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Please break my "gritty" rules set.
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<blockquote data-quote="Dannyalcatraz" data-source="post: 4396059" data-attributes="member: 19675"><p>Well, if it doesn't work for the setting, so be it!</p><p></p><p>However, read on- you'll find another MoI tweak for a different class below.</p><p></p><p>If you’re open to non-WotC products, consider:</p><p></p><p>1) <strong> Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved:</strong> The Totem Warrior is much like the WotC Barbarian, but focuses on thematically-linked ability sets inspired by totemic animals. Thus, you have barbarians with a LOT more intrinsic variety. AFAIK, but for the actual skills & skill points, there are no mechanics you’d have to alter, and the solution to that is to use the Barbarian’s skills & points.</p><p></p><p>I know you said a gish won't work, but I'd be remiss in pointing out the Totem Warrior if I didn't also point out the Mage Blade- one of the better takes on a single-class warrior mage in the 3.X regime. Its a nice, balanced blend without being too much of one or the other. Among the other classes worthy of note- the Greenbond (reworked druid), Akashic (reworked rogue/bard), and the Oathsworn (reworked martial artist).</p><p></p><p>In addition, the feat Hands as Weapons allows an unarmed combat specialist to enchant his unarmed strikes as if they were manufactured weapons. That’s right- Flaming Fists & Vorpal Kicks, baby!</p><p></p><p>Mechanics: 99% portable into any 3.X game.</p><p></p><p>2) <strong>Dragon Compendium v. 1:</strong> Chock full of nice weapons and a host of feats that target martial artists, pole-arm using warriors and spontaneous casters.</p><p></p><p>Mechanics: 100% portable into any 3.X game.</p><p></p><p>3) <strong>Midnight 2Ed:</strong> Heroic Paths are a way to boost PC power without handing out magic items. They’re a set of thematically linked abilities spread across 20 PC levels…sort of an invisible second class that every PC has that help describe and predict his destiny. Some of them grant things that would otherwise be class abilities, like Lay on Hands, or Turn Undead.</p><p></p><p>Mechanics: 100% portable into any game.</p><p></p><p>4) <strong>Iron Heroes:</strong> Some very nice, gritty classes. The main downside- non-standard D20 mechanics.</p><p></p><p>Traits are similar to feats (or even certain templates), but each PC gets 2 and no more. Unlike most feats, they’re more centered on backgrounds and actual mental or physical attributes, not training. Some are quite useful, especially in rounding out a PC. Some of them you’d recognize as showing up in certain WotC products- Weapon bond is similar to racial weapon familiarity (but is limited to 1 weapon), Mighty Build is indistinguishable from Powerful Build.</p><p></p><p>Mechanics: 75% portable into any 3.X game.</p><p></p><p>5) <strong>Rokugan:</strong> Similar to its OA sister product, this is the D20 version of Lot5R. You might find the Void Use mechanic useful.</p><p></p><p>Mechanics: 90% portable into any 3.X game.</p><p></p><p>6) <strong>Oriental Adventures 3.5 update, Dragon #318:</strong> James Wyatt’s own update gives us classes are more in line with the 3.5 revision’s philosophy. Of note are the Sohei’s better ability progression and better Ki Frenzy (an amalgam of FoB and Rage), and the Shaman gaining the Monk’s scaling Unarmed Strike damage.</p><p></p><p>The Shaman deserves a moment of consideration here: It is a full divine caster with an animist mechanic in which the PC talks to spirits of the dead or nature and gets benefits from his relationship with them. Its not unlike the Binder’s communicating with Vestiges, but not quite as powerful. If you simply ditch the class’ divine vancian magic and replace it with the Incarnate’s Meldshaping progression, you’d have a class that 1) gets you more use out MoI, 2) have a “divine” class that bridges the gap between Incarnum and Vestiges… Not enough? Add some of the Monk's other gifts, say FoB, the Wis bonus to AC, a power or feat or two, and you'll have something pretty nifty.</p><p> </p><p>Mechanics: 100% portable into any 3.X game.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Dannyalcatraz, post: 4396059, member: 19675"] Well, if it doesn't work for the setting, so be it! However, read on- you'll find another MoI tweak for a different class below. If you’re open to non-WotC products, consider: 1) [b] Arcana Unearthed/Arcana Evolved:[/b] The Totem Warrior is much like the WotC Barbarian, but focuses on thematically-linked ability sets inspired by totemic animals. Thus, you have barbarians with a LOT more intrinsic variety. AFAIK, but for the actual skills & skill points, there are no mechanics you’d have to alter, and the solution to that is to use the Barbarian’s skills & points. I know you said a gish won't work, but I'd be remiss in pointing out the Totem Warrior if I didn't also point out the Mage Blade- one of the better takes on a single-class warrior mage in the 3.X regime. Its a nice, balanced blend without being too much of one or the other. Among the other classes worthy of note- the Greenbond (reworked druid), Akashic (reworked rogue/bard), and the Oathsworn (reworked martial artist). In addition, the feat Hands as Weapons allows an unarmed combat specialist to enchant his unarmed strikes as if they were manufactured weapons. That’s right- Flaming Fists & Vorpal Kicks, baby! Mechanics: 99% portable into any 3.X game. 2) [b]Dragon Compendium v. 1:[/b] Chock full of nice weapons and a host of feats that target martial artists, pole-arm using warriors and spontaneous casters. Mechanics: 100% portable into any 3.X game. 3) [b]Midnight 2Ed:[/b] Heroic Paths are a way to boost PC power without handing out magic items. They’re a set of thematically linked abilities spread across 20 PC levels…sort of an invisible second class that every PC has that help describe and predict his destiny. Some of them grant things that would otherwise be class abilities, like Lay on Hands, or Turn Undead. Mechanics: 100% portable into any game. 4) [b]Iron Heroes:[/b] Some very nice, gritty classes. The main downside- non-standard D20 mechanics. Traits are similar to feats (or even certain templates), but each PC gets 2 and no more. Unlike most feats, they’re more centered on backgrounds and actual mental or physical attributes, not training. Some are quite useful, especially in rounding out a PC. Some of them you’d recognize as showing up in certain WotC products- Weapon bond is similar to racial weapon familiarity (but is limited to 1 weapon), Mighty Build is indistinguishable from Powerful Build. Mechanics: 75% portable into any 3.X game. 5) [b]Rokugan:[/b] Similar to its OA sister product, this is the D20 version of Lot5R. You might find the Void Use mechanic useful. Mechanics: 90% portable into any 3.X game. 6) [b]Oriental Adventures 3.5 update, Dragon #318:[/b] James Wyatt’s own update gives us classes are more in line with the 3.5 revision’s philosophy. Of note are the Sohei’s better ability progression and better Ki Frenzy (an amalgam of FoB and Rage), and the Shaman gaining the Monk’s scaling Unarmed Strike damage. The Shaman deserves a moment of consideration here: It is a full divine caster with an animist mechanic in which the PC talks to spirits of the dead or nature and gets benefits from his relationship with them. Its not unlike the Binder’s communicating with Vestiges, but not quite as powerful. If you simply ditch the class’ divine vancian magic and replace it with the Incarnate’s Meldshaping progression, you’d have a class that 1) gets you more use out MoI, 2) have a “divine” class that bridges the gap between Incarnum and Vestiges… Not enough? Add some of the Monk's other gifts, say FoB, the Wis bonus to AC, a power or feat or two, and you'll have something pretty nifty. Mechanics: 100% portable into any 3.X game. [/QUOTE]
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