Unearthed Arcana Variant Rules - Previews and Questions

[Nifelhein]

Probably like experience in previous editions. Standard orcs were worth 15 xp, no matter what level you were, which was a low but reasonable amount for 1st level characters, and pretty insignificant for high level characters. I'd guess the new system is something like 25 or 50xp * the CR of the critter, which would be the simplest way to introduce a system like that without all sorts of complicated calculations.

I believe it can be like that too, but I wonder whether that system would actually change the way characetrs level by giving different ammounts of xp.

And also, I would love to know what exactly is addressed in that rule variant...

 

[d20Dwarf]

And also, I would love to know what exactly is addressed in that rule variant...

Nostalgia!

After all, diaglo has probably sent in more customer feedback cards than the rest of EN World combined.

 

[Nifelhein]

Good one, and a very very possible one too! Anyway, I liked the old ways a little better, back then we took many months to level up and now we take a month only...

We played only 3 sessions and the players are already complainign about not leveling up... and they already did once!

 

[Von Ether]

If someone like me has felt that a variant could bring an interesting change to my game, but I was usually afraid to implement it by myself, this book is where I would start from. It is a book of ideas, but as always you can use them as inspiration and then come up with your own variant if these don't seem perfect.

*waves hand* Personaly I think this book is what d20 is about (gaming wise), options, not limits.

I've been playing a jury-rigged d20 Star Wars/d20 M/D&D game for a while, this book will probably replace the thumb tacks with rivets and the duck tape with a fiberglass shell. In essence, UA IS my DMG.

For me, I feel like some of these options should have been in the 3.0 DMG. My gaming style has no use for tons of charts that list the features of a dungeon or loads of magic items I'll never use. I ran d20 for a long time without the 3.0 DMG and when I finally did buy it, I felt like it was more to complete the set of $20 books than for any gaming use. I doubt 3.5 would serve me better beyond more PrCs.

As an aside, I guess I was the only guy who thought "That ain't right." When I got my 3.0 PHB and saw that the Paladin was a basic class. In one of my future games, there won't be the question "Why have a paladin PrC when it's no better than the core class?" Because in my game there won't be a core paladin class. You want special bonuses for being a good guy? Act like a good guy and earn them.

 

[Von Ether]

We played only 3 sessions and the players are already complainign about not leveling up... and they already did once!

Dive XP rewards by 6, you will be happy, just don't look the Rogue player in the eye when you do so.

We've been gaming for a year and we just got to 4th level. Everyone is cool with it except for the Rogue since his focus, skills, are all based on skill rolls. If it wasn't for sysnergy bonuses and weapon finesse, the player would have quit a long time ago.

 

[Frostmarrow]

Good one, and a very very possible one too! Anyway, I liked the old ways a little better, back then we took many months to level up and now we take a month only...

We played only 3 sessions and the players are already complainign about not leveling up... and they already did once!

That's what you'd expect from players to do. In my group we jokingly complain about not leveling up ten minutes past the last time. It's when they start levelling up on their own you really should start worrying. For sure, even if we (the players) sometimes complain and whine it just shows we are committed to the game.

 

[Greppa of Tartwater]

"non magical" psionics

What caught my attention was the mention of "non magical" psionics and "Recharge" magic. I have not been able to get more detail on these sections. Can anyone fill me in beyond what's on the front page of Enworld.org?

 

[Tarril Wolfeye]

Gwarthkam, Hjorimir: Spontaneous divine caster spells known - just like a sorceror + 2 spells/ level due to domains is right, and the highest spell level at odd levels has 0 spells known apart from domain spells (or summon nature's ally for a druid).

Nifelhein: Level Independent XP Awards - it's almost like 2E. The table for classes when to get to the next level just had to be changed from 3E.

Greppa of Tartwater:
Non magical Psionics - DMG p.297
Recharge Magic - In a nutshell: You just have to wait until your spell recharges, the you can use it again. Most spells just need some rounds (which you roll), these are the general recharge spell. There are also some specific recharge spells, recharging slower, anywhere from 5 minutes to 24 hours. Obviously this variant makes spellcaster stronger.

 

[MadBlue]

So, I just used common sense for sneak attack and applied the rule that was already there: damage expressed as extra dice, such as from a sneak attack or an elemental weapon, is not multiplied by a critical hit. Therefore, it would stand to reason that under a VP/WP system, such damage would not change to wound damage on a critical hit, and would instead remain vitality damage.

Although the justification behind SA damage not multiplying in a HP system is that it's doing the bonus damage already because it's hitting an especially vital area. It would seem odd if SA didn't do any Wound damage in a critical hit using the WP/VP system, unless you've changed the definition of what a Sneak Attack represents (e.g. representing the skill of using non-lethal force to overpower a foe without killing them).

Of course the problem with equating Critical Hit Sneak Attack damage to 1 WP per d6 is what happens on a non-critical SA that brings an opponent down past 0 VP? How many of the SA damage dice are converted to WP? It's not a problem if SA always does 1 WP damage per die, although it makes it especially deadly.

 

[Nifelhein]

Yeah, I know about the leveling up thing fairly well... and I told them that although the first level would go fast the upcoming ones would take sometime...

If I ahd a table to show them, though, it would make them complain a lot more you know that workds well, don't you guys?

Anyway, i have not one, but TWO rogues in the group... one is rogue/wildlander (non magical ranger variant of the Midnight campaign setting).

On the subject, yes I also think that D&D on this 3.X editions is all about options, even when they do not make one of them possible...

Thanks for the info on the xp award of UA, and I think that we had pretty much everything covered, as a last note, Tarril, I would like to ask you what do you think about the book now that you own it and has scanned pretty much everything in it, so?