Polis: 3.5 Homebrew [Closed]

[dead_radish]

Lurker: Just wondering 1. If you could provide me the extra armor info I need (DR and Defense bonus) and 2. Whether I should start posting (even if we need to work out a few details on char.

 

[Lurker 2.0]

*Defense bonus for any class proficient in heavy armor (PsyWar included) is +6 at 1st level, additional +1 at every 3rd level.
Edit: Defense Bonus for other classes: No Armor Prof: +2 starting. Light Prof: +3 Starting. Medium Armor Prof: +4 starting. All proficiencies gain +1 at every 3rd level.
*Go ahead and start posting in the main thread.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Also interested. Would play human enchanter, using some or all of the specialist wizard variants in UA. Is there assent?

(Yes, someone's been reading the IC thread... )

 

[Lurker 2.0]

Sure. I'm going to put the "cap" at eight players, think that's about my level of complexity.

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Name: Alexi Radanov
Race: Human
Class: Enchanter 3
ECL: 3
Alignment: Neutral
Gender: male
Height: 5'11 1/2
Weight: 140 lbs.
Hair: Black
Eyes: Grey
Age: 23

STR: 9(-1)
DEX: 14(+2)
CON:14(+2)
INT: 19(+4) [+2 racial]
WIS:10 (+0)
CHA:14(+2)

Fort (2+1)=3
Ref (2+1)=3
Will (3+0)=3

BAB=+1
HP: (3d4)+6: 15
AC: 15 (+3 class, +2 dex)
Init: +2

Attacks:
Rapier (+0, 1d6/x2)
Hand crossbow (+3, 1d6/x2, 30')

Racial abilities:
Ability Bonus: +2 int (human)
Bonus skill points (human)

Class abilities:
Cohort
Social Proficiency
Extend Enchantment 1/day

Skills(rank+ability+misc):
Bluff +8 (6+2)
Concentration +5 (3+2)
Diplomacy +12 (6+2+4)
Knowledge: Arcana +10 (6+4)
Knowledge: History +5 (1+4)
Knowledge: Nobility +7 (3+4)
Knowledge: Religion +5 (1+4)
Knowledge: Streetwise +5 (1+4)
Sense Motive +6 (6+0)
Spellcraft +7 (3+4)
Gather Information +5 (3+2)

Feats: Spell focus: Enchantment, Scribe Scroll, Craft Wondrous Item

Enchanter; Necromancy and Evocation banned
Spells book:
0-All non-banned PHB cantrips
1st-Alarm, Charm Person, Shield, Color Spray, Sleep, Hypnotism, Identify, Disguise Self, Unseen Servant, Hold Portal, Comprehend Languages, Acid Orb (Lesser), Detect Secret Doors.
2nd- Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Invisibility, Detect Thoughts, Levitate.

Spells per day: 4/3/2
Spells prepared: 0- Detect Magic, Message, Prestidigitation, Daze*. 1st- Charm Person*, Hypnotism*, empty slot. 2nd- Tasha's Hideous Laughter*, empty slot. Spell Save DC 14+spell level (*+1 DC for enchantment).

Spell recharge: 0- 1d4+1. 1st- 1d6+1. 2nd- 1d6+1

Specific recharge times:
Alarm- 4 hours.
Charm Person- 1 hour.
Shield- 30 minutes.
Disguise Self- 4 hours.
Unseen Servant- 6 hours.
Invisibility- 5 minutes.

Gear:

Mundane
Hand Crossbow (100 gp, 2 lbs)
10 bolts (1 gp, 1 lb)
Rapier (20 gp, 2 lbs)
Backpack (2 gp, 2 lbs)
Chalk (1 cp, - lbs)
Caltrops (1 gp, 2 lbs)
Ink, Black (8 gp, - lbs)
Inkpen (1 sp, - lbs)
Flint and steel (1 cp, - lbs)
Mirror, small steel (10 gp, 1/2 lb)
Rope, silk, 50 feet (10 gp, 5 lbs)
Signal whistle (8 gp, - lbs)
Clothing (* gp, ~7 lbs)
Oil, flask (1 sp, 1 lb)
Acid, flash (10 gp, 1 lb)
Extravagant lifestyle, 1 month (200 gp, - lb)

This is what Alexi carries on his person during a "mission;" presumably his house, as befits his lifestyle, has numerous small items contained within. His clothing and jewelry (*) is likewise extant and in the latest fashions, but not paid for piece by piece.

Magic
Hat of Disguise* (900 gp, 72 xp, - lbs)
Pearl of Power, 1st level* (500 gp, 20 xp, - lbs)
Scroll of Hold Portal* x2 (25 gp, 2 xp, - lbs)
Scroll of Alarm* x4 (50 gp, 4 xp, - lbs)
Scroll of Shield*x4 (50 gp, 4 xp, - lbs)
Scroll of Unseen Servant* x2 (25 gp, 2 xp, - lbs)
Scroll of Comprehend Languages* x2 (25 gp, 2 xp, - lbs)
Scroll of Detect Secret Doors* x2 (25 gp, 2 xp, - lbs)
Scroll of Expiditious Retreat (25 gp, - lbs)
Scroll of Mount (25 gp, - lbs)
Scroll of Invisibility* x4 (300 gp, 24 xp, -lbs
Scroll of Levitate* x2 (150 gp, 12 xp, -lbs)
Potion of Lesser Vigor x2 (100 gp, - lbs)
Spellbook (15 gp, 3 lbs)
Spell component pouch (2 gp, 2 lbs)
Scroll folio** (15 gp, 1/2 lb)

*Self crafted. Total experience point expenditure:136 xp.
** A book with no bound pages but instead containing a number of scrolls tied into place with string in the manner of modern office one-ring binders. Priced as a spellbook, weighed as a scroll case. Both Alexi's spellbook and his scroll folio contain an invisible Arcane Mark on the inside cover.

Total weight: 29 lbs
Total spent: 2,520.22 gp
Remaining: 79.78 gp

Description:

[sblock]Alexi is never difficult to find. He has always required a certain standard of living that made fading into the background difficult. “It is not,” he is likely to respond, if asked, “that I am averse to living in lesser conditions,” and here he will gesture to whatever sumptuous surroundings he finds himself in, “it is just I cannot fathom subjecting myself to them without good reason.” Once he establishes himself in a suitable domicile, the soirees, dances, and dinners will follow. Alexi describes the progression as a regrettable, but inevitable, side-effect of his choice of housing. In a voice that never betrays self-mockery, he will explain that once he moved into a house, he will go about and introduce himself to his neighbors, as was only polite. Inevitably, invitations would come from the local gentry and merchants, and whatever his personal thoughts on the matter, it would be unforgivably rude not to accept, and an equally large breach of etiquette not to respond in kind. Before he knows what is happening, he will be drawn in to whatever intrigue, rivalries, scheming and especially romances might exist. Regrettable, to be sure, but what was to be done?

Alexi’s epicurean (or perhaps hedonistic) nature aside, there is a certain inevitability about the process. Any local aristocrat would be hard-pressed to ignore someone arriving on the scene and suddenly purchasing a valuable piece of real estate. Alexi’s social visits- which are truly done out of a sense of propriety ingrained in the young man at some point in his childhood- do nothing to dampen their interest, as Alexi is then revealed to be a handsome, charming, well dressed, stunningly intelligent and obviously wealthy young man. Questions immediately spring into the minds and mouths of local society gossips. From whence did he come? Where does he get his money? Does he come from a good family? Is he married? Invitations would be issued, and the inquisition would commence; the weapons of interrogation ranging from fine wine and food, to long nights of dancing, to carefully guided conversation, to a pretty face or three (with the last most often proving effective, if only because the target wishes to encourage that kind of behavior). Alexi will prove a cunning opponent, and what few answers are obtained will prove only to pose more questions. He came from far away (where?), he never knew his parents (from where came his impeccable manners?), his money comes from various ventures he participates in (what ventures?), and no, he was not married (and here his value as societal property would skyrocket).

The truth is that Alexi was abandoned or orphaned at infancy and raised by an order of ascetic priests who valued voluntary poverty, long hours spent in prayer, hard work, and respect for all life. The authorities due to their complete inoffensiveness tolerated them, for although they often performed works of charity, they neither advocated rebellion nor cut in on anyone’s market share. Alexi grew up highly educated- one goal of the priesthood- but his quick mind soon became aware that there was a bright existence beyond the simple life of the monastery.

Studying reams of philosophers, Alexi reached his own conclusions: in the absence of an absolute standard of morality (Alexi, disbelieves that there is any actual divinity, although he allows for supremely powerful beings) the only possible scale on which to judge an action was the happiness it brought the agent, be it sensual pleasure found with a pretty girl or intellectual pleasure found in high-minded discourse or the emotional pleasure associated with love. Where one found happiness was entirely subjective; Alexi had a sneaking suspicion, for example, that some of the monks actually enjoyed the life they lead, while Alexi would much prefer the life of high society. The means one used to achieve happiness were whatever one could use without that happiness being compromised by guilt; Alexi, for example, was annoyed at the monks for imparting him with a conscience, albeit one that he has become increasingly adept at stifling.

With a framework of enlightened self-interest in place, Alexi bid the priests a grateful but firm farewell, and set a plan into motion.

There was an elderly wizard, a doddering old man bordering on the edge of senility in regards to everything but magic, that Alexi had encountered on his errands outside the monastery. Taking gross advantage of the man’s senility, Alexi introduced himself as a long-lost nephew sent for training in the ways of magic, using a slightly modified letter of introduction from the monks. The man fell for the ruse (although Alexi was always curious about the man’s familiar, a cat that always looked like it knew too much for its own good), and Alexi began to learn the ways of magic. He had been fascinated ever since he had first learned of the practice of applying rational thought to the underlying rules of the universe and modifying reality; in such a manner he could overcome his physical limitations (he had never been terribly strong, although by no means sickly or clumsy) and achieve his goals of power, influence, and wealth.

Alexi found himself verging away certain schools of magic for both practical and aesthetic reasons. He found Evocation too crass and blatant a use of a mage’s talents for his taste; additionally, he reasoned that such spells would not be nearly as useful in the enclosed environment he would inevitably find himself in as their more subtle counterparts. Practically speaking, Necromancy carried too much of a social stigma to be effectively pursued; regardless, Alexi was himself entranced by the possibilities and the allure of immortality- so entranced he found himself disturbed, and consciously put aside such studies. In Enchantment, he found exactly what he was looking for: the ability to place a tiny finger on the lever of the universe, moving the world with a subtle pressure in the right place. Magic was a lever, and Enchantment was by far the longest.

The old man grew older, and his health began to fade. One day a well-dressed man in perhaps his late thirties arrived; he carried a light sword at his side and wore no armor. Alexi answered the door and allowed him in, serving tea and explaining that his master was unavailable. Eventually the questions, couched in polite terms, were exchanged. “Who are you?”

Alexi was the old man’s apprentice, and so, by amazing coincidence, was the other fellow. The man, whose name was Beridas, was suspicious of Alexi, but Alexi evinced such naive charm that he was put off his questioning. Beridas, it was explained, had heard of the old man’s failing physical and mental health and come to arrange for his care and his estate. This put Alexi and Beridas in something of an awkward position; Alexi, with the house in the hands of the estate, would have nowhere to live, and Beridas was aware that Alexi would have a troublesome legal claim on some of the old man’s more choice bits of arcana. A compromise was reached: Alexi would receive Beridas’ patronage, and Alexi would forfeit all claims to the estate.

Alexi grew into a charming, well-connected young man, seen as an up-and-comer in society and the field of magic. Alexi is quite pleased with the situation; the food and accommodations are first-class, his magical studies are rewarding, he is gaining influence, and his pockets are fuller than they have ever been (perhaps this last is owed as much to his work as a troubleshooter as anything else, but Alexi finds the inconvenience involved an acceptable trade-off for the wealth). And perhaps best of all, the companionship is rewarding: Alexi has several intriguing romantic prospects that he is developing….

Alexi is a handsome man in his early twenties, with fair skin, intelligent grey eyes and short, black wavy hair. He is tall and of a medium build, possessing little muscle but being athletic nonetheless. He possesses a fine, angular beard that circles his chin and upper lip. He is at all times immaculately groomed and dressed, and maintains an air of casual wealth.

Alexi is charming but reserved, more likely to let loose the occasional effective sentence than to fill a conversation with chatter. He is noble in his bearing, although very personable, and prone to extremely dry wit. People who talk to him for any length of time will find him a highly intelligent man, shrewd and observant. He is capable of getting along well with most anyone, although he prefers people of similar cultivation or, more importantly, intelligence. The one exception is the female of the species (or any of several species): here he finds himself with nothing but honest praise. Someone who might be considered rude he would describe without irony as “Charmingly abrupt;” someone without a thought in her head he would describe as “refreshingly innocent.”

Although likable, Alexi possesses numerous faults. He is an epicurean, an aesthete, and occasionally a hedonist. He lacks a moral compass as most recognize it. He is selfish, engaging in his pursuit of happiness without a thought for the poverty around him. Although he will not pursue a pretty girl simply because she is pretty (at least not without honestly informing her of the nature of his intentions and making sure she expects nothing more than a liaison), he falls in and out of love easily. While he may entreat a girl with honest adoration, he is likely to lose interest, be it in a manner of days, weeks, or months. He has a hard time understanding and relating to people who think markedly different than he does (which is to say, highly rationally with little regard for common emotions such as jealousy). He displays little respect for the sanctity of other’s minds, and although he has some limits, those seem likely to erode the more power he gains.[/sblock]

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

Coupla questions, in order of urgency:

Crafting: He's gonna craft a bunch of stuff (if you'll let him )- scrolls and wondrous items. Since if he crafted every single piece of his equipment, he'd be only 200 xp in the hole, I reccomend you just start him out with a deficit that he works off. Or start us other than exactly at 3rd level.

Cohort: He's gonna take leadership at level 6 to supplement the Cohort class feature. I've got an idea or two running through my head that I'll try and develop as the character does. Question is, do you want to design or run him/her, introduce him/her naturally, or what?

PrC:I'm thinking mindbender. How's it look after the 3.5 update in Complete Arcane?

 

[dead_radish]

For the crafting, I'd say he starts at 2nd level, with 200 xp to go to hit 3rd - that's how I've usually run it - we just get XP equal to 3rd, and you can take it from there....

 

[Thomas Hobbes]

That's a pretty big incentive not to craft anything (edit: during character creation), though, since you'll be 2nd level for a while (unless you level up right after a battle), and you lose access to a) one of the crafting feats, and b) a whole level of spells. If that's the case, I'll wait for a while before scribing my scrolls of Unseen Servant, thanks.

Which I suppose leads to a larger question I should've asked- how useful will these feats be? How much downtime will we have to craft things? Perhaps we should dip further into UA and use craft points? Or would it be best I not take them at all?

Edit: Exceedingly lengthy description added. Jeez, where did that come from? The last three paragraphs are the basic points, I suppose.

To describe Alexi's decadent lifestyle, should we use the upkeep rules in the DMG (pg. 130?) 200gp/month is nothing compared to a 5,000 gp reward. I need a dollar-signs-in-eyes smiley.

Edit again: Couple more questions (yeah yeah, I know you're out at turkey day, but my thanksgiving comes with net access and insomnia. ). Pearls of power- how do they work, if they exist at all? When activated, do they circumvent a recharge time (could I, for example, take a standard action and wait 1 round instead of 1d6+1 for general recharge spells or whatever for specific recharge spells?).

Copying spells to one's spellbook from a scroll costs 100gp/level in materials, plus the cost of the scroll. Copying from another person's spellbook costs 50gp/level in materials, plus 50gp/level reccomended fee to the Wizard. In every case except for cantrips, it's cheaper to copy from someone else's spell book. Would I be right to assume the free market has provided this service? Seems like it would make sense in this high-magic capitalist world- the people selling the scrolls are undercut (unless, of course, they are the same people offering access to spellbooks, in which case, hey, more business), the people selling the scribing materials benefit from increased business (and, again, may be the same people), and every mage who wanted a spell would jump at saving (spell level*caster level*25) gp per caster level, plus focus or material components.

I'm gonna proceed buying equipment on the basis you'll see the, uh, brilliance and inherent wisdom in my arguments (yeah, that's it). I'll modify anything that you disagree on when you get back

 

[jpwic]

Quick note to let you all know I'm back.

 

[dead_radish]

As am I - fully here now, though playing WoW.