Unearthed Arcana *hugs her copy*

[Davelozzi]

Stuff we already used...Players Roll All the Dice

Trainz, how did you like this variant? Did it slow things down at all? Did your players seem to like it?

 

[Voadam]

The spontaneous divine casters.

Having divine casters know 20-30 spells per spell level (and increasing with every other supplement) always seemed off, although easier for writing down NPCs.

 

[AFGNCAAP]

I like a lot of the stuff I've seen in this book. However, I'll propbably use more options in 1 setting that I will in another. For example, in 1 campaign, I'll probably use these:

• Races from different terrains (aquatic races, desert races, etc.).
• Variant paladins: the CG paladin will be an "Avenger," the LE paladin will be a "Blackguard" (I'll drop the PrC), & the CE paladin will be a "Ravager."
• May use domain wizards (possibly instead of specialists)
• Character traits & character flaws
• Item Familiars
• Incantations
• Contacts
• Reputation (possibly)

In addition, I'll probably use: the "playing LA-adjusted characters" rule from the WotC website (I want to allow githzerai as a PC race for new/1st-level PCs); the 3.5 update for OA in April's Dragon; and the new/upadted/expanded/revised psionics rules.

However, for a Lankhmar-based game, I'll use these variants:

• Generic classes
• Incantations
• Contacts
• Reputation
• Action Points
• Character traits & character flaws
• VP/WP
• Defense Bonus (though more like the d20 Modern version rather than the 1 in UA)
• Taint (for the corruption that some Lankhmar wizards face using evil magic)

And, for a possible game based on a story setting I've been working on:

• Generic classes
• Contacts
• Reputation
• Action points
• Character traits & character flaws
• Incantations
• Item Familiars
• Domain wizards (or rather, Domain Spellcasters)
• Spell points (maybe)
• Defense Bonus (more like d20 Modern than UA) (maybe)

Plus, there'll be a few other options/changes that I'll throw in: high spellcasting ability modifier adds to # of spells known (& not just spells/day); different character races; knowledge/use of spells outside of the # of spells known via a combo of spellbook, components, & incantations; variant item materials; etc.

This book totally rocks! (IMHO )

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Another angle here, and a personal hope of mine, is that those companies that really struggle to "get the rules right" will borrow and build on ideas out of UA so that there is least some semblance of balance vis a vis the core rules.

Some of the rules variants I like very much-- so much so that they'll find their way at the eleventh hour! into Grim Tales.

In the "Armor as DR" department, I think Damage Conversion is the best and simplest to implement-- you don't have to change anything major.

Armor converts lethal damage equal to its armor bonus to non-lethal damage, and negates non-lethal damage equal to its armor bonus.

So a fighter in plate (+8) converts 8 points of lethal damage from every hit to non-lethal damage.

The result is more "unconscious" characters, as opposed to dead characters.

The ugly downside (pointed out in the accompanying sidebar) is that many PCs will be left with the grisly task of "finishing off" fallen and unconscious opponents.

This isn't something I consider a major issue for the gritty world of Grim Tales, but in a standard high-fantasy D&D game, it could pose problems.

I also really like the "Players Roll all the Dice" variant, but consider that too major a change (not difficult, just very different to the existing mindset) to include it in Grim Tales as standard.

Wulf

 

[Wombat]

I got guilted into buying this book by the owner of the FLGS (who might be dropping RPGs later this year if sales don't pick up).

My thoughts are: I paid how much for what?

Decent ideas:

WP/V rules -- but I already had this info, between multiple on-line sites and a friend's copy of Star Wars, so that seems like paying for the cow I already bought. Equally, it doesn't really fit the "One Hit, One Kill" potential, does it?

Armour as Damage Reduction -- see above

Legendary Weapons -- but I already had a house rule that I prefer that does more or less the same thing

Racial Paragons -- shades of Arcana Unearthed... And how does one justify a "paragon" of a Half-Race?

Spell Points -- but again I have already downloaded variants of this from half a dozen on-line sources, some of which I prefer to this system

Hex based templates -- we did this immediately, with the very few combats that we bother to haul out the battle boards for -- squares never made sense

Weapon Group Feats -- Okay, I have no complaints about this one. Decent notion, flat out.

So I don't see any of these ideas as something I should have paid for.

As for screamingly bad ideas:

Bloodlines -- would never use this notion, makes no sense (how many types of dragons could even potentially mate with humanoids?)

Gestalt classes -- All I can say is AGH!

"Maximum Ranks, Limited Choices" Skills Options -- why? Someone doesn't want to think about character development?

Spelltouched Feats -- don't get the notion at all

Character Background -- expected something more along the lines of material I had already developed; instead it is just a set of charts for making very, very random characters

The rest of the material was either something I wouldn't use in my campaigns or just didn't catch my interest.

So I paid a lot of money basically on the hope that the FLGS will keep stocking RPGs, but if this is the level of books available, I'm not sure it is worth it.

 

[Davelozzi]

I already had this info, between multiple on-line sites and a friend's copy of Star Wars, so that seems like paying for the cow I already bought.

Sounds to me that it's more like paying for the cow that you've been getting free milk from all along.

 

[Storminator]

I love and want to use the injury rules and the generics (despite my rant in the Rules forum on the expert getting la shaft, which I will fix by adding 2 skill points/lvl and allowing all skills as class skills for it). The battle sorceror is cool too. But right away, I can't use that and just have the generics. So much to use! The racial paragons are interesting, but maybe more for NPC's. I dunno. Although a half-orc paragon that then takes orc paragon is going to get plenty strong, plenty quick!

I think mixing the generics with the racial classes would give a cool mix to the game. Then you'd be more defined by your race than your class, which would be interesting. Something like the elf +1 level of wizard would need changing tho.

PS

 

[Chainsaw Mage]

]
I don't own the book but I flipped through it at my FLGS. It definitely looks great and I made a mental note to purchase it in the future. One thing that surprised me is that a lot of the ideas seem cribbed from d20 Modern...anyone else notice this?

[Not that there's anything wrong with that... ]

 

[Trainz]

Trainz, how did you like this variant? Did it slow things down at all? Did your players seem to like it?

I have to admit, this is the variant that has the biggest positive impact on our game. From a gaming point of view, it changes nothing, because the numbers remain proportionally the same.

When a DM rolls many a crit on his players, the players start looking at him with anger. Like a "give us a break, can't you fudge a bit" look. Under the new system, it's much more exciting. I had a player make his defense roll, roll 20, and yell "Oh yeah ! Take that [expletive] ! AoO !" and when THEY roll 1 on defense rolls, well, they have only themselves to blame, *I* didn't crit on them, they just badly dodged.

I'm going to have to modify all the stats in my books. Add 11 to all my critter's attacks and saving throws.

Like my monster books didn't already have enough scribbles in them with the 3.0 - 3.5 move...

 

[Plane Sailing]

Armor converts lethal damage equal to its armor bonus to non-lethal damage, and negates non-lethal damage equal to its armor bonus.

So a fighter in plate (+8) converts 8 points of lethal damage from every hit to non-lethal damage.

The result is more "unconscious" characters, as opposed to dead characters.

Do they suggest how this works with monsters that have huge natural armour bonuses?

Dragons immediately come to mind... with a natural armour bonus of up to +39 does it mean that PC's are likely to always end up with unconscious dragons if they fight them and win?

How about constructs and undead and other creatures which don't suffer subdual damage - how does it handle them?

Also, are regenerating creatures (which take all damage as subdual damage) handled?

Just curious...