Designing the Perfect D&D

[the Jester]

(No, I haven't worked out my "xp value of monsters/challenges" yet. Magic items are coming first.)

POTIONS (Consumable)

Creation: For a creature to create a potion, it must know the Brew Potion ritual. Each potion takes one day to brew. Procedures for potion brewing include distillation, evaporation, sublimation, heating, cooling, etc. The base ingredient is water, so there is no base cost.

Identifying a Potion: When a creature takes a tiny sip of a potion, it gets a hint of the potion's nature. For example, a potion of water breathing might make the taster salivate heavily and have a slight difficulty breathing air. Drinking more than a sip but less than a full dose of a potion usually has no effect; if the character drinks the rest of the potion by the end of the next round, it takes effect; otherwise, there is not enough of it to have an effect. Some larger bottles obviously hold multiple doses of a potion. (A standard “dose” of a potion is about 1 fluid ounce- roughly the equivalent of a shot of liquor. So a single dose of a potion is small.

Use: It takes a minor action to drink a potion or a standard action to feed one to a willing or unconscious ally. Feeding a potion to an ally provokes opportunity attacks. Potions do not take effect until the start of the round after which a creature drinks them.

POTION TYPES

d12 Roll --- Potion Type
1 --- Potion of Climbing
2 --- Potion of Delusion
3 --- Potion of Eloquence
4 --- Potion of Energy Resistance
5-7 --- Potion of Healing
8 --- Potion of Heroism
9 --- Potion of Invisibility
10 --- Potion of Poison
11 --- Potion of Speed
12 --- Potion of Water Breathing

Potion of Climbing
Creation: Processes: 2; Components: 50 gp; Ingredients: The leg of a small or larger creature with a climb speed.
Effect: When this potion takes effect, you gain a climb speed equal to your land speed for 1 minute.

Potion of Delusion
Creation: Accidental.
Effect: This potion appears to be a random type of beneficial potion (roll randomly). When it takes effect, you are deluded into thinking it has the expected effect (save ends on a 16+).

Potion of Eloquence
Creation: Processes: 4; Components: 250 gp; Ingredients: The tongue of a creature that speaks with a Charisma of 16.
Effect: When this potion takes effect, you gain a +3 bonus to skill checks in which eloquence plays a part. This effect lasts for ten minutes.

Potion of Energy Resistance
Creation: Processes: 4; Components: 150 gp; Ingredients: The heart of a creature with resist 5 or better of the type granted by the potion.
Effect: When this potion takes effect, you gain resist 5 against one of the following energy types, determined at random, for one minute:

d12 Roll --- Type of Resistance Granted
1-2 --- Cold
3-4 --- Electricity
5-6 --- Fire
7-8 --- Lightning
9 --- Necrotic
10 --- Psychic
11 --- Radiant
12 --- Thunder

Potion of Healing
Creation: Processes: 2; Components: 50 gp; Ingredients: The tears of a good priest.
Effect: When this potion takes effect, you regain 1d10+2 hit points. If you are suffering from ability damage, you instead regain 1d4 points of the attribute with the most ability damage.

Potion of Heroism
Creation: Processes: 5; Components: 300 gp; Ingredients: The heart of a 6th or higher level creature.
Effect: When this potion takes effect, you gain a +4 bonus on melee attack and damage rolls. This effect lasts until the end of the next round (save continues on a 13+).

Potion of Invisibility
Creation: Processes: 5; Components: 150 gp; Ingredients: Six pixie wings.
Effect: When this potion takes effect, you become invisible until you attack or until the end of the next round (save continues on a 13+ if you have not attacked).

Potion of Poison
Creation: Accidental.
Effect: This potion appears to be a random type of beneficial potion (roll randomly). When it takes effect, you suffer 2d4 plus ongoing 2 points of lethal poison damage to a random ability score (save ends on an 11+).

Potion of Speed
Creation: Processes: 4; Components: 500 gp; Ingredients: The feet of a creature with a speed of 45' or greater.
Effect: When this potion takes effect, you gain a +1 bonus to initiative and a +2 bonus to speed until the end of the next round (save continues on a 6+).

Potion of Water Breathing
Creation: Processes: 2; Components: 100 gp; Ingredients: The gills of a medium or larger creature that can breathe water.
Effect: When this potion takes effect, you gain the ability to breathe water for one hour.
Special: Water breathing potions may be split between as many as six creatures.

SCROLLS (Consumable)
Creation: For a creature to create a scroll, it must know the Scribe Scroll ritual. Procedures for scribing scrolls include illumination, varnishing, washing, etc.; such procedures also sometimes include making the ink, parchment or vellum itself.

Identifying a Scroll: Anyone literate who examines a scroll can tell what it contains.

Use: It takes a standard action to use a scroll. To use a spell or prayer scroll safely, you must be able to cast spells or prayers.

SCROLL TYPES

d20 Roll --- Scroll Type
1 --- Cursed Scroll
2 --- Identifying Scroll
3 --- Mapping Scroll
4-8 --- Prayer Scroll (lesser)
9-10 --- Prayer Scroll (moderate)
11 --- Prayer Scroll (greater)
12 --- Protection Scroll
13-17 --- Spell Scroll (lesser)
18-19 --- Spell Scroll (moderate)
20 --- Spell Scroll (greater)

Cursed Scroll
Creation: Accidental.
Effect: When you so much as glance at this scroll, its power activates. A cursed scroll may have any number of effects, determined by rolling on the table below.

01-10: Body Burn (the failed scroll deals 2d6 points each Str, Dex and Con damage to you).
11-30: Failed Prayer (roll a random prayer of valence 1d4+1; it either immediately takes effect against you or takes effect as soon as it can apply against you in a meaningful way).
31-40: Insidious Curse (a long-lasting effect that brings you unhappiness and misery, such as a rain cloud that hovers over you, an odor you cannot be rid of, etc. remains with you until removed by a remove curse ritual)
41-50: Mind Burn (the failed scroll deals 2d6 points each Int, Wis and Cha damage to you).
51-60: Psychic Dissonance (make a spell attack vs. Will with a +3 bonus against each creature within 40' of you; if you hit, it attacks you with intent to kill on its next turn, save ends on a 13+).
61-70: Psychic Feedback (make a spell attack vs. Will with a +3 bonus against yourself and each creature within 40' of you; if you hit, the target suffers 3d10 points of psychic damage).
71-80: Reality Warp (you and each creature within 30' of you are teleported to a random location 1d100 miles away, usually somewhere dangerous).
81-00: Spell Backfire (roll a random spell of valence 1d4+1; it either immediately takes effect against you or takes effect as soon as it can apply against you in a meaningful way).

Identifying Scroll
Creation: Processes: 2; Components: 100 gp; Time: 6 days; Ingredients: The eyes of a wizard of at least 3rd level.
Effect: When you read this scroll and hold it over a magic item, the words writhe and change to reveal a complete description of that item's properties, including the recipe to create it. If the item is cursed, the curse is revealed, although it is impossible to create most cursed items intentionally.

Mapping Scroll
Creation: Processes: 4; Components: 750 gp; Time: 15 days; Ingredients: Dust from every room in a dungeon with at least 20 rooms.
Effect: When you read this scroll, the words vanish and its surface begins to map the area you are in as well as you can see it. It continues mapping as you move for one hour, but will show no more than an area 200' x 200'. The scroll creates icons for doors, pits, sarcophagi and other large features of the area mapped but will not show much detail, small objects or things you haven't noticed yourself. Once the scroll is full or the hour is up, the map remains as it is (although you can add to it with mundane means).

Prayer Scroll
Creation: Processes: 4; Components: 100 gp per valence on the scroll, plus the cost of any components required for the prayers on the scroll; Time: 3 days per valence on the scrolls; Ingredients: Varies; each prayer requires a separate component (and recipe).
Effect: When you read a prayer from a scroll, it takes effect as if you had cast it. If you cannot cast prayers, you must make a Charisma check on 1d10 + 1d6 per valence of the prayer. If you fail, the prayer is expended and, if your check result was an even number, the prayer takes effect against you or is reversed so as to be baneful to you. Determine the contents of the scroll randomly; determine a random domain for each prayer on the scroll (if possible based on the religion of the scribe) and determine its valence as indicated below.

Lesser --- Moderate --- Greater --- Number of Prayers on Scroll
01-65 --- 01-20 --- Nil --- One
66-90 --- 21-60 --- 01-20 --- Two
91-00 --- 61-90 --- 21-60 --- Three
Nil --- 91-00 --- 61-85 --- Four
Nil --- Nil --- 86-00 --- Five

Lesser --- Moderate --- Greater --- Valence of Prayer on Scroll
01-65 --- 01-20 --- Nil --- First
66-90 --- 21-50 --- 01-20 --- Second
91-00 --- 51-80 --- 21-50 --- Third
Nil --- 81-00 --- 51-80 --- Fourth
Nil --- Nil --- 81-00 --- Fifth

Protection Scroll
Creation: Processes: 3; Components: 6,000 gp; Time: 30 days; Ingredients: The liver of a 9th or higher level creature with the keyword that the scroll protects against.
Effect: When you read this scroll its characters begin to glow, and the scroll creates a 20' radius emanation that protects against certain types of supernatural creatures. Such creatures suffer a -4 penalty to attacks and damage against creatures or objects inside the emanation and cannot voluntarily enter the emanation. (However, if the creature ends up inside the emanation against its will, it can move around inside it normally.) The emanation lasts until the end of the next round, but you can sustain it by spending a standard action to continue to read the words on the scroll.

D6 --- Protection Against...
1 --- Constructs
2 --- Demons
3 --- Devils
4 --- Elementals
5 --- Shapechangers
6 --- Undead

Spell Scroll
Creation: Processes: 4; Components: 100 gp per valence on the scroll, plus the cost of any components required for the spells on the scroll; Time: 3 days per valence on the scrolls; Ingredients: Varies; each spell requires a separate component (and recipe).
Effect: When you read a spell from a scroll, it takes effect as if you had cast it. If you cannot cast spells, you must make a Charisma check on 1d10 + 1d6 per valence of the spell. If you fail, the spell is expended and, if your check result was an even number, the spell takes effect against you or is reversed so as to be baneful to you. Determine the contents of the scroll randomly; determine a random school for each spell on the scroll (if possible based on the schools available to the scribe) and determine its valence as indicated below.

Lesser --- Moderate --- Greater --- Number of Spells on Scroll
01-65 --- 01-20 --- Nil --- One
66-90 --- 21-60 --- 01-20 --- Two
91-00 --- 61-90 --- 21-60 --- Three
Nil --- 91-00 --- 61-85 --- Four
Nil --- Nil --- 86-00 --- Five

Lesser --- Moderate --- Greater --- Valence of Spell on Scroll
01-65 --- 01-20 --- Nil --- First
66-90 --- 21-50 --- 01-20 --- Second
91-00 --- 51-80 --- 21-50 --- Third
Nil --- 81-00 --- 51-80 --- Fourth
Nil --- Nil --- 81-00 --- Fifth

 

[Lanefan]

You're going to run into a serious headache with illusions unless you allow them to cause damage (and why wouldn't you?).

Say I'm casting an illusion of a large boulder, and I choose the two senses it affects to be sight and touch. You look at the rock or touch the rock, it seems real (assuming a failed save). So far so good, right?

Now let's say I place that same illusion 10' above your head, falling fast. It affects touch, thus if you fail your save vs. the illusion it's gonna bloody well hurt when it lands on you! At least, you'll think it hurts; and that's the whole idea.

Or a less extreme example: say I've cast an illusion of a wall where a wall might logically be expected to be. It affects sight and touch, and lets' say sound as well; you fail your save and thus believe the wall is real. As far as I'm concerned, if for some reason you then take your fist to said wall your knuckles should feel like you just punched a wall.

In short, touch illusions should be able to inflict psychosomatic (sp?) pain.

Something else you don't mention is how much control I have over an illusion once it's cast. Can I concentrate on it and have it do things, or does it have to remain stationary once cast? (one of my favourite illusionist tricks is to cast an illusion on a wall of a wall that looks the same as what's already there, then very slowly move the illusionary wall out a few feet so the rest of the party could sneak along behind it unseen; then very slowly move the illusionary wall back into place and drop the illusion, with the whole process taking maybe 15 minutes of concentration)

Lan-"fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, you're an illusionist"-efan

 

[NoWayJose]

FRIVOLOUSLY EXPENDING TREASURE
This is one of D&D Jazz' few explicitly gamist constructions. When a pc spends money frivolously, he gains experience points at a rate of 1 xp per gp spent frivolously. For money spent to earn the pc experience, it must be spent in a way that gives the pc nothing more than fleeting pleasure: feasting, ale and whores, drugs, downtime vacations, etc. If the character ends up with something on his character sheet in exchange for the money spent, it does not qualify. Likewise, money that improves the character's relationships, repairs damaged equipment, gains the character fame or notoriety, is donated to an organization that may later aid the pc or otherwise has any gain for the pc does not qualify. (However, note that a pc cleric could “spend money frivolously” by donating it to his church anonymously; as long as there is NO POSSIBILITY of a “return on investment”, the expenditure qualifies.)

This rule exists for the following reasons:

-To promote treasure-gathering as a primary pc motivation;
-To ensure that spending money on improving your character's gear is not always the best use for money;
-To help drain the pcs' resources so that those who become rich have given up something else.

Interesting... but I think it's problematic for non-roguish archetypes, like the ascetic monk or the austere warrior undistracted by baubles or frivolous lifestyle. It sets up an unfair conflict of interest between the metagame incentive vs the player's roleplaying concept of his character. In fact, I think that an ascetic monk or paladin who did spend frivously should technically LOSE xp!

I'm not sure why treasure-gathering should be a primary pc motivation anyway; it's not universal to all characters in all fantasy fiction? How does it make D&D more fun or compelling to go on "shopping trips" between adventures, just for the sake of XP?

You acknowledged that this was explicitly gamist, but I'm still stuck with the question: if my wizard character bought 10 pairs of shoes, why should she earn experience points towards becoming a better spellcaster? What's the fictional justification?

 

[NoWayJose]

Now let's say I place that same illusion 10' above your head, falling fast. It affects touch, thus if you fail your save vs. the illusion it's gonna bloody well hurt when it lands on you! At least, you'll think it hurts; and that's the whole idea.

Or a less extreme example: say I've cast an illusion of a wall where a wall might logically be expected to be. It affects sight and touch, and lets' say sound as well; you fail your save and thus believe the wall is real. As far as I'm concerned, if for some reason you then take your fist to said wall your knuckles should feel like you just punched a wall.

I think that the psychosomatic effects of illusions is a weird D&D-ism. In any movie or novel, if an illustionary boulder fell on top of a person, he might faint, but if he didn't, he'd find himself inside a hologram of a boulder. And if he angrily punched an illusionary wall that he assumes is real, his fist would surprisingly go right through.

If you're standing next to an illusionary wall which you believe is real, then ONLY in D&D could you accidentally trip and fall into the wall and yet still believe the wall remains real. Cinematically or fictionally, I don't think that scenario would fly in any other media.

 

[the Jester]

Interesting... but I think it's problematic for non-roguish archetypes, like the ascetic monk or the austere warrior undistracted by baubles or frivolous lifestyle. It sets up an unfair conflict of interest between the metagame incentive vs the player's roleplaying concept of his character. In fact, I think that an ascetic monk or paladin who did spend frivously should technically LOSE xp!

Sure, if that frivolous expenditure was on drinks and whores, but if it was an anonymous donation to the church or the poor?

I'm not sure why treasure-gathering should be a primary pc motivation anyway; it's not universal to all characters in all fantasy fiction?

Treasure gathering is a primary motivation of pcs because that is the type of game I want to run in this instance.

Depending on the campaign I might swap out xp systems- maybe make it all story based sometimes, maybe make it all rp based sometimes. But my group has loved the sound of the "drinking & whoring for xp" system since we first discussed it months ago. Granted, it might not be for everyone.

You acknowledged that this was explicitly gamist, but I'm still stuck with the question: if my wizard character bought 10 pairs of shoes, why should she earn experience points towards becoming a better spellcaster? What's the fictional justification?

This is the only place in my system where I will straight-up say I'm not worried about the fictional justification. It's to make money more fleeting, to make for more interesting choices and to promote a certain playstyle. Again, it might not be for everyone, but that's okay- this whole system is really written to be ideal for me and for my style of play. Even so, like I said, it would be fairly easy to swap in a different system for xp.

How does it make D&D more fun or compelling to go on "shopping trips" between adventures, just for the sake of XP?

The shopping trip is more like the scene in a Conan story where the party is drinking it up when the next adventure comes their way- I expect most of it to happen "off screen" during downtime.

Note that there are a lot of things that take significant time to happen (training, magic item creation, etc.) That's intentional. Actually, something I hadn't thought of until now is that it could actually take time to fritter away your money, depending on circumstances- it's pretty hard to drop 10,000 gp in a single night in the only tavern of a town with only 100 people.

 

[NoWayJose]

Sure, if that frivolous expenditure was on drinks and whores, but if it was an anonymous donation to the church or the poor?

I still forsee many chances for a conflict of interest. ie the paladin has a choice to carry a dying woman to a hospital, or a sack of gold to be donated to a church, but he can't carry both. A serious Aragorn-type warrior focused on completing a mission, and can't be distracted by treasure-hunting (ya, he could donate to a church, but he has a world to save!) How about the implications of greed -- ie., that scene in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade... reach for the Holy Grail in the chasm and die trying.

The player is arguably punishing himself when his ascetic monk or paladin or otherwise single-minded PC ignores the purchasing power of gold for the sake of a greater personal goal/motivation. With the introduction of this metagame rule, the PC is effectively punished twice.

Treasure gathering is a primary motivation of pcs because that is the type of game I want to run in this instance.

Then maybe the rule would work for a homegrown campaign, but I think it's way too fidgety to succeed on a greater scope.

I forsee the possibility of DMs and players arguing over whether this or that is considered 'frivolous' when it falls into a grey area.

Also, if a PC donates a large sum of money to a church without any expectation of reward in exchange for xp, but months later, a priest recognizes the hero's name as a great philanthroper and insists on returning the favor, then does the PC accept the favor and retrotractively lose the xp for the original frivolous-cum-non-frivolous spending, or does he decline the beneficial favor for purely metagame reasons?

Again, it might not be for everyone, but that's okay- this whole system is really written to be ideal for me and for my style of play. Even so, like I said, it would be fairly easy to swap in a different system for xp.

You have to rename this thread to "House Rules Designing MY Perfect D&D"

 

[the Jester]

You're going to run into a serious headache with illusions unless you allow them to cause damage (and why wouldn't you?).

Well, I kind of disagree- kind of.

The illusion that does damage is phantasmal killer- and since it isn't real damage, I wrote it as lethal Charisma damage.

But assuming that you're referring to phantasmal image: Keep in mind that my phantasmal image spell is like a combo of the old school spectral force, massmorph, veil and others. It offers a lot of creative possibilities. I kept it as a nondamaging spell in order to compensate for its versatility.

Say I'm casting an illusion of a large boulder, and I choose the two senses it affects to be sight and touch. You look at the rock or touch the rock, it seems real (assuming a failed save). So far so good, right?

Now let's say I place that same illusion 10' above your head, falling fast. It affects touch, thus if you fail your save vs. the illusion it's gonna bloody well hurt when it lands on you! At least, you'll think it hurts; and that's the whole idea.

Good point. Here's how I would probably run it- I'd let you knock someone prone that way, and the rock pinning them would keep them prone until they disbelieved.

Or a less extreme example: say I've cast an illusion of a wall where a wall might logically be expected to be. It affects sight and touch, and lets' say sound as well; you fail your save and thus believe the wall is real. As far as I'm concerned, if for some reason you then take your fist to said wall your knuckles should feel like you just punched a wall.

In short, touch illusions should be able to inflict psychosomatic (sp?) pain.

Sure- but that's not necessarily the same as damage. I could see convincing a creature it was gravely wounded and having it act appropriately until it realized it was all smoke and mirrors.

Now, don't misunderstand me- I'm open to debate on this (that's part of why I am posting everything here) and so I'd love to hear any counter arguments you have.

Something else you don't mention is how much control I have over an illusion once it's cast. Can I concentrate on it and have it do things, or does it have to remain stationary once cast?

I didn't write this as clearly as I could have- I assume you're referring to phantasmal image- my intent is that the "spend an ___ action to change its appearance" clause lets you do things like have you illusory goblin speak or attack, while the "move it x distance" clause would work well for your illusory wall. I might need to rewrite that to make it more clear.

 

[the Jester]

I still forsee many chances for a conflict of interest. ie the paladin has a choice to carry a dying woman to a hospital, or a sack of gold to be donated to a church, but he can't carry both.

Dump that bag of gold on the roadside in a case like this, and I will gladly call it a frivolous expenditure.

Then maybe the rule would work for a homegrown campaign, but I think it's way too fidgety to succeed on a greater scope.

Maybe; I believe the "drinking and whoring your money away" xp system is actually from a published game, though. I wouldn't swear to it, but I know I first heard it mentioned here on ENWorld.

I forsee the possibility of DMs and players arguing over whether this or that is considered 'frivolous' when it falls into a grey area.

Maybe, but I think the whole "no benefit at all" clause pretty well covers it (though I should amend the wording to make clear that it can't benefit anyone else in the party, either- no picking up that dumped bag of gold!)

And if the rest of the party CAN carry that bag of gold, the paladin can just hand it over to them until they reach town and then give it to charity or what have you.

Also, if a PC donates a large sum of money to a church without any expectation of reward in exchange for xp, but months later, a priest recognizes the hero's name as a great philanthroper and insists on returning the favor, then does the PC accept the favor and retrotractively lose the xp for the original frivolous-cum-non-frivolous spending, or does he decline the beneficial favor for purely metagame reasons?

Neither- that's why I specified that it be an anonymous donation.

If this situation did somehow arise, it would be by dm fiat and I wouldn't penalize the character for it.

You have to rename this thread to "House Rules Designing MY Perfect D&D"

See the very first post.

 

[NoWayJose]

Maybe; I believe the "drinking and whoring your money away" xp system is actually from a published game, though. I wouldn't swear to it, but I know I first heard it mentioned here on ENWorld.

IMO, the only time that I would award xp for getting money for its own sake is if the player was roleplaying a stockbroker. For everyone else, gold is its own reward.

I guess it's like a government subsidy vs capitalism. The 'frivolous spending for xp' is like a government policy that applies an artificial incentive. I would go the capitalist or free market route -- I'd give the players more purchasing power for their gold. If they accumulate 10,000 gp and spend it on drinking and whoring and shopping, then they earn a reputation in that town where NPCs loves them (apply bonuses to all social-related checks) and they can purchase an arsenal of magic items that gives them more firepower that enables them to beat the next adventure and thus indirectly earn more experience points.

If PCs can mass huge amounts of wealth and have nothing to spend on it and gold becomes meaningless, then maybe that's a failure of the campaign world setting. Maybe fix the campaign setting, instead of a fidgety metagame "fix"?

 

[LostSoul]

It sets up an unfair conflict of interest between the metagame incentive vs the player's roleplaying concept of his character.

I think that the whole point of having rules is to assign values to different choices and allow the players to choose between them. This XP system sets up a choice: do you want to spend GP on something of worth, or do you want to level up? You can't do both.

In order for this to be a real choice, both options have to be good ones. A quick test: write up a few sample PCs, one spends all his money on XP, one on magic items and other helpful things, and another has a 50/50 split. Compare them and see what you've got.

That test won't always work because in the local situation one choice might be the better one - "Undead are hunting us, let's buy some charms against the restless dead!" That's good, though, that's what you want.

You acknowledged that this was explicitly gamist, but I'm still stuck with the question: if my wizard character bought 10 pairs of shoes, why should she earn experience points towards becoming a better spellcaster? What's the fictional justification?

Yeah - I think that different classes (or power sources) should spend GP in different ways. Wizards spend GP on arcane experiments, Fighters and Thieves spend GP drinking and whoring, Clerics spend GP on tithes, etc.

Also: if one type of character works in a different way, it brings everything else into focus because of the contrast. You won't really take GP = XP for granted because of the existence of those characters.