Odds and ends

[Merc]

- You're using the houseruled toughness and not the SRD standard one, right? Just making sure.

Yes.

- What ten class skills did you select as class skills for human paragon? Bear in mind they're set in stone once you take the first level in it.

I honestly didn't really think about it, was just going with existing bard skills+intimidate as new one.

Uhm, I guess:  Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Sense Motive, Intimidate, Knowledge:Arcana/Planes, Concentration, Perform, Use Magic Device.

- Perform(Oratory) is 7/+10, when it should be 7/+11. Gather information is likewise short by 1, looks like you forgot to apply the bump in your charisma modifier to every skill.

Done.

- You returned the Silver Longsword, remove it from your sheet.

Whoops, forgot about that. Done.

- You get Turn Undead this level, make sure you understand how the houseruled version works. Your turn level is still your paladin level-3.

I do.

- Paladin spellcasting starts at level 4 and is purely charisma based(see house rule); but you don't have anything listed there yet.

Edited that. I misread the line and was seeing it as starting at level 5. Whoops!

[Yuthirin]

Yuth:

- Please divide your gestalt class list by level. I don't want to see this: Fighter 2/Monk 4/Psychic Warrior 2, but instead something like monk 4//fighter 2/psychic warrior 2. Keep the sides straight.

Done.

- What's your grapple mod? I don't see it anywhere.

It's not on there. Fixed.

- You have six power points. Could you run me through how you calculate that? I'm not saying you're wrong, but I want a demonstration of how the math works.

3 Bonus points in relation to 2nd class level, 16 Wis. 1 point from class. 2 points fro Psionic Talent feat.

- Psionic Fist adds 2d6 to your melee attack. Does it mean one attack, a full attack, a round of attacks or what? It's not specific.

Psionic Fist expends the Psionic Focus. While I'm not reading a limit per day on it, if I want to use it more than once in a fight, I need to refocus via a Concentration check.

[Anastasia]

Tomorrow is Wednesday but I'm off. I may run a room or two, I may not. See how I feel.

[Corwin]

Questions about two prcs:

Spellsword (Complete Warrior p80). Prerequisites are: BAB +4, Knowledge/Arcana 6 ranks, Proficiency with all simple and martial weapons and all armor, Able to cast 2nd level arcane spells, Must have defeated a foe through force of arms alone.

I presume it's a legit prc for the game, gestalt notwithstanding? When is the earliest we could qualify for it?

Mythic Exemplar (Complete Champion p86). This one's a mess, since making it modular for all sorts of different deities made it lose its soul, but here I'll post it going by the 'Sunyarta' path. I was browsing through my books and realized that it was actually cool that way. My question here is is you agree, and if it works as it is presented here? If so, when can one qualify for it?

Prerequisites: Knowledge/History 3 ranks, Knowledge/Religion 7 ranks, BAB +5

Hit Die: D8

• Level BAB Fort Ref Will  Special                              Spellcasting
• 1st    +0   +1  +0  +0   --
• 2nd    +1   +1  +0  +0  Least Paragon's Gift           +1 level of existing spellcasting class
• 3rd    +2   +3  +1  +1  Advancement
• 4th    +3   +3  +1  +1  Lesser Paragon's Gift          +1 level of existing spellcasting class
• 5th    +3   +4  +1  +1  Advancement
• 6th    +4   +5  +2  +2  Greater Paragon's Gift         +1 level of existing spellcasting class
• 7th    +5   +6  +2  +2  Advancement
• 8th    +6   +6  +2  +2  Supreme Paragon's Gift       +1 level of existing spellcasting class
• 9th    +6   +7  +3  +3  Advancement
• 10th   +7   +7  +3  +3  Ability Boost, Embody Paragon

Class Skills (4 + Int mod): Craft, Knowledge/History, Knowledge/N&R, Knowledge/Religion, Listen, Profession, Ride and Spot.
Special: You can also add four class skills from one prior class to your mythic exemplar skill list.

At 2nd level, you gain the first of several supernatural abilities that allow you to channel the spirit and skills of your paragon. Unless otherwise noted, each paragon's gift (least, lesser, greater, and supreme) requires a swift action to invoke, lasts for a number of rounds equal 4 to your mythic exemplar level, is usable once per day, and has a caster level equal to your mythic exemplar level. If you choose, you can forgo your daily use of a higher ability for an extra use of any gift lesser than it.

Paragon's Gift, Least (Su): The critical threat range of one weapon you wield increases by 1. This increase stacks with those from other sources, such as the keen weapon property or the Improved Critical feat.

Advancement (Ex): At 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 9th levels, you gain a +1 bonus on all opposed Strength checks (such as those made on bull rushes or trip attacks), as well as all Strength-based skill checks.

Paragon's Gift, Lesser (Su): +4 insight bonus to Strength.

Paragon's Gift, Greater (Su): You can use haste, as the spell, on yourself only.

Paragon's Gift, Supreme (Su): You can use divine power, as the spell.

Ability Boost (Ex): At 10th level, your Strength ability score permanently increases by 2.

Embody Paragon (Su): When you reach 10th level, you truly embody every physical and spiritual concept that your paragon stood for. Unless otherwise noted, the ability you gain is permanent and constant, as long as you remain conscious. If it is suppressed, you can raise the effect again as a swift action. You can ignore 15 points of damage reduction (except epic) when attacking foes, and 15 points of hardness when striking inanimate objects.

[Anastasia]

Questions about two prcs:

Spellsword (Complete Warrior p80). Prerequisites are: BAB +4, Knowledge/Arcana 6 ranks, Proficiency with all simple and martial weapons and all armor, Able to cast 2nd level arcane spells, Must have defeated a foe through force of arms alone.

I presume it's a legit prc for the game, gestalt notwithstanding? When is the earliest we could qualify for it?

Level 6, which is the earliest you could get in normally, short of shenanigans. While you could qualify earlier with gestalt, the following rule still applies:

- The lowest level to enter a PrC is 6.  This is to prevent qualifying for PrCs early due to gestalt. If a PrC is designed to be entered earlier I may allow it on a case by case basis. Cute tricks and charopping does not count as designed.

Anyway, spellsword has enough redeeming stuff in it to be allowed. That assumes you want to bother, half of it misses you since you lack arcane spell failure to reduce. I'm guessing a bonus feat and arcane channeling tempts you?

Mythic Exemplar (Complete Champion p86). This one's a mess, since making it modular for all sorts of different deities made it lose its soul, but here I'll post it going by the 'Sunyarta' path. I was browsing through my books and realized that it was actually cool that way. My question here is is you agree, and if it works as it is presented here? If so, when can one qualify for it?

Level 6. There's some confusion since there are varying ways to get in depending on your exemplar embodied. I'm not even going to try and sort that out, instead I'm putting the level 6 rule on it. Anyway, feel free to take it as long as you refluff it to something suitable to the campaign world.  As for the powers? I'm not quite sure if Advancement RAW works with grapple, as grapple's it's own thing versus a strength check and I'm too tired to look it up this moment.  If you're interested in the class talk to me about it.  Rest of it looks okay.

Any ideas how you would reflavor it?

[Corwin]

Re: Spellsword, yes, pretty much. Feats are important for me, and channeling is nice.

Mythic Exemplar seems to be set for lvl5 to me without any special effort required, but I suppose it doesn't matter that much to me. Advancement, like the rest of the abilities, was basically lifted verbatim from Complete Champion's writeup of the class. Yeah, even though Grapple is a str check like Bullrush or Trip it's not actually listed as one on SRD. But that does feel like semantics, and it's probably that way since Grapple's the one that appears on stat blocks. If that happened with Trip, it'd probably be referred to as an 'opposed trip check' and not 'opposed str check', too.

As for refluffing it, I don't really foresee any problem whatsoever. Strength-themed class, the whole bit about growing stronger (pun unintended), and a divine angle to boot. It shouldn't be difficult at all. I see it as basically continuing the 3 level Paragon class, while now trying to aspire to come closer to an aspect of your deity. Strength being one of Ilmater's domains, it should work like a charm.

[Anastasia]

That all sounds good.

[Anastasia]

Added a new house rule for favored souls, they now gain turning as a cleric.

[Anastasia]

New house rules are posted.

1 added to general rulings, clarifications and miscellania. This regards PrCs in gestalt.
1 added to magic. Sun Domain now grants empower turning as its granted power.

[Anastasia]

I'm thinking about expanding the alignment system. In particular http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7577205 has an interesting take on it.  I feel that adopting exalted, vile, anarchic and axiomatic as alignment types is useful.

Casually, what do you all think? I brought this up in chat today and there was a bit of discussion. Worthwhile doing? Some of this already exists in game with Exalted and other alignment typed feats, it mainly codifies it into game. In particular, some of the finer graining looks really nice. A LG paladin would be different from an Axiomatic Good paladin or a Lawful Exalted paladin. It also helps with outsiders and other alignment exemplars, who take alignment past all but the rarest mortal standards.

In game it would only effect Aaeru, who's Lawful Exalted. Mechanics I can get into in a bit if there's interest, as well as further defining what all of this would mean.

What do you guys think? Interested? Not interested? Neutral? Questions at all? Let me know.

[Corwin]

Those posts were interesting enough, I thought. Do you want to adopt the whole mechanic, including the alignment spells (prot from evil and how that guy suggests to convert it), or just the fluff?

[Anastasia]

I don't plan to alter any spells or abilities to be more or less effective. A protection from evil would work on an evil or vile creature just as well, nor would smite evil be any more or less effective on them. I want the added definition and description of expanding, not to fuck around with mechanics.

A variant or homebrew power to play with this would be acceptable, though.

[Merc]

I don't really care either way, to be honest. As you said, it doesn't really affect Andrea, since she'll stay chaotic good under that system's expansion. She's not that deeply aligned in good to be exalted by that definition, and ditto on the chaotic side.

If the differentiation helps you, I certainly don't mind it, and I don't really think about alignment that deeply in either case anyhow, I just think about it generally in degrees.

I would assume it doesn't affect things with class restrictions? As an example, barbarians can't be lawful. Does the meaning just expanded to "they can't be lawful/axiomatic", not that it becomes limited to the extreme of axiomatic?

The 25-alignment system vs the 9-alignment system just basically splits off the subcategories of extremities off, from what I can understand, right?
So, say you divided 9-alignment axis to: 0-33% Chaotic, 34-67% Neutral, 68-100% Lawful. Then right now that 68-100% covers lawful and axiomatic.
Converting to a 25-alignment axis, it just becomes something like 0-5% Anarchic, 6-33% Chaotic, 34-67% Neutral, 68-95% Lawful, 96-100% Axiomatic.

So...it doesn't really change much outside of making a few extra categories. Don't care, go for it?

[Anastasia]

I would assume it doesn't affect things with class restrictions? As an example, barbarians can't be lawful. Does the meaning just expanded to "they can't be lawful/axiomatic", not that it becomes limited to the extreme of axiomatic?

A barbarian couldn't be lawful or axiomatic, yes. The expanded definitions cover the more extreme cases; a spell that protects against chaos also protects against anarchic.

The 25-alignment system vs the 9-alignment system just basically splits off the subcategories of extremities off, from what I can understand, right? So, say you divided 9-alignment axis to: 0-33% Chaotic, 34-67% Neutral, 68-100% Lawful. Then right now that 68-100% covers lawful and axiomatic. Converting to a 25-alignment axis, it just becomes something like 0-5% Anarchic, 6-33% Chaotic, 34-67% Neutral, 68-95% Lawful, 96-100% Axiomatic.

Yes. It splits off the corner cases, the outsiders, the rarities. Among mortals, axiomatic, exalted, anarchic and vile would be rare.

[Anastasia]

This is an attempt to de-suck Shining Blade of Heironeous. Wish me luck, I'll need it

This is a beta, I'm posting it for feedback. Shining Blade of Herioneous is notoriously shitty as a PrC, so I wanted to take as wing at upgrading it. Most of the bonuses are generic so far, I'm testing the frame out.

There's no capstone yet, debating it still.

Shining Blade of the Triad

Hit Dice: d10

Requirements

Alignment

Lawful Good.

Base Attack Bonus

+5

Skills

Knowledge(Religion) 7 ranks

Feat

Weapon Focus

Special

Must worship Ilmater, Tyr or Helm.

Class Skills

The Shining Blade of the Triad's class skills are: Concentration, Craft, Diplomacy, Heal, Knowledge(Religion), Profession, Spellcraft.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency

A Shining Blade of the Triad is proficient in all simple and martial weapons, as well as all armor and shields.

Class Level	Base Attack Bonus	Fort Save	Ref Save	Will Save	Special	Spells per day
1	+1	+2	+0	+2	Shock Blade	-
2	+2	+3	+0	+3	Electric Endurance	-
3	+3	+3	+1	+3	Holy Blade	-
4	+4	+4	+1	+4	Holy Protection+1	-
5	+5	+4	+1	+4	Axiomatic Blade	-
6	+6	+5	+2	+5	Mettle, Holy Protection+2	-
7	+7	+5	+2	+5	Brilliant Blade	-
8	+8	+6	+2	+6	Sacred Body 5/evil, Holy Protection+3	-
9	+9	+6	+3	+6	Placeholder	-
10	+10	+7	+3	+7	Sacred Body 10/silver and evil, Holy Protection+4	-

Shock Blade (Su)

A Shining Blade of the Triad can cause a weapon he is holding to crackle with heavenly lightning. This causes the weapon to deal an extra 1d6 electricity damage on a successful hit.  This lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Shining Blade of Triad's level plus his charisma modifier.  This effect lasts even if he drops it or gives to another person to wield, though he can dismiss the effect as a free action on his turn. He may do this a number of times per day equal to his Shining Blade of the Triad level plus his charisma modifier.

This damage stacks with a shocking weapon.

Electric Endurance (Ex)

A Shining Blade of the Triad is blessed by the Triad, able to call down heavenly lightning. As a result of his constant exposure to electricity and his ability to channel it safely, he gains resistance to electricity 10.

Holy Blade (Su)

At 3rd level, whenever the Shining Blade of the Triad imbues a weapon with Shock Blade, he also bestows the weapon with holy energies. This causes the weapon to deal an extra 2d6 holy damage on each successful hit, as well as count as good to bypass damage reduction. This damage applies only against evil targets.

This damage stacks with a holy weapon.

Holy Protection (Su)

By 4th level, the Shining Blade of the Triad is favored by his patrons, protected by their divine blessings. This manifests as a deflection bonus to armor class. It is +1 at level 4, +2 at level 6, +3 at level 8 and +4 at level 10.

Axiomatic Blade (Su)

On reaching 5th level, the Shining Blade of the Triad also imbues his weapons with the power of law. This causes the weapon to deal an extra 2d6 points of axiomatic damage on each successful hit, as well as count as lawful to bypass damage reduction. This damage applies only against chaotic targets.

This damage stacks with an axiomatic weapon.

Mettle (Ex)

At 6th level, the Shining Blade of the Triad can resist magical and unusual attacks with great willpower of fortitude. If they makes a successful will or fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as a spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), they instead completely negate the effect. An unconscious or sleeping Shining Blade of the Triad does not gain the benefit of mettle.

Brilliant Blade (Su)

On obtaining 7th level, the Shining Blade of the Triad pours the pure, blinding majesty of the Triad into his weapon. This causes the weapon to function as a brilliant energy and ghost touch weapon.

These overlap with a brilliant energy or ghost touch weapon, as stacking is irrelevant.

Sacred Body (Su)

By 8th level, the Shining Blade of the Triad is nearly one with the glory of the Realms Above. As a result his flesh is not entirely mortal, celestial aspects blessing him. This grants him damage reduction 5/evil. At level 10 this improves to damage reduction 10/silver and evil.