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Planescape: Fantasy Taken to the Edge (5e conversion)
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<blockquote data-quote="kenmarable" data-source="post: 6380661" data-attributes="member: 40359"><p>Personally, I never liked the various "steps away" rules. They are onerous to keep track of. It can harshly limit only certain characters and not affect other ones at all. And the only benefit is conveying some extra flavor to the planar setting, but there are already a ton of ways to do that built in and many more that can be used. </p><p></p><p>In fact, I think non-mechanical effects might convey that flavor even more. The further away they are the quieter and more garbled the voice of their deity is with other voices creeping in, demanding your service or offering you power. If they are on a plane completely opposed according to the Great Wheel even have things like when they pray for spells they can't even make out the voice of their own deity as all of the other voices are so much clearer and louder and their own deity is like that kind of faint noise that you think might be a voice but you can't make out whether it is actually speaking words or is just random noise. I can even see on something like the Outlands feeling like a crowded room with a jumble of voices. Or Sigil being eerily silent as you didn't even realize the constant presence of your deity until they were suddenly gone. When you pray for spells or commune with your deity, you hear what sounds like a door opening and can make contact again, but once you are done, it slams shut and then there is silence again.</p><p></p><p>Or even other non-mechanical effects like an cleric of some good nature-focused elven deity casting a spell on the Lower Planes has grass and flowers sprout at their feet as they feel their deity trying to push their way onto the plane, and then the plants immediately shrivel and die and the cleric can feel their deity being violently forced back out of them.</p><p></p><p>Those sorts of things that don't even need to have any mechanical benefit at all could probably convey the ideas much better than "sorry, your spellcasting sucks now."</p><p></p><p>As for planar effects on magic, with 5e I think you can go a long way with just simple advantage/disadvantage (or maybe resistance/vulnerability as well). One thing I like about 5e is that with these simple mechanics, you can on the fly determine whether something fits with the plane or not and grant the bonus or penalty. No need to reference charts or know spell schools, or any of that. If their action aligns particularly well with the plane, then they get advantage (or target gets disadvantage if its a save). If they are working against the nature of the plane, then the opposite. </p><p></p><p>I might even expand it beyond just magic to other class abilities or even a whole variety of actions. Is a particular skill check working with or against the plane? The plane might boost or hinder your efforts. Executing an organized battle plan on Acheron? Then players can pick 1 or 2 key attacks that will have advantage. Charging into glorious battle on Ysgard gets advantage on initiative. Etc. No need to just let the spellcasters have all the fun.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="kenmarable, post: 6380661, member: 40359"] Personally, I never liked the various "steps away" rules. They are onerous to keep track of. It can harshly limit only certain characters and not affect other ones at all. And the only benefit is conveying some extra flavor to the planar setting, but there are already a ton of ways to do that built in and many more that can be used. In fact, I think non-mechanical effects might convey that flavor even more. The further away they are the quieter and more garbled the voice of their deity is with other voices creeping in, demanding your service or offering you power. If they are on a plane completely opposed according to the Great Wheel even have things like when they pray for spells they can't even make out the voice of their own deity as all of the other voices are so much clearer and louder and their own deity is like that kind of faint noise that you think might be a voice but you can't make out whether it is actually speaking words or is just random noise. I can even see on something like the Outlands feeling like a crowded room with a jumble of voices. Or Sigil being eerily silent as you didn't even realize the constant presence of your deity until they were suddenly gone. When you pray for spells or commune with your deity, you hear what sounds like a door opening and can make contact again, but once you are done, it slams shut and then there is silence again. Or even other non-mechanical effects like an cleric of some good nature-focused elven deity casting a spell on the Lower Planes has grass and flowers sprout at their feet as they feel their deity trying to push their way onto the plane, and then the plants immediately shrivel and die and the cleric can feel their deity being violently forced back out of them. Those sorts of things that don't even need to have any mechanical benefit at all could probably convey the ideas much better than "sorry, your spellcasting sucks now." As for planar effects on magic, with 5e I think you can go a long way with just simple advantage/disadvantage (or maybe resistance/vulnerability as well). One thing I like about 5e is that with these simple mechanics, you can on the fly determine whether something fits with the plane or not and grant the bonus or penalty. No need to reference charts or know spell schools, or any of that. If their action aligns particularly well with the plane, then they get advantage (or target gets disadvantage if its a save). If they are working against the nature of the plane, then the opposite. I might even expand it beyond just magic to other class abilities or even a whole variety of actions. Is a particular skill check working with or against the plane? The plane might boost or hinder your efforts. Executing an organized battle plan on Acheron? Then players can pick 1 or 2 key attacks that will have advantage. Charging into glorious battle on Ysgard gets advantage on initiative. Etc. No need to just let the spellcasters have all the fun. [/QUOTE]
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