Odds and ends

[Corwin]

To be perfectly honest, my gut still tells me I'll need to rebuild in a limited way. But I don't want to be contrarian or not give things a chance, so let's go with this for now. If I see that it's not working for me, I'll retrain grapple and stuff later.

[Anastasia]

That's fine, we'll see how the changes work.

Another post coming shortly.

[Anastasia]

Okay! Two rule changes as talked about and decided.

1. The +2 skill point bonus increases to +4. This means +18 SP for the group. Yuth, if you haven't applied those SP you were short, you add these to it for a total of +38 SP. If you already have, just add the normal 18.

2. We're switching to CMB/CMD as outlined a few posts above. See below for reworked feats and new feats for the new maneuvers.

Spoiler: ShowHide

Improved Bull Rush [General]
Prerequisite: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: When you perform a bull rush you do not provoke an attack of opportunity from the defender. You also gain a +4 bonus your CMB check you make to push back the defender, as well as a +4 bonus to your CMB to resist one. In addition, moved foes trigger AoOs as they move.
Special: A fighter may select Improved Bull Rush as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Dirty Trick [General]
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a dirty trick combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to attempt a dirty trick. You also receive a +4 bonus to your CMD when an opponent tries a dirty trick on you. In addition, whenever you successfully perform a dirty trick, the penalty lasts for 1d4 rounds, plus 1 round for every 5 by which your attack exceeds the target's CMD. In addition, removing the condition requires the target to spend a standard action.
Special: A fighter may select Improved Dirty Trick as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Disarm [General]
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you attempt to disarm an opponent, nor does the opponent have a chance to disarm you. You gain a +4 bonus on the CMB check you make to disarm your opponent, as well as a +4 bonus to CMD to resist being disarmed. Finally, when you disarm a few, you may choose to send whatever you disarmed flying 15 feet away in a random direction.
Special: A fighter may select Improved Disarm as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Drag [General]
Prerequisites: Str 13
Benefit: You do not provoke an AoO when you attempt a drag combat maneuver. You gain a +4 bonus to your CMB when attempting a drag, as well as a +4 bonus to your CMD when resisting one. When you drag an enemy, they provoke AoOs(But not from you).
Special: A fighter may select Improved Drag as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Grapple [General]
Prerequisites: Dex 13, Improved Unarmed Strike.
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a grapple combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to grapple a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your CMD whenever an opponent tries to grapple you.
Special: A fighter may select Improved Grapple as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Overrun [General]
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing an overrun combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to overrrun a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your CMD whenever an opponent tries to overrun you. Targets of your overrun attempt may not chose to avoid you. Whenever you overrun opponents, they provoke attacks of opportunity if they are knocked prone by your overrun.
Special: A fighter may select Improved Overrun as one of his fighter bonus feats. Still no one cares.

Improved Reposition [General]
Prerequisite: Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a reposition combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to reposition a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your CMD when an opponent tries to reposition you. Whenever you reposition a foe, his movement provokes attacks of opportunity from all of your allies (but not you).
Special: A fighter may select Improved Reposition as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Sunder [General]
Prerequisites: Str 13, Power Attack
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a sunder combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to sunder an item. You also receive a +4 bonus to your CMD whenever an opponent tries to sunder your gear. Whenever you sunder to destroy a weapon, shield, or suit of armor, any excess damage is applied to the item's wielder. No damage is transferred if you decide to leave the item with 1 hit point.
Special: A fighter may select Improved Sunder as one of his fighter bonus feats.

Improved Trip [General]
Prerequisites: Int 13, Combat Expertise
Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when performing a trip combat maneuver. In addition, you receive a +4 bonus on checks made to trip a foe. You also receive a +4 bonus to your CMD whenever an opponent tries to trip you. Whenever you successfully trip an opponent, that opponent provokes attacks of opportunity.
Special: A fighter may select Improved Trip as one of his fighter bonus feats.

NPCs are going to be updated shortly.

[Anastasia]

I'm posting this here since Yuth peered out and I need to crash soon. Two things if you could, Yuth?

1. Get your skills caught up? I'll be glad to help you before session if you'd like, but I'd like get those in order and done with before next session.

2. Post in Feedback. I really appreciate posts in there and it helps me craft the game to your guys tastes.

Thanks!

[Yuthirin]

Ok!

[Anastasia]

The feedback topic, it reaches for Yuthirin with long, persistent claws. Hint.

---

http://www.dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Zeal_%283.5e_Alternate_Class_Feature%29

Cor wants to try this ACF. I don't have any problem with trying it, we'll see how it goes.  I'm a little leery of allowing this sort of swap in a gestalt game, though I've been using ACFs with other NPCs so I don't have a great argument here.

[Anastasia]

Let's be honest. Behind the screen figuring out who can be resurrected and who can't is a difficult spot for the DM.  For all I can apply logic, it's intrinsically not fair to have the ultimate choice of life or death. Therefore I've taken measures to reduce the amount of DM judgment here as possible. It's easy to play favorites or give that illusion; why should Noel and Branna stay dead if Brent lives again? These guidelines I've developed should help explain where I'm coming from, as well as giving you guys a fair warning of what's up. I'm sharing them so that you understand the process. I feel it's fairer to everyone. There's still some judgment involved, but you  know what to expect and ultimately nothing is assured.

I'd recommend reviewing this post before you continue: http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php?topic=101115.msg1016882#msg1016882 You may also find a review of the setting deities useful, as well as reviewing Faiths and Pantheons to get the general view of the various powers on resurrection when not superseded by campaign specific information: http://www.soulriders.net/forum/index.php?topic=101115.msg1016880#msg1016880 Finally, remember that all of this applies to mortal souls. If Simmer bites it an entirely different set of rules apply.

From the moment of death to a week after, resurrection is not overly difficult. While the odds are not 100%, a spirit passing through the Well of Souls is much easier to call back than a spirit that has moved onto the Realms Beyond. Use the following formula:

Base resurrection chance: 75%

Modifiers:

+10% if the deceased's death was premature or left affairs beyond. A young man's murder, a parent dying and leaving children behind to fend for themselves, a warrior with an unfinished holy quest are all fine examples. Spirits motivated above and beyond even this tend not to reach the Well of Souls, becoming ghosts instead.

-10% if the deceased's death was due to old age or satisfying. An old man dying surrounded by beloved family, a paladin of Ilmater giving his life so that his friends live, a knight dying after assuring his kingdom will survive a terrible threat are all good examples.

+5% if the caster is a close friend, family member or beloved of the deceased.

-25% if a neutral but unconnected power attempts the resurrection. This applies to powers with no ties to the realm or god the deceased is going to pass onto - for example, a cleric of Mystra attempting to revive a follower of Hanali Celanil. This does not apply to friendly powers in the same group or alliance of powers at the DM's discretion: A cleric of Helm can raise a follower of Tyr just fine, for example.

Automatic failure if the caster is an enemy of the deceased or otherwise opposed to him. In essence this causes automatic rejection in all but the rarest instances. A paladin of Mystra isn't going to answer the call of a cleric of Shar. If the DM rules that the circumstances are exceptional enough to allow the possibility, treat this as -50% instead.

-10% if the deceased is aware of his afterlife and welcomes it. This doesn't mean that he may be going to one of the Heavens, only that he's happy with his assumed final fate.

+10% if the deceased is aware of his afterlife and dreads it.

-15% per previous resurrection. These stack, someone who has been revived twice has a -30% modifier, someone who has been revived three times has a -45% modifier and so on.

Further modifiers may be assigned by the DM as the situation warrants. The maximum chance to revive is 90%, there is still a small chance that a soul is unwilling or unable to return for whatever reason. Once a roll is passed or made, it applies to all resurrection chances until he is revived or passes into the Realms Beyond. A soul that is revived, dies again and is resurrected again recalculates it's chances and rerolls. Direct divine intervention, in the form of a miracle spell or true divine action, are not affected by any of these rules. In the case of a miracle spell, the deity still must choose to intervene - a mortal cleric casting miracle is not assured of resurrecting another if his god is not willing.

---

A soul that has passed into the Realms beyond is far more difficult to recall. It may be content in paradise. Perhaps it has found the spring of the ethos that drove it's life, becoming one with it or an exemplar of it. The less fortunate may be found in chains and tormented, or reborn as the lowest of the low souls in the Hells. For all these various reasons, resurrections after a week have passed are far more likely to fail. Use the following formulate:

Base resurrection chance: 10%

-20% to +20% depending on the deity or outer plane the deceased went to. Deities take precedence over outer planes when applicable - someone who died in the service of Mystra would use her modifier and not the modifier of Elysium. See sub-table 1 for more information.

+10% if the deceased's death was premature or left affairs beyond. A young man's murder, a parent dying and leaving children behind to fend for themselves, a warrior with an unfinished holy quest are all fine examples.

-10% if the deceased's death was due to old age or satisfying. An old man dying surrounded by beloved family, a paladin of Ilmater giving his life so that his friends live, a knight dying after assuring his kingdom will survive a terrible threat are all good examples.

+5% if the deceased does not fit the exact alignment of his deity or outer plane. Again, deity takes precedence over outer plane.

-5% if the deceased fits the exact alignment of his deity or outer plane. Again, deity takes precedence over outer plane.

+5% if the caster is a close friend, family member, or beloved of the deceased.

Automatic failure if the caster is an enemy of the deceased or otherwise opposed to him. In essence this causes automatic rejection in all but the rarest instances. A paladin of Mystra isn't going to answer the call of a cleric of Shar. In this case no possibility of success is allowed - a Power isn't going to allow souls faithful to it to be called away from it's realm.

-20% if the deceased failed a resurrection roll in the Well of Souls.

-15% per previous resurrection. These stack, someone who has been revived twice has a -30% modifier, someone who has been revived three times has a -45% modifier and so on.

Further modifiers may be assigned by the DM as the situation warrants. The maximum chance to revive is 50%, there is still a sizable chance that a soul is unwilling or unable to return for whatever reason. A soul that is revived, dies again and is resurrected again recalculates it's chances and rerolls. Only direct divine intervention by the deity or realm that the soul resides in can bypass these rules.

Sub-Table 1: Modifiers for resurrection chance by relevant divinity or realm. (Note that only ones relevant to the party are noted. IC, a K:R check against DC 20-30, depending on how well known the faith is, can provide more information. Short blurbs are given to explain modifiers; more information on the reasons behind a power's modifier can be given if you're curious.

Alicia: -20%. - Is generally against resurrection and prefers that souls pass on in peace.
Ilmater: +5% - This one's complicated. While Ilmater values sacrifice and mending the pain and suffering of many, including death, many of his faithful look towards his afterlife as a respite from a lifetime of suffering for others. This complicated relationship restrains Ilmater's hands somewhat.
Jannath: -10%. Jannath prefers reincarnations within the week after death, those that pass beyond are less likely to return.
Lathander: +20%. - Is the god of the dawn, new life and newborns. Duh.
Seira: +10% - Pending review.

Celestia: -5% - Once the climb up the Holy Mountain is begun, few turn away from it.
Elysium: -10% - Who can leave perfection?
Arborea: 0% - Arborea respects the choice of the soul, doing nothing to encourage or inhibit this choice.
Mechanus: 0% - Mechanus holds that resurrection is acceptable and part of the natural cycle. Excessive use gets maruts sicced on you, as noted in their flavor text.
Limbo: Random, roll 1d6: 1: -20% 2: -10% 3: -5% 4: +5% 5: +10% 6: +20% -Limbo does whatever Limbo wants at any one moment.
Baator: -20% - This can vary depending on soul pacts and relevant contracts. For a typical schlep who ends up here the odds of coming out are painfully low to non-existent.
Abyss: +20%- However, those who come back from the Abyss have very high odds of strange mutations. Gaining Abyssal Heritor, Vile or Anarchic feats is normal, and the truly cursed may gain Abyssal Ravages. The Abyss wants to reach out and kill you and everyone you care for, then make them wallow in agony for a few eternities. See Sub-Table 2 for more information...except you won't, since I'm not posting that one. A DM has to keep a few secrets.

After a soul is raised, there is a chance that they came back a little bit...different. Wrong, or at least still touched by the grave. There is a flat chance of 20% that someone resurrected will roll on the Resurrection Mishaps table from page 80 of Heroes of Horror. A result completely contrary to the interests of  reviving deity should be rerolled. This does not prevent unfortunate results, but only stops ones that simply make no sense based on the power involved.

[Anastasia]

Bonus content:

I was dicking around with the idea of campaign specific feats based around having died and being resurrected. These aren't official, just me screwing around with the concept. Comments are welcome, if one really interests you and you can qualify for it(Hi Wayland) talk to me and we'll see. These were done around 3 AM so I make no promises about quality.

Shield of the Mist [General]
Prerequisite: Must have died, visited the Well of Souls and been resurrected.
Benefit: Some of the mists of the Well of Souls linger around you. Once per day as a swift action you can manifest these mists around you. This provides you with concealment, granting you a 20% miss chance. Against incorporeal attacks this bonus rises to 50%. This lasts for one minute.

Breath of the Mist [General]
Prerequisite: Shield of Mist
Benefit: You can gather up the mists around you and exhale them in a cloud. Three times per day you may use Obscuring Mist as a spell-like ability, with a caster level equal to your hit dice.

Embrace of Beyond [General]
Prerequisite: Must have died, passed onto the Realms Beyond and been resurrected, must have been happy with your afterlife and not changed alignment since then.
Benefit: You have gained near unshakable faith in your course in life. You gain a +5 bonus against any spell or ability that would change your alignment or faith. If the ability does not grant a saving throw, you are allowed a will save to negate. Calculate the DC as 20 + charisma modifier if a creature or caster level if an item or unattached spell or effect.

Terror of Eternity [General]
Prerequisite: Must have died, passed onto the Realms Beyond and been resurrected, must have been unhappy with your afterlife.
Benefit: The fear of returning to your torment drives you beyond your limits. Once per day you may choose to reroll any single failed saving throw with a +3 bonus. This is a free action.

Touch of the Otherworldly [General]
Prerequisite: Must have died and been resurrected, wis 15, cha 15, must be mortal until you take this feat.
Benefit: Your nature has been changed by your death and resurrection; your body becomes partially spiritual. Your type changes to Outsider(Native).  This grants you darkvision and a few other things, check the SRD for more information.
Special: Once you take this feat, you need not meet the prerequisite of being a mortal.

[Merc]

There is a flat chance of 20% that someone resurrected will roll on the Resurrection Mishaps table from page 80 of Lords of Madness.

Heroes of Horror, you mean? >_>

(Don't turn Brent into a brain-sucking aberration, dammit!)

[Anastasia]

You are CORRECT.

Fixed.

[Anastasia]

Yuth, you were interested in Shield of Mist? When would you want to take that as a feat?

Secondly, blame Merc for this entire idea and derail.

<Merc> If she grabs warlock, I'm gonna make fun of her =p
> The joke is her making a pact with Silver. That would be hilarious, which admittedly tempts me. On the other hand it's likely the road of the highest cheese level, so eh.
<Merc> It's too bad she's not a religious person, otherwise I'd say run her down a road where she's punching stuff with giant books.
> Books?
<Merc> Just a random thought. I was just getting the mental image of that one guy from Berserk that smashed a book into someone's face.
> ...
> I just had an idea for that.
<Merc> http://berserk.wikia.com/wiki/Mozgus <-- this guy if you ever read Berserk.
> Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Book.
<Merc> She could grab a few levels of Exotic Weapon Master PrC before exemplar?
<Merc> She can grab the Trip Master stunt, and be tripping people...with books!
<Merc> Or...exotic sunder! She can break things with books!
<Merc> Or "Show Off"! She can start reading books in the middle of a fight and scare her opponents just doing that!
<Merc> ...yes, you must give her that proficiency and then grab that Show Off stunt.
<Merc> It'd be badass.
> I'd have to figure out how to stat out a book. Let me check some weapons.
> Mmmm. It's an idea, I'd have to fuck around with the mechanics a bit. Simplest way is to just refluff a club.
<Merc> I was gonna say just make it a club, yeah.
<Merc> Make it a x4 crit though!
<Merc> Knowledge hurts!
<Merc> plus, hey, it's an EXP feat getting blown, so yeah.
<Merc> EWP* rather
* Kotono nods.
> I admit that's not a bad idea. Most EWP weapons really aren't worth it, to be honest.

I may actually do this, let me see how it strikes me when I'm not dazed.

[Corwin]

So we talked about this, but it wasn't really finalized. How would Ilmater's Suffering domain look?

[Anastasia]

Working on it. Two of the upper level spells need to be changed, Eyebite and Symbol of Pain, as they have the evil descriptor.

[Anastasia]

Switch in Waves of Exhaustion at 7, drop Horrid Wilting down to 8, use Energy Drain for 9. This is how it was originally printed in the PgtF, it got modified between then and the SC.

[Anastasia]

House rule addition to skills:

Diplomacy: All diplomacy checks are given a DC by the DM's discretion. The attitudes table in the SRD is not used.

I've been running it this way for the entire game(and most of Balmuria 1), as diplomacy as written is broken.  I'm adding it now so that everyone's clear. I tend to use diplomacy to settle things that aren't certain; say exactly the right thing or absolutely the wrong thing and diplomacy doesn't matter.

The fanatic state from the epic rules still exists. It's a flat DC 50 diplomacy check to give this status to allies, you cannot bestow it on yourself. This is just in case you care about epic level applications of skills.