Custom divine abilities, portfolios, etc.

[Nezkrul]

just some questions...

there's probably an FAQ but I can't find it, my internet-fu is lacking...

1. On "Legendary [ability score]"; what all gets doubled and what doesn't? For instance, does it double rage or frenzy bonuses? enhancement bonuses? inherent bonuses? divinity template bonuses?

2. Are cosmic abilities esoteric for creatures with a divinity template greater than +80 ecl but have less than Divine Rank 24? For instance, I am working up a 100 HD berserker deity with a +119 ECL template with only DvR 23 so he's not a sidereal. Double Strength portfolio, would "Legendary Strength" be esoteric for him?

3. New divine ability idea-

Nature Lord

prerequisite- any neutral alignment
benefit- You gain the Woodling template (MM3, pg 199)

4. (edit) Unearthly Weapon Specialization; if I'm using a x4 weapon for it, does it multiply all static mods as well (like strength, enhancement, etc.) for a normal hit, and super multiplies on a crit?

 

[Upper_Krust]

there's probably an FAQ but I can't find it, my internet-fu is lacking...

No worries amigo - fire away.

1. On "Legendary [ability score]"; what all gets doubled and what doesn't? For instance, does it double rage or frenzy bonuses? enhancement bonuses? inherent bonuses? divinity template bonuses?

Your inherent strength score gets doubled. Including divinity template (or any other template) bonuses.

It doesn't double additional rage bonuses.
It doesn't double bonuses from magic items or spells.

2. Are cosmic abilities esoteric for creatures with a divinity template greater than +80 ecl but have less than Divine Rank 24? For instance, I am working up a 100 HD berserker deity with a +119 ECL template with only DvR 23 so he's not a sidereal. Double Strength portfolio, would "Legendary Strength" be esoteric for him?

If its an NPC I wouldn't worry whether its esoteric or not.

3. New divine ability idea-

Nature Lord

prerequisite- any neutral alignment
benefit- You gain the Woodling template (MM3, pg 199)

I had a look over the Woodling Template and its Level Adjustment +3 (Gives poison and stun immunity (among other things) and base AC goes up by 7.

In my opinion its too powerful for a single Divine Ability...although I guess its up to the DM.

4. (edit) Unearthly Weapon Specialization; if I'm using a x4 weapon for it, does it multiply all static mods as well (like strength, enhancement, etc.) for a normal hit, and super multiplies on a crit?

Does a normal critical hit it 3E multiply strength and enhancement bonuses? (I can't remember). If so, then this ability multiplies everything the same way.

 

[Nezkrul]

Half-Dragon (Dragon Lord divine ability) gives 4 ac and +8 str +2 con +2 int +2 cha, sleep/paralysis immunity, and a energy type immunity of your choice (no vulnerability); IMO Woodling is in line with the power gain of that one, hence why I presented it (natural ac doesn't help against the unerring weapon special ability; nor any other types of touch attacks)

Thanks for the answers though; but on to more questions

1. Spell Shot divine ability; only requires 25 spellcraft ranks and 11 int (+1 per time you take the ability); what spells can you shoot? I see no prerequisite of "must be able to cast the spell you want to shoot as ammo"; is it literally what ever spell the character knows to exist that can feasibly be used as an "attack"? what about spells that don't use attack rolls? (charm person, grease, fireball, magic missile, etc.) Ranged touch attack spells are still ranged touch? Does your ammo allow spell resistance if the spell it emulates allows it? Saves (if any) and how are they calculated? What is the caster level for your "ammo"? What is the range of the spell shot? Can you shoot buffs at your allies? Healing spells at your allies?
This ability is really intriguing to me

2. How do you adjudicate VSC's for weight gain when the character in question ends up weighing as much as the earth? (+24 VSC's from having 370 base strength as a medium creature) Should I just say "he weighs 100 tons" or something? Mjolnir effect (no one can lift him if he doesn't want them too)? Does he have his own gravitational field (ala the living room objects floating around Peter Griffin's gut)?

3. If opposing combatants both have Seventh Sense (or Eighth/Ninth/etc.) do those abilities negate each other for the purposes of making combat faster?

4. clarifying Unbridled Rage divine ability increases the duration of the rage/frenzy ability? IOW does it count the +2 con bonus it gives each round for making the rage/frenzy last longer?

5. Robilar's Gambit feat; PHB2 for 3.5e; in your opinion can that feat be used if the character who has it is raging/frenzying?

6. Tome of Battle question; Thicket of Blades stance, in your opinion can this stance be maintained (assuming he was already using it at the time, which is allowed by the book's rules) if the character enters rage/frenzy?

7. Can the (Ex) ability "Scent" be used by a character that is in rage/frenzy?

8. Can [Effect] divine abilities be used against targets that would normally be immune to their effects because of the target's base creature type? (can you withering strike (str.) a vampire's strength score or is he immune?)

9. Stronger Soul (double Strength portfolio ability for greater deity); does it add to your regeneration score AND fast healing score if you happen to have both or do you have to pick one?

10. Since deities are Outsiders, do they gain their alignments as creature subtypes? For instance, would a Lawful Good Halfling character who ascends to hero deity from prophet have the creature type: Outsider (augmented Humanoid (halfling, good, lawful)? or would he just be Outsider (augmented Humanoid (halfling))? If yes, then this would translate into them bestowing their alignment upon their natural and weapon attacks yes? (normal outsiders with alignment subtypes do this, that's why I'm asking)

11. Been wondering this for a while but can't find any evidence to support or deny it; but; do deities gain the Domain Ability(ies) associated with their portfolio domains?


just as a funny little excerpt but that berserker deity I'm working on has 484 strength not raging/frenzying; his LIGHT LOAD is:
107,081,813,398,185,393,778,774,245.376 tons (thats in units of 2000lbs.) (one hunred seven septillion, eighty one sextillion, eight hundred thirteen quintillion, three hundred ninety eight quadrillion ... tons)
I suppose that massive weight would only apply if earth's gravity were in effect on it, but according to science the earth weighs 2,200,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 lbs (thats only two septillion two hundred sextillion pounds).

 

[Mr.Satan]

Energetic Force (Su)
Benefit: Choose 1 of following each round: [Acid], [Cold], [Electricity], [Fire], or [Sonic].
Your [Force] damage functions as 50% energy (chosen descriptor) damage.
You can change your descriptor from round to round. This does not count as an action.
Special: You can gain this ability multiple times.
Each time an additional descriptor can be added to your [Force] damage.

Divine...or cosmic? I find it comparable to Energy Substitution (a subepic feat), albeit, a bit more flexible in that it can apply to any ability, spell, etc. with the [Force] descriptor, but less flexible in that, unlike Energy Substitution (which can apply to any spell with any energy descriptor), it ONLY applies to abilities, etc. with the [Force] descriptor.

There are feats that already do something similar, but I wanted to merge them into a divine ability.

I would also like to know how much damage it would take to penetrate the crust of the earth. Would 1,600 points be sufficient?

 

[Nezkrul]

some more questions;

in regards to Metamagic Freedom, if I apply Extend Spell more than once, is a double double in this case a triple or is it a quadruple? (and a double triple = quadruple or x8?)

does Weapon Abatement function once a round on every weapon that hits you, or just once ever per weapon?

also, I assume that Automatic Metamagic Capacity always counts metamagic feats you use as at least +1 even if they would be free on the spell you are applying it to? (espeically with regards to Metamagic Freedom; Incantatrix's 10th level ability (improved metamagic -1 slot mod on all metamagics min +1) and the Arcane Thesis feat from PHB2 (-1 slot mod on all metamagics for your thesis spell min +0; with that combo, Empower Spell would be free on a thesis'd disintegrate so I could apply it infinite times with metamagic freedom (so this one counts additional adds as at least +1 as well right?))

 

[Mr.Satan]

I'd probably make it so those metamagic feats were free initially, but had their usual cost for each subsequent iteration of said feat. Those feats that reduce metamagic costs were never intended for use with Krusty's feats, but since they do exist, I'd allow the reduction to occur once.

For example...

Empower gets reduced to +0 spell slot cost.

A second Empowerment is added. It has Empower's normal spell slot increase.

At least...that's how I'd do it.

Also...a 370 base strength (if you assume a base of 15...as it should be a base of 15 for a 6 ft. character or else you look emaciated since by the charts a 10 strength is either a 4 ft. tall tough guy or a 6 ft. twig) would have a weight of...

280 lb. (average weight for a 6 ft. character with a 15 strength) x (2 (to the power of 35.5)) so about 13,605,762,239,892.704 lb.? I'm probably off, but there are a lot math geniuses on here that could help.

Weight basically doubles for every 10 points above 10 (if you're 4 ft. and buff or 6 ft. and emaciated) or 15 (if you're 6 ft. and buff).

 

[Nezkrul]

only slot mod feat I'm using is Arcane Thesis; the other is a class feature for Incantatrix

 

[Mr.Satan]

I'd do the same for any other ability that functions in a similar manner. They'd only be applied to the first instance.

On an unrelated note...

I've come to the conclusion that I disagree with the notion of creatures having a "maximum" amount of Hit Dice for a particular size category. I base my belief around the idea that racial Hit Dice are not necessarily all about size or mass, but (similar to class levels) function like racial class levels. While I do believe that there should be a "minimum" amount of racial Hit Dice for a particular size category, a maximum just seems a bit...contrary to rational logic. Hit Dice are, after all, Hit Dice and simply because it is labeled, "racial" does not mean it is necessarily based solely upon one's mass.

For example...

If a bear were to get in a lot of fights vs. bears and other creatures in some sort of illegal arena, it would undoubtedly get tougher and become far more dangerous than other bears of it's size. It would not, however, gain ANY class levels or increase in mass or size. It would quite simply be...a bear. A really tough bear with lots of "Animal" Hit Dice. "Animal" would be it's effective class. It wouldn't gain class skills beyond those for it's race and type and it certainly wouldn't gain weapon or armor proficiencies. It also wouldn't gain bonus feats or class-based abilities, because it's...just a bear. Admittedly, a lean, tough bear that can rip a paladin's legs off, but still...a bear.

So...in my campaigns I'll definitely be ignoring the "maximum" racial Hit Dice limits, as I view racial Hit Dice as being class-like, rather than entirely based upon a creature's mass.

 

[Nezkrul]

Can you apply a Strike effect's bonus damage to your ranged weapon attacks (like a crossbow)?

If I have Uncanny Weapon Specialization (heavy crossbow); are my bolts fired treated as being made of appropriately dense materials?

Does the Epic feat "Distant Shot" allow rogues to sneak attack at any distance, or for scouts to apply their skirmish damage at any distance?

 

[Mr.Satan]

I actually have no idea, but I'd allow it. I really don't know why that wasn't covered. It's possible it may have been assumed to do that already.

If Krusty were around he could answer that, but Krusty is a bit mysterious. :\

Why Krusty?!?! Why?!?! Why hast thou forsaken us!?!?

(Please note...I'm kidding. We're aware you have a life beyond this forum. )

..............and........for fans of robocop (and similar fantasy cyborgs), I present the Cyber Creature and Cyber Knight.

Cyber Creature

Cyber creatures, techno-organic organisms, are the ultimate expression of cybernetic life.

Creating a Cyber Creature

“Cyber Creature” is a template that can be added to any corporeal, living creature (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”).

The cyber creature uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities, except, as noted here.

Special Qualities: A cyber creature retains the special qualities of the base creature and gains the following:

- Computer Link (Ex): As a move action, a cyber creature can link with any computer it can reach, using short filaments that extend from it's fingertips (or equivalent). Once the physical link it achieved, the cyber creature can use the computer to accomplish complex computer-related tasks more quickly than normal. A task that normally requires 1 or more minutes to complete on the computer takes a full-round action instead, while a task that normally takes 1or more hours takes 1 minute instead. The DC of the skill check increases by 5, however, as the cyber creature trades caution for expedience.
A cyber creature retains it's Dexterity bonus to armor class while linked to a computer. Disconnecting from the computer is a free action, and a linked cyber creature who takes an attack action automatically severs the link. The link is also broken the moment the cyber creature can no longer reach the computer.

- Cybernetic Adaptability (Ex): A cyber creature can have an additional number of cybernetic attachments equal to it's level. Improper removal of a cybernetic attachment installed on a cyber creature causes 1d4 points of temporary Constitution damage (instead of 1d4 points of permanent Constitution drain, as normal). See Chapter 11:Cybernetics of D20 Future for details.

Abilities: A cyber creature gains +2 to Constitution, -2 to Wisdom and Charisma. Intelligence and Wisdom are at least 3.

Skills: A cyber creature gains a +2 racial bonus on Computer Use checks.

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +0.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +0.


Cyber Knight

[Description]

Creating a Cyber Knight

“Cyber Knight” is a template that can be added to any Aleerin or cyber creature (referred to hereafter as the “base creature”).

The cyber knight uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities, except, as noted here.

Armor Class: A cyber knight retains the armor bonuses of the base creature and gains the following:

- Natural Armor Bonus (Ex): A cyber knight gains an armor bonus equal to it's Hit Dice.

Special Qualities: A cyber knight retains all the special qualities of the base creature and gains the following:

- Damage Reduction (Ex): A cyber knight gains damage reduction equal to half it's Hit Dice/ - .

- Fast Healing (Ex): A cyber knight gains fast healing equal to half it's Hit Dice.

- Indelible Implants (Ex): A cyber knight's cybernetic implants are no longer susceptible to attacks, EMP, or massive damage, unless the cyber knight is dead (NB: Undead is not dead.), as they are fully integrated with the cyber knight's D.N.A. and physiology and have decentralized and redundant (i.e. backup) components. Thus, attempts to attack a cyber knight's implants, instead, damage the cyber knight itself and EMP and massive damage have no effect upon them. Furthermore, they are no longer vulnerable to electricity.

- Robosoul (Ex): A cyber knight can gain robot accessories, components, and upgrades as cybernetic implants; and can gain robot feats as if it were a robot (biodroid and bioreplica accessories, components, feats, and upgrades only). It must, however, meet all other prerequisites for all accessories, components, feats, and upgrades.

Abilities: A cyber knight gains +2 Strength.

Challenge Rating: Same as base creature +10.

Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +15.