D&D 3.x ToB: Bo9S - Nifft's Compendium

[Piratecat]

Nifft, you mention you're not happy with the archery school. Have you compared it against Hong's? (The answer is probably yes, but I'm at work with no time to go back across the threads.)

I would dearly love a pdf of these. Your work is particularly good.

 

[Nifft]

Nifft, you mention you're not happy with the archery school. Have you compared it against Hong's?

Yes, and the (long) discussion we had while he developed his schools made me dissatisfied with several of my own ideas.

Thanks for the interest -- I'll see what I can do.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Yue Ryong]

Ok, I decided to have another skim through here, just in case I spotted any more oddities that I thought should be corrected. Here they are. Surprisingly few, given how many of these there are.

Long Viper Bite - Since it is a strike, should it not be 'you make a single bite attack at up to 30ft range', rather than 'You gain the ability to make a single bite attack at 30 ft. range, though you do not threaten that range'. That would seem to be simpler. After all, the strike only lasts for the turn anyway.

Inertia Tap - Strictly speaking, this could be interpretted to include spells that grant bonus types of speed (i.e. Fly, Burrow or Swim speeds). Is this the intention?

Aura Piercing Sight - Not so much a quibble as a curiousity. I'd have thought the natural progression from Detect Magic would be to Arcane Sight, rather than bonuses to bypassing illusions.

Silent Star Technique - How long does this last? I assume 1 round, but it's not explicit.

Lunar Radiance - I'm surprised that while this is dazzling to scryers, this has no effect on the visual capabilities of those people who are actually physically present.

Lion Strength Technique - There are two of these, for some reason, one granting +6 Str and another two levels higher granting +8 Str. Any ideas like 'Dragon Strength Technique' or 'Titan Strength Technique' to replace the higher one?

Heart Chakra Mastery - The placing of the comment on the save seems to indicate that the save is purely for the inability to stabilise. Perhaps it should be moved to immediately after '...and is dying'? That would certainly make things more understandable for me.

Called Shot - Why is this an extra d6 more powerful than Saphire Nightmare Blade, it's equivalent in the Diamond Mind school? If anything, I'd expect it to be less powerful, given that it can be done at a range of 100ft without penalty.

 

[Nifft]

Long Viper Bite - Since it is a strike, should it not be 'you make a single bite attack at up to 30ft range', rather than 'You gain the ability to make a single bite attack at 30 ft. range, though you do not threaten that range'. That would seem to be simpler. After all, the strike only lasts for the turn anyway.

Sure, that makes sense.

Inertia Tap - Strictly speaking, this could be interpretted to include spells that grant bonus types of speed (i.e. Fly, Burrow or Swim speeds). Is this the intention?

Can't recall my original intent, but that would be a bit strong for a 2nd level maneuver. I'll re-word it to exclude that.

Aura Piercing Sight - Not so much a quibble as a curiousity. I'd have thought the natural progression from Detect Magic would be to Arcane Sight, rather than bonuses to bypassing illusions.

My reasoning was: there are several classes which grant free unlimited detect magic, but only a Sorcerer or Wizard with permanency (and some XP to blow) gets unlimited arcane sight.

Silent Star Technique - How long does this last? I assume 1 round, but it's not explicit.

Yep, should be 1 round. EDIT: ... and it says that in the text already.

Lunar Radiance - I'm surprised that while this is dazzling to scryers, this has no effect on the visual capabilities of those people who are actually physically present.

It's more intended to Dazzle those looking at you with detect magic or see invisibility... Dazzling a scry'r isn't going to have much of an effect.

Lion Strength Technique - There are two of these, for some reason, one granting +6 Str and another two levels higher granting +8 Str. Any ideas like 'Dragon Strength Technique' or 'Titan Strength Technique' to replace the higher one?

Ah, the brief listing had them correct, only the long one is wrong. +8 should be Dragon Strength. Thanks!

Heart Chakra Mastery - The placing of the comment on the save seems to indicate that the save is purely for the inability to stabilise. Perhaps it should be moved to immediately after '...and is dying'? That would certainly make things more understandable for me.

Your interpretation is correct, and I'll move the parenthetical & re-word that bit.

Called Shot - Why is this an extra d6 more powerful than Saphire Nightmare Blade, it's equivalent in the Diamond Mind school? If anything, I'd expect it to be less powerful, given that it can be done at a range of 100ft without penalty.

Two Handed Power Attack. Sapphire Nightmare Blade is very useful against lightly armored, high Dexterity opponents with piles of Dodge bonuses. Archers can't capitalize on a surplus of AC reduction.

Thanks! -- N

 

[Nifft]

Nifft, you mention you're not happy with the archery school.

Okay, I'm a bit happier with Heaven's Arc now.

1/ Got rid of the silly (Sky) subtype; replaced it with the much more dungeon-friendly (Arc) subtype. There's only one Stance which actually depends on being outdoors, so it just gets a sentence about that.

2/ The Insightful Shot strikes are full-round actions, and leave you flat-footed. IMHO that's a reasonable compromise for their superiority to the Insightful Strike strikes in Diamond Mind.


@ Flamewarrior: Fixed the language regarding readied actions, too. Please take a look, when you have a chance.

Thanks, -- N

 

[Flamewarrior]

So nicely asked, how could I not "hurry"? Anyway, the important stuff is: first, you didn't update the text above the maneuver summaries - there's still "(Sky)" there (BTW, the change itself is great if I understood it correctly, and it means strike-granted attacks have a maximum range of twice the overhead clearing, and then that wording might be clearer than the current one); and, on sphere of saturn, I think it'd read better (as well as have a needed clarification) as: "When you use the ready action while in this stance, you may specify two different triggers, each with a responsive action of its own (both could be equal). Both responses must be either standard-action ranged attacks or Heaven's Arc strikes with initiation actions of 1 standard action or 1 swift action, and, as soon as you decide to act on one of the triggers, you cease to be considered to have readied any actions."; also, that made me think about 2 things - a) what's your opinion on someone readying 2 different actions on the same trigger, to have the freedom of choosing at the last moment (who knows, that might seriously be useful some day)? And b) a normal ready could power a Manyshot, you know - do you think it couldn't be "must be standard or swift actions used to make ranged attacks"?

 

[Flamewarrior]

You dropped this, Josh?

 

[Nifft]

You dropped this, Josh?

You mean me?

Yeah, ever since the 4e announcement, it's felt rather irrelevant. Is there still any interest?

Cheers, -- N

 

[Flamewarrior]

Yes, you, demonic Linux apostle!

I'm not even sure whether I'll port, especially now that I'm midway rewriting and rebalancing 3.5 classes. Yes, there's still interest, and there's some others still messing around with blade magic. But well, it's yours.

P.S.: one of my intentions, shared with Magocrat, is to compile the blade magic material (in my case, the interest's largely on the disciplines) - also, the latter's even thinking about making a new discipline, even now.

 

[Nifft]

Okay, I'll see what I can do.

Honestly, it hasn't been on my mind though. :\

Making a "more Vancian" SW Saga-esque version of D&D by xmas has taken priority.

Cheers, -- N