The Romance of the River Kingdoms

[Dr Simon]

Some feats (ported and adapted from Oriental Adventures and Arcana Evolved) that might be of interest to some of you:

Focused Attack
Req: Weapon Focus, ranks in Concentration
Effects: As a move action, make a Concentration check. Depending on the result, the next attack you deal with a weapon of choice will cause extra damage:

Concentration check Damage
10-19 +1d6
20-29 +2d6
30-39 +3d6
40-49 +4d6
50-59 +5d6
etc.

You can't Take 10 on this check, and the attack must be made immediately after the Concentration check.

Special: If you have Quick Draw you can draw and focus (but not also move) at the same time. This also stacks with Sneak Attack damage if applicable (a focused strike against a flat-footed foe). This is an adaption of the Iaijutsu rules.

Lion's Roar
Req: Cha 13+, BAB +1 or better
Once per day, as a standard action you can unleash a terrifying battle cry. All opponents who are within 30 ft., able to hear you and have lower HD/ than you must make a Will save (DC 10 +1/2 your character level + your Charisma modifer) or be shaken for 1d6 rounds. (Adaptation of Ki Shout)

Fire Mage
Req: Spontaneous spellcaster
You add the following spells to your known spell list. Essentially you get one bonus known spell per level. This doesn't affect spells per day.

1. Fiery Eyes* - your eyes glow, illuminating area. May ignite objects with focussed gaze.
2. Animate Fire* - turn Small or smaller fire into animated object.
3. Fire Wings* - arms become flaming wings. May fly and burn things.
4. Wall of Fire
5. Fire Breath* - breath fire 1/round. 1d8 per 2 levels to 1 target in 15ft.
6. Fires of Purity* - subject bathed in aura of fire, becoming dangerous weapon.
7. Firestorm
8. Incendiary Cloud
9. Internal Fire* - target burns from inside out.
*These are all from Oriental Adventures, and may need a little bit of re-jigging to make them 3.5 compatible.

Note: Yes, this is more potent than the existing feat that allows spontaneous casters *one* extra spell, but I don't think it's too unbalancing as its benefits play out over a long period. I doubt we'll be seeing 18th level in a PBP game, unless we fast-forward over a few levels.
This, obviously, is aimed at Annika, but either Ape or Jar'Thol could take it (as spontaneous casters), or similarly themed lists could be made for other focuses.

 

[Shayuri]

Hoo!

Hee.

Looks cool.

 

[Dr Simon]

The Oriental Adventures spells are quite funky, and I'll probably work a few more into the game. Most of those fire spells are marginally weaker, I think, than the equivalent "western" versions found in, say, the clerical Fire Domain (I think Fire Breath requires a touch attack roll, for example), which balances out the extra numbers.

Something that I normally do as DM is to allow an adjustment of characters after the first adventure, in case skill and feat choices, for example, didn't work out as hoped, to allow a settling-in period. Although, it should be borne in mind that I'm hoping for a variety of different situations and encounters, not all is going to be dungeon-crawling.

 

[Shayuri]

If you have access to Complete Arcane, you might check out the Wu Jen's spells. They're meant to have an eastern/asian feel, but are made for 3.5e.

I haven't looked at them myself, since I've never played one. I can't vouch as to their balance.

 

[Dr Simon]

I don't have Complete Arcane, but I've got a copy of Dungeon that has an OA adventure in, and they reprint a lot of the 3.5 Wu Jen stuff in there (although the adventure has a water/ice theme so most of the spells are along those lines). It also has an encounter with a living swarm of soap bubbles, kind of remniscent of the Ghibli animation Spirited Away. (Wish there was a smiley that adequately conveyed "cool, in a stupid kind of way").

 

[Dr Simon]

Question for players of nai-nek-chai characters (and other interested parties)

Would the following feat be useful, do you think?

Swift Shapechange.
Instead of spending a standard action to change between human and animal forms (and vice versa), you can do so as a a swift action.

 

[Blackrat]

Question for players of nai-nek-chai characters (and other interested parties)

Would the following feat be useful, do you think?

Swift Shapechange.
Instead of spending a standard action to change between human and animal forms (and vice versa), you can do so as a a swift action.

From standard to swift. No matter what the action, if it's something you do often, that's a hell of a feat. From standard to move would be good already, but to swift, it's definetly usefull.

 

[Shayuri]

Arr...as much as I'm kicking myself for saying it, standard action to move action might be more along the lines of established feats, like Fast Wildshape.

Not that I'd complain if it stayed standard to swift.

 

[Walking Dad]

Arr...as much as I'm kicking myself for saying it, standard action to move action might be more along the lines of established feats, like Fast Wildshape.

Not that I'd complain if it stayed standard to swift.

Seconded. But I'm still more interested in a feat, that allows speaking or casting in animal shape.

 

[Dr Simon]

Swift might be a bit much, eh? I thought a move action might be too little for a feat, and the difference between nai-nek-chai shapechanging and druidic wild shape is that you are limited to just the one animal form.

However, if I set it as a move action, I've also got an idea for a nai-nek-chai master shifter prestige class that gives you extra forms and enhances shifting ability. If I make Fast Shapechange a pre-requisite I can enhance it at later levels to a swift action. Hmm.

WD - following our last discussion I put a feat up on the Conclave website, na-nak-chai page, that allows speaking whilst in animal form. As far as spellcasting goes its a sort of halfway house in that it allows spells with verbal and material/focus components but not somatic. I'd be happy to allow Natural Spell to work for nnc animal forms as well, but that one allows spell-casting and not communication. However, I think it's a fair balance and gives the fun of chosing one over the other