So, like most of you folks, I love D&D. I haven't played it in a while, though... a combination of a really thick school year and working on other games. But, when I run off to college next year, I think I'd like to squeeze in one last third edition campaign before the sky falls.
But, still, there's a reason I didn't play D&D for a while. Parts of it just plain old rub me the wrong way... inflating hit points, archers more like a gangster with a tommy gun than a sniper, no decision point for the defender in combat, the required profusion of enchanted gewgaws if you want to keep the math from collapsing upon itself entirely, a fair amount of the D&D-as-its-own-genre cheese in general.
So, here's a massive rejiggling. This assumes you're using 3.5e core, with no sourcebooks.
[sblock=Combat - Make It Gritty!]These rules are intended to make the game grittier. I still want a high level character to be able to wade through mooks; I just want it to be because they can't land a blow, rather than because he can take thirty or forty arrows.
Hit Points
Character hit points are equal to (Constitution score x size modifier) + bonus hit points. Size modifier is x1/2 for Tiny or smaller, x3/4 for Small, x1 for Medium, x1 1/2 for Large, and x2 for Huge or larger. Use Strength for characters with no Constitution score, or 10 for characters with neither Strength nor Constitution. Bonus hit points come from hit dice and the Toughness feat.
Bonus hp from hit dice depend on the number and type of HD.
d4 HD add no bonus hit points.
d6 HD add +1 hit point every 4th hit die.
d8 HD add +1 hit point every 2nd hit die.
d10 HD add +1 hit point on 3 oof 4 hid dice (like Cleric BAB progression).
d12 HD add +1 hit point per hit die.
So, consider a human Barbarian 5 / Ranger 5 with 13 Constitution and Toughness. This character has 13 (con) + 5 (5d12 HD) + 3 (5d8 HD) + 3 (Toughness) = 24 hit points.
Disabled
A character is disabled (only one move or standard action per round, move at half speed, take 1 point of damage after performing a strenuous action) when their current hit points are at or below 20% of their maximum hit points.
The above Barbarian/Ranger would be disabled at 4.8 or fewer hit points. You can't take fractional hit point damage, so in practice, he's disabled at 4 or fewer hp.
Archery
When attacking with a bow or crossbow, how long you aim will affect your attack roll and your critical threat range. If you take any action between aiming and attacking, the benefit of aiming is lost. If you are hit with an attack while aiming, you must succeed at a Concentartion check (DC 10 + damage dealt) or lose the benefit of aiming.
No Time: -4 to attack
Move Action: +0 to attack
1 Full Round: +2 to attack, +1 to criticl threat range
2 Full Rounds: +4 to attack, +2 to critical threat range
3+ Full Rounds: +6 to attack, +3 to critical threat range
The Rapid Shot and Manyshot feats are nixed, but archers have a few new options. See the feats section for details.
Thrown Weapons: You are never penalized for not aiming with a thrown weapon. However, if you do take the time to aim, you still gain the benefits.
Defense, not AC
Instead of AC, characters have Defense. Calculate your Defense as follows:
Defense = Dexterity score + Size modifier + Dodge bonus + Shield bonus + Deflection, Divine, etc.
Yup, that's Dexterity score, not 10 + Dex bonus. If you'd be denied your Dex bonus to AC, you're denied the portion of you Dexterity above 10 to Defense. The amount of your Dexterity score that you can apply to Defense is limited by an armor's Max Dex Bonus. For normal armor, you can't apply more than 10 + max dex bonus to AC. For masterwork armor, you can't apply more than 10 + 2x max dex bonus to AC.
So a character with a Dexterity of 13 in masterwork full plate armor (max dex bonus +1) starts with a Defense of 12.
After a successful attack has been rolled against a character, but before damage has been rolled, the victim may attempt an active defense. Active defense represents clanging block or full body dodge, above and beyond the typical sidesteps and parries. You can't use active defense against a touch attack. If you use active defense, you may only take a standard action during your next turn. If you would normally only be able to take a standard action (for instance, if disabled or Slowed), you may take no action.
Every character has active defense dice (ADD), based on BAB: 1d6 for +0 to +5, 2d6 for +6 to +10, 3d6 for +11 to +15, and 4d6 for +16 to +20. Feats may increase your defense dice to d8, d10, or even d12. When you use active defense, roll and sum your ADD, and add the result to Defense until the start of your next turn.
If you have no shield (and do not have the Deflect Arrows feat), apply only half (round down) of the result of your ADD against ranged attacks. If you have no melee weapon (and do not have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat), apply only half of the result of your ADD against armed melee attackers.
If you would be denied your dodge bonus to Defense, you also lose your active defense bonus. Your active defense bonus doesn't apply against grappling enemies.
Fighting Defensively is made redundant by active defense, so that option is removed. You can still use the total defense option. The Dodge and Combat Expertise have also been rejiggled to work with active defense. See the Feats section for more info.
Feinting
If you successfully feint out an opponent, he's pretty much screwed. No benefit to Defense from high Dex, no active defense. Therefore, in order to stop those with Bluff from simply crushing everyone else on the battlefield, any character may substitute (BAB + Cha bonus) for their Bluff skill modifier when attempting to feint. Any character may substitute (BAB + Wis bonus) for their Sense Motive skill modifier when detecting a feint.
Armor as DR
Armor provides no armor bonus to Defense. Instead, it provides DR X/critical, where X is the former AC bonus. Natural armor also provides DR, but X is only half the former AC bonus. Shields still provide a shield bonus to Defense.
Note that critical hits penetrate DR provided by armor and natural armor.
In a grapple, you can take an additional -2 penalty on your attack roll with a light weapon or grapple check in order to bypass the target's armor.
Critical!
Critical hits do not need to be confirmed. Any die roll that threatens a critical IS a critical, with! one! exception! A hit that meets the target's Defense exactly is always a normal hit, never a critical, regardless of the die roll. If you can only hit on a natural 20, a natural 20 is a normal hit, not a critical.
For instance, you have a rapier (threat 18-20) and a +10 attack bonus. Your target has an AC of 19. You roll an 18 -- a critical! The target uses active defense, and rolls a 9 on his 2d8 ADD. This raises his Defense to 28. You meet his AC exactly, so only deal normal damage.
Critical hits do not multiply damage. Instead, they bypass armor, and force a Fortitude save (DC 15 or 10 + damage dealt, whichever is better). If you fail this save, you drop to -1 hit points, if the hit wouldn't bring you at least that low anyway.
Weapons that had critical multipliers above x2 do +4 bonus damage on a critical per extra point of the critical modifier. A longbow does +4 critical damage. A scythe does +8 critical damage.
Critical hits also do damage to specific body parts, as per the alternate rules in the DMG. In general, the attacker may choose the location. If the target used active defense, the target may choose where the hit lands.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Characters]In which characters are adjusted to reflect such problems as the supremacy of Sneak Attack against small hit point totals, and how stuff like Cure Light Wounds takes the gritty away rather snappily. My game will probably be human-only, but that's really neither here nor there.
Ability Scores
Use the 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 array.
Classes
The available classes are Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, and Wizard.
Barbarian: No changes!
Fighter: No changes!
Ranger: Divine spells are removed, to be replaced with a bonus Skill Focus feat in any Ranger class skill whenever a new level of divine spell casting would be attained. For rangers who choose the archery path, at 2nd level, Rapid Shot is replaced with the new feat Bull's Eye. At 6th level, Manyshot is replaced with the new feat Improved Bull's Eye.
Rogue: Each Sneak Attack damage die is replaced with a +1 bonus to attack, damage, and critical threat range.
Wizard: For every two full levels in a non-casting class, a wiard's caster level improves by +1.
A wizard may use their bonus feats to take Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, and other spell-related feats that aren't metamagic or item creation fats.
A wizard's key casting ability is not automatically Intelligence. Generalist wizards, Evokers, and Transmuters continue to use Intelligence. Enchanters, Illusionists, and Necromancers use Charisma. Abjurers, Conjurers, and Diviners use Wisdom. Wizards also have a suite of new feats, and there are some big changes to casting (specifically counterspells and damage dice for spells like Fireball), so check out those sections.[/sblock]
[sblock=Feats]Changes and additions to reflect altered rules and the feel I'm going for. A bit of inspiration drawn from the E6 stuff.
Removed Feats
Rapide Shot and Manyshot are removed.
Altered Feats
COMBAT EXPERTISE [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Int 13+ or Wis 13+
Benefit: When in light armor or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load, add your Wisdom bonus or Intelligence bonus (whichever is higher) as a dodge bonus to Defense.
DEFLECT ARROWS [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Improved Unarmed Strike or Weapon Focus.
Benefit: When you have a free hand (if you have Improved Unarmed Strike) or when holding a weapon with which you have Weapon Focus, you may apply your full active defense bonus against ranged attacks, even if you do not have a shield.
DODGE [General, Figher]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+
Benefit: Your active defense dice are upgraded to d8s.
POWER ATTACK [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Str 13+, BAB +1.
Benefit: On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.
Special: There IS no special! 1 point of attack, 1 point of damage, no exceptions!
IMPROVED UNARMED STRIKE [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: You are considered to be armed even when unarmed —that is, you do not provoke attacks or opportunity from armed opponents when you attack them while unarmed. However, you still get an attack of opportunity against any opponent who makes an unarmed attack on you. In addition, your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your option. Lastly, you may apply your full active defense bonus against armed attackers.
SPELL MASTERY [Special, Wizard]
Prerequisites: Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: Choose 5 spells that you already know. You may prepare these spells without your spellbook.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time you take it, choose 5 new spells.
New Feats
BULL'S EYE [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Point Blank Shot.
Benefit: Your aimed ranged attacks deal extra damage. Gain a +2 bonus to damage for each full round spent aiming, to a maximum of +6.
IMPROVED BULL'S EYE [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Point Blank Shot, BAB +6.
Benefit: Your damage bonus on aimed ranged attacks increases to +4 per full round spent aiming, to a maximum of +12.
ABILITY TRAINING [General]
Benefit: Choose an Ability. You qualify for Ability Advancement with that ability.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, it applies to a different ability.
ABILITY ADVANCEMENT [General]
Prerequisites: Ability Training, character level 5th.
Benefit: Choose an ability with which you have Ability Training. That ability is increased by +2.
Sepcial: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, it applies to a different ability.
QUICK PREPARATION [General, Wizard]
Prerequisites: Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: If you can prepare a spell without a spell book, you may prepare that spell as a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
INSTANT PREPARATION [General, Wizard]
Prerequisites: Caster level 3rd, Quick Preparation.
Benefit: If you can prepare a spell without a spell book, you may prepare that spell as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
ARMORED CASTING [General, Wizard, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Armor Proficiency (Light), Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: Reduce your arcane spell failure chance by 15%.
IMPROVED ARMORED CASTING [General, Wizard, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Armor Proficiency (Medium), Wizard level 1st, Armored Casting.
Benefit: The amount by which your arcane spell failure chance is reduced improves to 25%.
IMPROVED COUNTERSPELLS [General, Wizard]
Benefit: Gain a +2 bonus on checks to counterspell and on Spellcraft checks to identify a spell as it is being cast.[/sblock]
[sblock=Magic]Because a 10d6 fireball is just unacceptable when the toughest guy in the house has 25 hit points. Modifications to give non-mages a fighting chance, though wizards will still pretty much just be able to Easily Kill You.
Minimum Ability Score
In order to cast a spell, you must have a key casting ability score bonus equal to the spell level. Remember that your key ability depends on your specialty: Intelligence for generalists, Evokers, and Transmuters; Wisdom for Abjurders, Conjurers, and Diviners; and Charisma for Enchanters, Illusionists, and Necromancers.
Counterspells
The rules for counterspells are revamped like so.
Step 1: Identify. As a free action, you may attempt to identify a spell as it is being cast. This requires a Spellcraft check, DC 15 + spell level.
Step 2: Respond. Sacrifice a spell slot or prepared spell. If you can, sacrifice a Dispel Magic, the same spell as the one you wish to counter, or a spell that specifically counters or dispels that spell. Like active defense, attempting to counterspell limits you to a single action on your next turn. If something else would limit you to a single action, you may not act on your next turn.
Step 3: Counter. If you sacrificed a Dispel Magic, the same spell as the one you wish to counter, or a spell that specifically counters and dispels that spell, the target spell is automatically countered, and has no effect. Otherwise, you must make a check (1d20 + the level of the sacrificed spell + your key casting ability modifier) against the target spell's DC in order to be successful.
Additions to the Spell List
The following spells are added to the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list.
Level 1: Cure Minor Wounds, Produce Flame, Speak with Animals. Level 2: Animal Messenger, Delay Poison, Entangle, Flame Blade, Soften Earth and Stone, Tree Shape, Warp Wood, Wood Shape. Level 3: Heal Wounds*, Meld Into Stone, Neutralize Poison, Plant Growth, Poison, Remove Disease, Speak with Plants, Stone Shape. Level 4: Antiplant Shell, Command Plants, Giant Vermin, Repel Vermin. Level 5: Animal Growth, Awaken, Commune with Nature, Control Winds, Tree Stride, Wall of Thorns. Level 6: Antilife Shell, Find the Path, Liveoak, Repel Wood, Transport via Plants.
*Heal Wounds is a new spell.
HEAL WOUNDS
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Wizard 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The magician slowly heals the target’s broken flesh. One casting may cure up to 5 hit points plus 1 hit point per caster level. After the spell, both the caster and the target must make Fortitude saves, DC 10 plus the number of hit points healed. Failure moves the character up one step on the fine -> fatigued -> exhausted -> unconscious track. Failure by 5 points moves two steps, and 10 points moves three steps.
Damage Dice
Damage dealing spells are "graded on a curve," as shown below. For spells like Magic Missile and Scorching Ray, you can' assign more damage dice to any single opponent than is appropriate for your level.
Level : Dice
1 : 1d
2 : 2d
3 : 3d
4-5 : 4d
6-7 : 5d
8-9 : 6d
10-12 : 7d
13-15 : 8d
16-18 : 9d
19++ : 10d[/sblock]
Phew! That was long. Thanks for sticking with it.
So, look good? Look at least a little bit balanced? Most importantly, look like it'd be fun?
All comments appreciated!
But, still, there's a reason I didn't play D&D for a while. Parts of it just plain old rub me the wrong way... inflating hit points, archers more like a gangster with a tommy gun than a sniper, no decision point for the defender in combat, the required profusion of enchanted gewgaws if you want to keep the math from collapsing upon itself entirely, a fair amount of the D&D-as-its-own-genre cheese in general.
So, here's a massive rejiggling. This assumes you're using 3.5e core, with no sourcebooks.
[sblock=Combat - Make It Gritty!]These rules are intended to make the game grittier. I still want a high level character to be able to wade through mooks; I just want it to be because they can't land a blow, rather than because he can take thirty or forty arrows.
Hit Points
Character hit points are equal to (Constitution score x size modifier) + bonus hit points. Size modifier is x1/2 for Tiny or smaller, x3/4 for Small, x1 for Medium, x1 1/2 for Large, and x2 for Huge or larger. Use Strength for characters with no Constitution score, or 10 for characters with neither Strength nor Constitution. Bonus hit points come from hit dice and the Toughness feat.
Bonus hp from hit dice depend on the number and type of HD.
d4 HD add no bonus hit points.
d6 HD add +1 hit point every 4th hit die.
d8 HD add +1 hit point every 2nd hit die.
d10 HD add +1 hit point on 3 oof 4 hid dice (like Cleric BAB progression).
d12 HD add +1 hit point per hit die.
So, consider a human Barbarian 5 / Ranger 5 with 13 Constitution and Toughness. This character has 13 (con) + 5 (5d12 HD) + 3 (5d8 HD) + 3 (Toughness) = 24 hit points.
Disabled
A character is disabled (only one move or standard action per round, move at half speed, take 1 point of damage after performing a strenuous action) when their current hit points are at or below 20% of their maximum hit points.
The above Barbarian/Ranger would be disabled at 4.8 or fewer hit points. You can't take fractional hit point damage, so in practice, he's disabled at 4 or fewer hp.
Archery
When attacking with a bow or crossbow, how long you aim will affect your attack roll and your critical threat range. If you take any action between aiming and attacking, the benefit of aiming is lost. If you are hit with an attack while aiming, you must succeed at a Concentartion check (DC 10 + damage dealt) or lose the benefit of aiming.
No Time: -4 to attack
Move Action: +0 to attack
1 Full Round: +2 to attack, +1 to criticl threat range
2 Full Rounds: +4 to attack, +2 to critical threat range
3+ Full Rounds: +6 to attack, +3 to critical threat range
The Rapid Shot and Manyshot feats are nixed, but archers have a few new options. See the feats section for details.
Thrown Weapons: You are never penalized for not aiming with a thrown weapon. However, if you do take the time to aim, you still gain the benefits.
Defense, not AC
Instead of AC, characters have Defense. Calculate your Defense as follows:
Defense = Dexterity score + Size modifier + Dodge bonus + Shield bonus + Deflection, Divine, etc.
Yup, that's Dexterity score, not 10 + Dex bonus. If you'd be denied your Dex bonus to AC, you're denied the portion of you Dexterity above 10 to Defense. The amount of your Dexterity score that you can apply to Defense is limited by an armor's Max Dex Bonus. For normal armor, you can't apply more than 10 + max dex bonus to AC. For masterwork armor, you can't apply more than 10 + 2x max dex bonus to AC.
So a character with a Dexterity of 13 in masterwork full plate armor (max dex bonus +1) starts with a Defense of 12.
After a successful attack has been rolled against a character, but before damage has been rolled, the victim may attempt an active defense. Active defense represents clanging block or full body dodge, above and beyond the typical sidesteps and parries. You can't use active defense against a touch attack. If you use active defense, you may only take a standard action during your next turn. If you would normally only be able to take a standard action (for instance, if disabled or Slowed), you may take no action.
Every character has active defense dice (ADD), based on BAB: 1d6 for +0 to +5, 2d6 for +6 to +10, 3d6 for +11 to +15, and 4d6 for +16 to +20. Feats may increase your defense dice to d8, d10, or even d12. When you use active defense, roll and sum your ADD, and add the result to Defense until the start of your next turn.
If you have no shield (and do not have the Deflect Arrows feat), apply only half (round down) of the result of your ADD against ranged attacks. If you have no melee weapon (and do not have the Improved Unarmed Strike feat), apply only half of the result of your ADD against armed melee attackers.
If you would be denied your dodge bonus to Defense, you also lose your active defense bonus. Your active defense bonus doesn't apply against grappling enemies.
Fighting Defensively is made redundant by active defense, so that option is removed. You can still use the total defense option. The Dodge and Combat Expertise have also been rejiggled to work with active defense. See the Feats section for more info.
Feinting
If you successfully feint out an opponent, he's pretty much screwed. No benefit to Defense from high Dex, no active defense. Therefore, in order to stop those with Bluff from simply crushing everyone else on the battlefield, any character may substitute (BAB + Cha bonus) for their Bluff skill modifier when attempting to feint. Any character may substitute (BAB + Wis bonus) for their Sense Motive skill modifier when detecting a feint.
Armor as DR
Armor provides no armor bonus to Defense. Instead, it provides DR X/critical, where X is the former AC bonus. Natural armor also provides DR, but X is only half the former AC bonus. Shields still provide a shield bonus to Defense.
Note that critical hits penetrate DR provided by armor and natural armor.
In a grapple, you can take an additional -2 penalty on your attack roll with a light weapon or grapple check in order to bypass the target's armor.
Critical!
Critical hits do not need to be confirmed. Any die roll that threatens a critical IS a critical, with! one! exception! A hit that meets the target's Defense exactly is always a normal hit, never a critical, regardless of the die roll. If you can only hit on a natural 20, a natural 20 is a normal hit, not a critical.
For instance, you have a rapier (threat 18-20) and a +10 attack bonus. Your target has an AC of 19. You roll an 18 -- a critical! The target uses active defense, and rolls a 9 on his 2d8 ADD. This raises his Defense to 28. You meet his AC exactly, so only deal normal damage.
Critical hits do not multiply damage. Instead, they bypass armor, and force a Fortitude save (DC 15 or 10 + damage dealt, whichever is better). If you fail this save, you drop to -1 hit points, if the hit wouldn't bring you at least that low anyway.
Weapons that had critical multipliers above x2 do +4 bonus damage on a critical per extra point of the critical modifier. A longbow does +4 critical damage. A scythe does +8 critical damage.
Critical hits also do damage to specific body parts, as per the alternate rules in the DMG. In general, the attacker may choose the location. If the target used active defense, the target may choose where the hit lands.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Characters]In which characters are adjusted to reflect such problems as the supremacy of Sneak Attack against small hit point totals, and how stuff like Cure Light Wounds takes the gritty away rather snappily. My game will probably be human-only, but that's really neither here nor there.
Ability Scores
Use the 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, 8 array.
Classes
The available classes are Barbarian, Fighter, Ranger, Rogue, and Wizard.
Barbarian: No changes!
Fighter: No changes!
Ranger: Divine spells are removed, to be replaced with a bonus Skill Focus feat in any Ranger class skill whenever a new level of divine spell casting would be attained. For rangers who choose the archery path, at 2nd level, Rapid Shot is replaced with the new feat Bull's Eye. At 6th level, Manyshot is replaced with the new feat Improved Bull's Eye.
Rogue: Each Sneak Attack damage die is replaced with a +1 bonus to attack, damage, and critical threat range.
Wizard: For every two full levels in a non-casting class, a wiard's caster level improves by +1.
A wizard may use their bonus feats to take Spell Focus, Greater Spell Focus, and other spell-related feats that aren't metamagic or item creation fats.
A wizard's key casting ability is not automatically Intelligence. Generalist wizards, Evokers, and Transmuters continue to use Intelligence. Enchanters, Illusionists, and Necromancers use Charisma. Abjurers, Conjurers, and Diviners use Wisdom. Wizards also have a suite of new feats, and there are some big changes to casting (specifically counterspells and damage dice for spells like Fireball), so check out those sections.[/sblock]
[sblock=Feats]Changes and additions to reflect altered rules and the feel I'm going for. A bit of inspiration drawn from the E6 stuff.
Removed Feats
Rapide Shot and Manyshot are removed.
Altered Feats
COMBAT EXPERTISE [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Int 13+ or Wis 13+
Benefit: When in light armor or medium armor and not carrying a heavy load, add your Wisdom bonus or Intelligence bonus (whichever is higher) as a dodge bonus to Defense.
DEFLECT ARROWS [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Improved Unarmed Strike or Weapon Focus.
Benefit: When you have a free hand (if you have Improved Unarmed Strike) or when holding a weapon with which you have Weapon Focus, you may apply your full active defense bonus against ranged attacks, even if you do not have a shield.
DODGE [General, Figher]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+
Benefit: Your active defense dice are upgraded to d8s.
POWER ATTACK [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Str 13+, BAB +1.
Benefit: On your action, before making attack rolls for a round, you may choose to subtract a number from all melee attack rolls and add the same number to all melee damage rolls. This number may not exceed your base attack bonus. The penalty on attacks and bonus on damage apply until your next turn.
Special: There IS no special! 1 point of attack, 1 point of damage, no exceptions!
IMPROVED UNARMED STRIKE [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: You are considered to be armed even when unarmed —that is, you do not provoke attacks or opportunity from armed opponents when you attack them while unarmed. However, you still get an attack of opportunity against any opponent who makes an unarmed attack on you. In addition, your unarmed strikes can deal lethal or nonlethal damage, at your option. Lastly, you may apply your full active defense bonus against armed attackers.
SPELL MASTERY [Special, Wizard]
Prerequisites: Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: Choose 5 spells that you already know. You may prepare these spells without your spellbook.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time you take it, choose 5 new spells.
New Feats
BULL'S EYE [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Point Blank Shot.
Benefit: Your aimed ranged attacks deal extra damage. Gain a +2 bonus to damage for each full round spent aiming, to a maximum of +6.
IMPROVED BULL'S EYE [General, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Dex 13+, Point Blank Shot, BAB +6.
Benefit: Your damage bonus on aimed ranged attacks increases to +4 per full round spent aiming, to a maximum of +12.
ABILITY TRAINING [General]
Benefit: Choose an Ability. You qualify for Ability Advancement with that ability.
Special: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, it applies to a different ability.
ABILITY ADVANCEMENT [General]
Prerequisites: Ability Training, character level 5th.
Benefit: Choose an ability with which you have Ability Training. That ability is increased by +2.
Sepcial: This feat may be taken multiple times. Each time it is taken, it applies to a different ability.
QUICK PREPARATION [General, Wizard]
Prerequisites: Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: If you can prepare a spell without a spell book, you may prepare that spell as a full round action that provokes an attack of opportunity.
INSTANT PREPARATION [General, Wizard]
Prerequisites: Caster level 3rd, Quick Preparation.
Benefit: If you can prepare a spell without a spell book, you may prepare that spell as a free action that does not provoke an attack of opportunity.
ARMORED CASTING [General, Wizard, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Armor Proficiency (Light), Wizard level 1st.
Benefit: Reduce your arcane spell failure chance by 15%.
IMPROVED ARMORED CASTING [General, Wizard, Fighter]
Prerequisites: Armor Proficiency (Medium), Wizard level 1st, Armored Casting.
Benefit: The amount by which your arcane spell failure chance is reduced improves to 25%.
IMPROVED COUNTERSPELLS [General, Wizard]
Benefit: Gain a +2 bonus on checks to counterspell and on Spellcraft checks to identify a spell as it is being cast.[/sblock]
[sblock=Magic]Because a 10d6 fireball is just unacceptable when the toughest guy in the house has 25 hit points. Modifications to give non-mages a fighting chance, though wizards will still pretty much just be able to Easily Kill You.
Minimum Ability Score
In order to cast a spell, you must have a key casting ability score bonus equal to the spell level. Remember that your key ability depends on your specialty: Intelligence for generalists, Evokers, and Transmuters; Wisdom for Abjurders, Conjurers, and Diviners; and Charisma for Enchanters, Illusionists, and Necromancers.
Counterspells
The rules for counterspells are revamped like so.
Step 1: Identify. As a free action, you may attempt to identify a spell as it is being cast. This requires a Spellcraft check, DC 15 + spell level.
Step 2: Respond. Sacrifice a spell slot or prepared spell. If you can, sacrifice a Dispel Magic, the same spell as the one you wish to counter, or a spell that specifically counters or dispels that spell. Like active defense, attempting to counterspell limits you to a single action on your next turn. If something else would limit you to a single action, you may not act on your next turn.
Step 3: Counter. If you sacrificed a Dispel Magic, the same spell as the one you wish to counter, or a spell that specifically counters and dispels that spell, the target spell is automatically countered, and has no effect. Otherwise, you must make a check (1d20 + the level of the sacrificed spell + your key casting ability modifier) against the target spell's DC in order to be successful.
Additions to the Spell List
The following spells are added to the Sorcerer/Wizard spell list.
Level 1: Cure Minor Wounds, Produce Flame, Speak with Animals. Level 2: Animal Messenger, Delay Poison, Entangle, Flame Blade, Soften Earth and Stone, Tree Shape, Warp Wood, Wood Shape. Level 3: Heal Wounds*, Meld Into Stone, Neutralize Poison, Plant Growth, Poison, Remove Disease, Speak with Plants, Stone Shape. Level 4: Antiplant Shell, Command Plants, Giant Vermin, Repel Vermin. Level 5: Animal Growth, Awaken, Commune with Nature, Control Winds, Tree Stride, Wall of Thorns. Level 6: Antilife Shell, Find the Path, Liveoak, Repel Wood, Transport via Plants.
*Heal Wounds is a new spell.
HEAL WOUNDS
Conjuration (Healing)
Level: Wizard 3
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Touch
Target: Creature Touched
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The magician slowly heals the target’s broken flesh. One casting may cure up to 5 hit points plus 1 hit point per caster level. After the spell, both the caster and the target must make Fortitude saves, DC 10 plus the number of hit points healed. Failure moves the character up one step on the fine -> fatigued -> exhausted -> unconscious track. Failure by 5 points moves two steps, and 10 points moves three steps.
Damage Dice
Damage dealing spells are "graded on a curve," as shown below. For spells like Magic Missile and Scorching Ray, you can' assign more damage dice to any single opponent than is appropriate for your level.
Level : Dice
1 : 1d
2 : 2d
3 : 3d
4-5 : 4d
6-7 : 5d
8-9 : 6d
10-12 : 7d
13-15 : 8d
16-18 : 9d
19++ : 10d[/sblock]
Phew! That was long. Thanks for sticking with it.
So, look good? Look at least a little bit balanced? Most importantly, look like it'd be fun?
All comments appreciated!
