Fiendish Codex II Web Enhancement

[BOZ]

Yep. I can't say more, yet. NDA's and all.

That sounds promising as well, maybe.

 

[BOZ]

The book mentions numerous nobles in every layer (and FC1 does the same). How do these not count as "middle ranks?"

which we are almost done hashing out, of course. just don't have any stats for them at the moment.

 

[BOZ]

What FC1 REALLY needed was to be a bigger book. Another 96 pages would have been nice.

few people outside of WotC's marketing department would disagree with you. FC2, same thing.

 

[Darrell]

Personally, my take on archdevils and demon lords is pretty much just like my take on gods.

"You can't touch 'em. You try; ZAP! You're dead, and can never be brought back...because they won't let ya. Even if you're an uberfighter/ubercaster/uberthief/ubercleric of 675th level in each class, you can't frickin' touch 'em."

Regards,
Darrell

 

[Upper_Krust]

Hi James!

While epic-level adventures are certainly fun to read (and a LOT more work to develop and edit), the problem is that there's so much complexity at that level of the game that, if your game group's not composed of patient rules lawyers, things break down quickly; either because the not-so-patient types get distracted and start surfing you-tube, or because the not-so-rules-savvy players end up getting their characters ruined each round of combat.

All of which helps to make non-epic adventrues more popular.

If I were told to "Make epic rules," one of my main design philosophies would be to upgrade and replace rather than invent new stuff. As in, your character's new abilities would be more powerful, but they'd replace the less powerful stuff. Having 80 spell levels and 20 feats that won't work anyway against the monsters your facing is just needless clutter.

Which is exactly what I have done, or at least tried to do.

In my epic rules you don't get anymore spells (Ability Score increases aside that is) but the spells you already have get more powerful...thanks to Automatic Metamagic Capacity.

http://www.immortalshandbook.com/freestuff9.htm

Characters can only use a maximum of four artifacts/epic items at a time, so players won't have a big laundry list of magic items, which is again more consistent with mythology anyway. These items are extensions of individuals and scale with the power of the character (much like weapons of legacy), so you also remove the silliness of 'epic wealth'.

Instead of taking six feats you can take one divine ability (mortals must quest to gain one of these). So instead of a 60th-level character possessing 50 feats they might have 7 divine abilities and 8 feats...and there are also cosmic abilities worth 36 feats for those who get that high level.

With the new Challenge Rating/Encounter Level system the threat range opens up to encompass anything from one quarter (cannon-fodder) to double (near suicide) the average party level...although the sweet spot is between 50% to 150% (rather than 25% to 200%). So when your party averages 42nd-level you are no longer limited to a CR spread of 34-50. So DMs have a lot more freedom.

Ther introduction of virtual size categories means that bonuses to damage do not eclipse die rolling altogether.

Other minor changes to skills and so forth but you get the basic philosophy, more power doesn't have to mean more complexity.

 

[Shade]

And I think this thread has officially been derailed. Thank you! Thank you! <bows>

I believe you are licensed to derail any threads with the words "Fiendish Codex" in the title, agent Double J Seven.