it down significantly with uber-strong entities.

 

[Upper_Krust]

U_K!

Howdy Ltheb mate!

Actually, I have some questions concerning Ascension. I think I (or someone else) had asked some of these long ago, but a lengthy search produced no results.

I'm always happy to help amigo.

I may be soon in be running a 3.5E IH game. It'll be sandbox-y romp through the forgotten realms, and a giant train wreck of awesome. The PCs will be starting at level 1, and the game will go on as long as the PCs live or care to continue. (I can't conceive they'd get higher level than Greater God, but who knows)

Kewl. Have fun.

Given this brand of insanity, I have some questions on the 3E Ascension rules, rulings, and interpretations.

Fire away.

1. Effects. I get that taking an effect 1-4 times produced one potent effect, or several lesser ones, but the fifth time grants all the effects at full power, and the sixth makes them 'friendly-fire safe'. Also, you included some rulings on 'combining effects' where if I wanted to use both a Fire Beam and a Lightning Beam, I would apply some ratio of the effect's power together, for the end result. If a deity is in the position to be able to use two different kinds of effects in the same turn or round, should this ratio-limit apply?

For example:
Bob has Uncanny Fire Mastery, and Uncanny Lightning Mastery. On Bob's turn, Bob already has his Fire Storm aura active. Can he then ALSO shoot a Lightning Beam at full strength? What if later in the round, he takes damage, can he use either of his Blood effects on his attacker?

Bob can use either power, or combine either power to any degree (99% fire + 1% lightning, or 50% fire + 50% lightning etc.)

The only thing I would stipulate is that he make a note of always active stuff (like auras) before something is attacked by it. Also if he had the aura set to be 100% fire and then wanted to change that to 50% fire/50% lightning that it would consciously take an action (DMs discretion as to exactly how much of an action) to change it.

Further, If a deity has a 'rank 5/6' effect, can they use it to use all of their effects in a single round, or would they need to split their HD for it, or just limited to one at a time? (difficult to adjudicate blood/Immolation in this case, since they are reactionary)

To use multiple proactive effects in the same round you need to split the HD value.

2. Ascension. Basically, since I don't want this game to drag, I plan on completely ignoring that rule about '1 level per adventure' If the Level 1 PCs earn 800k Xp in their first adventure, some how, well darn it they are level 20-something now. (there is a lot of content in the realms as far as potential adventures, but not ~80 some levels of it) Along the way, I will also be tracking any Worship Points, Power, etc the PC will have accumulated. Given that adventures are greedy, power-hungry psychopaths regardless of alignment, they will likely have a few deities in the party pretty quick. (Maybe a few disciples/prophets early on)

Fair enough.

Do you have any advice concerning administering portfolio trials? I plan to work some of the easier ones into the adventures themselves, but Ascension is pretty vague on the concept other than you do them when you first become a god to earn your portfolios.

Not sure what more advice I could give thats not suggested in the book...if you have a published adventure lying about then just tweak the details and use that.

3. Virtual Size Categories. What to do about them? The consensus was, if I am not mistaken, that they can get out of hand pretty easily. (I recall an example where a hypothetical Greater God of Strength could tack on far, far too many and sunder the omniverse; actually, I think you fixed that issue when you re-wrote the portfolios, but you know players: If they see an advantage, they will abuse it) At the levels of play where the game mechanics still vaguely apply (1-40), they probably won't be a problem. (And in fact, will help rebalance the gap between casters and non-casters)

I think the game will break down in and around Greater God levels, maybe slightly before that if your players are searching for every statistical advantage. But I personally wouldn't start to worry about it until they get to ECL 100+.

4. Pantheons. Specifically, the insanely massive Forgotten Realms Pantheon. I know it's a giant train-wreck, but I want to keep everything as 'Forgotten-realms cannon' as possible. The realms has the most unbalanced Pantheon ever. More greater Gods than anything else, and certain portfolios (*Cough*Magic*Cough*) are more 'valuable' in the in setting context. Short of ret-coning deities' ranks, any suggestions? I can 'spell-plague' about half of them out of existence, but that only goes so far...

If the adventure is only set within the Forgotten Realms universe then why do you really need to balance/rebalance their Pantheon?

Personally though I'd drop the whole Faerunian bunch down a divine status. Most of their Greater Gods should really be Intermediate in my opinion. If you have to, try to pick no more than 4 Greater Gods.

 

[Betrayor]

Hey, UK thanls for the answers.....

I have one more question and then I can start the game.....

Do you think it would be okay to give to an Epic character ,who does not have divine ranks, divine abilities?

For example could a 60 level Wizard who hates the gods and wants nothing to do with them take divine abilities instead of 6 feats....

As always any answers are appreciated.....