Critical Hits
If you roll a 20 on the threat check after a critical, it increases the damage multiple by one step, and you get to make a 2nd threat check. If it comes up as another 20, you get to increase the multiple again and roll again, until you roll something that isn't a 20.
This bonus is only available to player characters. It's meant to be something fun and exceedingly random, and having an NPC instagib you is not fun.
Example
Dracos the fighter rolls 19 with his longsword against the Troll - awesome! On his threat roll, he comes up with a 20. His longsword will now do x3 damage rather than x2 and gets another roll. This one gets a 4 - a clear miss, but he retains the multipliers accrued up until then, hitting the troll for 3x damage.
Critical Misses
If you roll a 1, that's an automatic miss. You can roll again to confirm the fumble - a hit after that means you just miss. A second miss means it is a critical miss and bad things happen, as determined by a 1d100 roll on the following table:
01-09 : Provoke an immediate Attack of Opportunity from your target.
10-19: Target gets an immediate free trip attack - does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity and defender cannot make a trip attack if the attacker fails.
20-24: Fall prone.
25-34: Lose Dex bonus to AC for one round.
35-39: Hit yourself. Roll weapon damage with no positive strength mod (negative one still applies) or weapon specialisation bonus.
40-49: Strain yourself. Lose Str bonuses to hit and damage for 1d4 rounds.
50-59: Strain yourself. Lose Dex bonuses to hit for 1d4 rounds.
60-69: Target gets an immediate free disarm attack - does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity.
70-74: Drop weapon.
75-79: Make a second attack roll at the same bonus as the botched attack. Random roll determines target within range.
80-89: Lose next action.
90-94: Fall into pattern. Target of attack gains +2 circumstance bonus to AC and to hit vs attacker for 1d4 rounds.
95-99: Target gets an immediate free sunder attack vs weapon - does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity.
100: Stunned for one round.
Toughness
While tempting to some, fact is that by level 10, those 3hp are going to seem like a waste of a feat. To remedy this, Toughness will now provide 1 bonus HP per level. This balances it better with other feats that act as an effective +2 to a stat for one single purpose. This also means the feat can only be taken once, however.
Changes from Forgotten Realms Campaign Book 3.0 to Player's Guide to Faerun 3.5
While the 3.5 book typically supercedes anything in the 3.0 book, we will be using the following feats from the 3.0 version rather than their newer descriptions.
Luck of Heroes
Bloodline of Fire
Knowledge and Monsters
While I would like to reduce metagaming, there's quite simply no way I can really enforce that short of going to absurd lengths like "Haha, nice try, but the blue icicle covered troll is immune to fire!" and I don't think any of us want to go down that road.
So, I only ask that you consider what makes sense for your character to really know when it comes to monster strengths and weaknesses. Conversely, if I use a monster you're unfamiliar with but you think your character should know about, you can request to make a knowledge check (I'll tell you the relevant subtype) and then I'll give you information depending on the DC you beat - I won't ever give wrong information for failing that check, though.
Sorcerors
Get Eschew Materials for free at first level. Do I even have to explain this one?
Druids and Rangers
Animal Companion progression is swapped between these two classes - ie, Rangers get full progression and Druids get half.
Wizard Spells at Level Up
When a Wizard levels up, rather than being able to put 2 new spells in her spellbook for free, she can instead get any number of spells so long as the combined level of those spells is equal to 2 times the highest level she can cast.
Example
Alveria the Wizard hits level 9, gaining the ability to cast 5th level spells. She can now immediately add two 5th level spells to her spellbook. Alternatively, she could add one 2nd level, one 3rd level, and one 5th level spell. Or ten 1st level spells if that took her fancy.
Energy Drain
Energy Drain will never result in actual lost levels. However, if the fort save made after 24 hours fails, the negative level condition becomes permanent until removed via a Restoration spell or similar.
Changes to Races
Fey'Ri: A Fey'Ri's racial adjustments are +2 Dex, -2 Con, +2 Cha.
Avariel: Avariel have a +2 level adjustment.
ECL Buyback
We are using the optional rules presented in Unearthed Arcana page 18 to reduce level adjustments.
Extra Hit Points
When someone loses the benefit of extra hit points as provided by a temporary increase to their constitution score, the hit point loss cannot reduce them to below -9hp. At that point they must still roll to stabilise or die on the following round.
Stabilising
When reduced to below 0 hp, a percentile roll must be made each round to stabilise or lose further hp. The target of this roll is equal to the character's constitution score or lower.
Weapon Changes
Flail: has a threat range of 19-20.
Cosmology
More of a setting than a rules change, but we are using the standard 'Great Wheel' cosmology as presented in the Dungeon Master's Guide, rather than the 'Tree' cosmology from the Player's Guide to Faerun. Any deity specific planes not on the Great Wheel but found in the Faerunian setting can be assumed to either be demiplanes coterminous with the relevant alignment planes or a layer within said plane - for example the House of the Triad is a demiplane coterminous with Arcadia and Celestia, while the Supreme Throne is a layer of Pandemonium.
Summon Monster and Templates
Any creature on the Summon Monster spell list that has either the Celestial or Fiendish template can actually be summoned with either template. What this means in practice is that Summon Monster III could summon a Fiendish Hippogriff or a Celestial Ape.
Furthermore, two new templates are available that are interchangable with the above two, as detailed below.
Axiomatic: Creatures with this template are resistant to Cold, Electricity, and Fire according to their Hit Dice in the same manner as Celestial creatures, and gain a Smite Chaos Su ability usable once per day. They have the Lawful subtype and in all other respects are identical to the Fiendish/Celestial template.
In appearance they tend to look almost artifical and construct-like, yet are still clearly living beings.
Anarchic: Creatures with this template are resistant to Acid and Sonic according to their Hit Dice in the same manner as Celestial creatures, and gain a Smite Law Su ability usable once per day. They have the Chaotic subtype and in all other respects are identical to the Fiendish/Celestial template.
In appearance they tend to look somewhat abberant, although not nearly as much as Pseudoanatural creatures.
Spell Changes
Nondetection
As written, except for the following:
Area: 10-ft.-radius emanation from touched creature/object
The nondetection does not prevent scrying effects from targeting creatures within the area, but it suppresses the effect for the duration of the nondetection effect. If the nondetection effect ends before the scrying effect does, the would-be scryer would then be able to see the target as normal. Likewise, if someone within the area leaves the nondetection radius, the scrying effect picks up as normal.
True Sight
As written for all spells of 5th level or lower. For any spells of 6th or higher level (or spell-like/supernatural abilities equivalent), a Caster Level check with a DC of 5 + caster level of whomever created the illusion must be passed in order to penetrate the illusion.
Damage Reduction and Special Materials
Cold Iron no longer exists. Normal metal weapons count as Cold Iron for bypassing damage reduction of that type.
Alchemical Silver does not do any less damage than normal metal.
Mithral counts as Silver for bypassing damage reduction.
Atonement
Alignment changes through deeds, both up and down and across the spectrum. If you truly are good, you don't need a high level cleric to tell you so. Likewise if your God decides to withdraw any blessings upon you due to improper conduct, it is up to the same God to return them if sufficient piety and alignment appropriate acts are performed. Therefore the Atonement spell does not exist.
Dragons
All Dragons in S&S use the Xorvintaal template as presented in Monster Manual V. In essence, they lose Spell Resistance and all spellcasting abilities (except those derived from class levels), and gain various special abilities in exchange.
Can we please use simple Double 1 critfails?
Critfails still happen with it and I've done enough sessions where the scenario you describe can happen to the same person 2-3 times in a single fight x-x.
Dracos
I dunno. As a question and a reply to Drac, how devastating is the average critfail going to be?
Re, Luck of Heroes-
All the 'regional feats' in the players guide to faerun are kinda powerful compared to normal ones. The 'balance', so to speak, is that you can only take one and have to be from a certain region, and it has to be first level.
Quote from: "Carthrat"Re, Luck of Heroes-
All the 'regional feats' in the players guide to faerun are kinda powerful compared to normal ones. The 'balance', so to speak, is that you can only take one and have to be from a certain region, and it has to be first level.
The balance is a shitty justification, and Luck of Heroes is already more powerful - compare it with say Lightning Reflexes, Iron Will, Great Fortitude, which give +2 to a single save. With +1 across all 3 saves, the net benefit of Luck of Heroes is already superior. Providing a universal armour bonus (not situational like dodge or weapon style things) is way excessive.
Quote from: "Dracos"Can we please use simple Double 1 critfails?
Critfails still happen with it and I've done enough sessions where the scenario you describe can happen to the same person 2-3 times in a single fight x-x.
I dunno. The double 1 system made them vanishingly rare... bearing in mind that these rules will affect you guys and your enemies, I'll ask in general - which would you prefer? I honestly prefer having them happen a bit more often, but still with some check like the rule I gave. But if the players hate them, I'll use the double 1 rule.
Hates critfails, that I do. I much rather have misfortune be that the enemy does something epic than that I drop my sword like a dullard.
Dracos
Depends on the scale of critfails, honestly. I'd prefer they were something like 'you get -4 on your next attack' or 'you leave yourself open, suck an AoO' than 'haha your weapon breaks/flies out your hand/you stab yourself/you stab a friend/you fall down a hole'. The former implies your enemy takes advantage of your mistake, which, while not 'neat', certainly isn't stupid, and means that a high-level fighter who critfails versus loser goblin isn't actually likely to own himself.
The latter implies you're a retard. >_>
I sorta agree. A level 8 fighter *should* have the skill so that, despite missing horribly <crit fail>, he still has enough experience to not gouge his own eye out, lop off a limb, or drop his sword. Just seems to me that a guy who go around owning things with an attack bonus of +10 should be good enough not to fuck himself up when he misses bad.
That's not saying there shouldn't be *any* reprecussions for it, but like Rat said, they should be 'smarter.' Something that fits better. Like.. You crit fail trying to lop of X monster's head, you're off balance for X rounds, no dex AC bonus for said rounds.
You crit fail a ranged attack, arrow misses, the bowstring drags across your forearm, lose all to hit bonuses, except BAB for X rounds due to painful injury.
Dunno if anyone agrees with those kinds of examples, but eh. I'm just saying, with a certain level of skill, those really bad fuck ups are mitigated by knowledge of how to deal with them. Some guy who's been sword fighting for 20 years is far less likely to drop his sword, no matter how badly he misses. Unless there are outside circumstances for it..
Which leads to another thing.. Crit fail a melee attack, open up for a semi-AOO restricted to disarming/tripping.
Anyway, there be my two cents.
Taking Rat's point about varying results of a critical fail, in order to prevent them from being naught but GM arbitrariness, how do people feel about using a critical botch table? It'd basically be a 1d100 roll after the critfail is confirmed where most results will say deny your dex bonus for a round or make you fall prone, with more disastrous stuff like hitting yourself or breaking your weapon will occur only on a single percentile chance?
I admit, I like the random element to spice things up and keep it interesting this way. What do you guys think?
Sounds like a pretty decent idea to me.
Wouldn't mind any effect that makes sense and doesn't instakill you or something. >_>
I say yes, then I roll 1, 10, and 100. My sword explodes?
I'd really rather have softer critical fails. A botch table sounds decent (if it should be GM side only to keep it from adding to roll weight) but I don't really want my weapon shattering every 5-10 adventures or some such.
Dracos
CRITICAL FAIL TABLE
01-19 : Provoke an immediate Attack of Opportunity from all enemies in melee range.
20-24 : Fall prone.
25-29 : Lose Dex bonus to AC for one round.
30 : Hit yourself. Roll weapon damage with no positive strength mod (negative one still applies)
31-39 :Strain yourself. Lose Str and Dex bonuses to hit for 1d4 rounds.
40-59: Drop weapon.
60-64: Make a second attack roll at the same bonus as the botched attack. Random roll determines target within range.
65-74: Lose next action.
75: Weapon is destroyed. Magic weapon makes Fort save at DC 18 to avoid destruction.
76-84: Fall into pattern. Target of attack gains +2 circumstance bonus to AC and to hit vs attacker for 1d4 rounds.
85-94: Weapon is thrown in random direction for 10 feet.
95-99: Weapon is damaged, suffering -2 to hit until repaired by DC 10 craft check.
100: Stunned for one round.
Thoughts? Suggestions? Assuming no objections, I'll edit this into the first post, but I'd like some feedback before that.
19:52] <Dracos> You know, except for 75 and 85-94, I don't have a problem with any of that table. The rest seem pretty reasonable.
There's more below, but if you really feel like ignoring it, the above is the important part I take issue with/have no issue with.
Notably, I prefer softer critfails both for myself and my enemies. I also still prefer rarer ones and ones not based on enemy AC. You're shouldn't be significantly more likely to fail against a tarrasque than a big bear, and either way, it'd matter significantly less in the former instance than the latter. I think it's cooler that they do something dramatic or I do than one of us flings their mystic weapon 10 feet and proceeds to drop 10 points down alongside now triggering AoO from being unarmed.
Thoughts on table below is under the assumption: A good critfail is one that causes trouble but doesn't instantly ruin you.
1-19: I'd actually make a smaller one that was 'all enemies in melee range' and instead have the larger one be provoking one from an enemy nearrby. A good attack of opportunity can be easily 5-30 points of damage. Yes, if you're surrounded it won't make a difference either way, but facing 2-3 characters can transmute that critfail from 40 damage instantly killing you to a painful 5-30 advantage to the enemy that wasn't there before.
20-24: Good classic overbalancing.
25-29: Good classic stumble.
30: good classic overcompensate dangerously.
31-39: A bit on the rougher side. I'd break these up into two separate ones myself as combined they don't do tremendously more to the average character, but really punish any fast/light characters pretty badly by nailing both high amounts of ac and obliterating a few points off their damage. That said, I'm fine with this one as stands.
40-59: A reasonable enough issue, though preferrably done dramatic style "The enemy knocks it down from your hand during the always present parrying/striking" rather than simply butterfingers.
60-64: Fair enough.
65-74: Fair enough as well.
75: Ew. Just ew. Save or not, ew, get rid of.
76-84: Circumstance bonuses are perfectly sensible.
85-94: Dropping at your feet basically invites AoO from all nearby enemies to retrieve your weapon as I recall. Bad but not nearly as bad as "turn and wade through combat to retrieve your weapon that flew through the air, invoking AoOs until you bend down and invoke more to pick it up". One 'lose your grip on your weapon' deal is enough really.
95-99: That's a cool one.
100: Stunned is a cool one too. Bapped your head or something.
Dracos
Mmm.. For the most part, I like this table. But like Drac, I've got a couple cents to toss in..
75... Okay, I kinda see how you want this.. on the other hand.. What *exactly* is the cause of the weapon just suddenly exploding? Spontanious combustion? Mundane swords have.. NOTHING in them to cause them to explode. As an alternate, I'd suggest something like.. 'You miss, and your blade slams into the ground, full force. Due to a weakness in the metal, it fractures, visibly. -<whatever number> to damage, and each attack, make a percentage roll to see if it shatters fully.' Similar with magic weapons. The magic of your weapon destablizes. Random bonus/negative modifiers each round, at end of combat, roll percentage to see if the weapon's magic fully disapates. If magic does not disapate, you have Xd4 days to find a mage to stabilize the weapon.'
That's the only thing I didn't like, anyhow. Overall, looks good.
Realism aside...
Free disarm attempts! Free sunder attempts from enemy! They're way cooler ways to do critfails along the lines of weapon-flies-from-hand/weapon-breaks. Toss in a "doesn't provoke AoO, if they have imp. whatever they get +4 to the check" and you're set.
They're critfails, not adventure hooks.
Okay, taking on board the comments and criticism offered, here's the revised table:
01-09 : Provoke an immediate Attack of Opportunity from your target.
10-19: Target gets an immediate free trip attack - does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity and defender cannot make a trip attack if the attacker fails.
20-24: Fall prone.
25-34: Lose Dex bonus to AC for one round.
35-39: Hit yourself. Roll weapon damage with no positive strength mod (negative one still applies)
40-49: Strain yourself. Lose Str bonuses to hit and damage for 1d4 rounds.
50-59: Strain yourself. Lose Dex bonuses to hit for 1d4 rounds.
60-69: Target gets an immediate free disarm attack - does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity.
60-64: Drop weapon.
65-69: Make a second attack roll at the same bonus as the botched attack. Random roll determines target within range.
70-79: Lose next action.
80-84: Fall into pattern. Target of attack gains +2 circumstance bonus to AC and to hit vs attacker for 1d4 rounds.
85-94: Target gets an immediate free sunder attack vs weapon - does not provoke an Attack of Opportunity.
95-99: Weapon is damaged, suffering -2 to hit and damage until repaired by DC 10 craft check.
100: Stunned for one round.
*thumbs up*
Random observation:
For armors there is stacks of neat special materials.
For weapons it appears it is pretty much mithril or none. Seems kind of dull. Sure, Steel is the mainstay and classic and some things are made out of wood but it seems so boring. I'm surprised there aren't more. Where's the bone maces or igneaous stone axes? The crystal blades or vine stuff? The twisting spiked chain borne of chaos?
Doesn't need fixing but hey...would be cool for a touch of added variety/flavor.
Dracos