Random DM nagging.

[Anastasia]

Technically, she already has cunning defense which lets her double dip it? Though admittedly, that's against a single opponent and one round. Still, do you want to ACF both abilities, or is it just the improved version that worries you because it's a permanent bonus?

The improved version. I try to avoid double dipping stats to something since it's danged cheesy and encourages abusive builds.

Since she's a jack of all trades type, perhaps an ability that lets her use cunning knowledge more than once per day per skill? I would note that this is an ability in the custom prestige archivist admittedly, and since that's already set up as a factotum PrC, crossover is kinda meh, but if you have no other ideas it could be an option.

That's what I've been toying with. In particular, doing a roughly equivalent exchange and giving her +int to something else like one of the other low-level Factotum abilities. Cunning insight provides her int mod as a competence bonus to either attacks, damage rolls or saving throws. The first is powerful cheese would probably be turned into using int instead of str on attack rolls. The second is irrelevant due to her having swashbuckler levels. The third is basically me saying that she's not going to fail any more saves except on a 1.

I'm toying with converting the skill booster instead, and that she gets a permanent bonus to all skills equal to her factotum level. This is potent, but less mechanically powerful than the others. It also fits her better. Sylvie's main thing has always been her skills, so this makes a certain sense to me.

Another crossover type idea, give her access to rogue's special ability "Skill Mastery"?

Potential in theory, though Sylvie gets that with Exemplar next level.

[Anastasia]

Thoughts? I can halve it if this feels too good/cheesy, or go back to the drawing board. I don't really think it's that good on a blank slate, though in this particular game it would probably save you 100k gold or so.

Alternate Class Feature: Improved Cunning Knowledge

Your endless study of everything from forgotten lore to horseback riding has made you adept at everything.

Class: Factotum

Level: 16th.

Replaces: If you select this alternate class feature, you do not gain improved cunning defense.

Benefit: You gain a bonus to skill checks equal to your factotum level, as if you had used cunning knowledge. You must have at least one rank in the skill to gain this bonus. This ability replaces cunning knowledge.

[Merc]

I think that's too good.

That's +16 (and keeps increasing) for any skill she already has, and the ability pretty much just encourages her to stop increasing her skills and instead focus on dropping skill points into every other skill rather than keep advancing what she has, since one skill point grants her her level in ranks for a skill? And she has +12 int. So she gets 22 new skills at +16 at level 16, then 22 more skills at 17 and so forth for however far she wants to go.

That's just beyond even epic level good.

Edit: Correction, 19 skills per level since +3 int comes from gear. Still wacky.

[Anastasia]

Random epic spell I'm working on. Giant molten sand/glass bomb that shreds people apart feels plenty good'n'thematic for a desert mage. The after-effect with the glass shards is an attempt to make it more interesting than a typical direct damage spell.

Vitrification Bomb
Transmutation [Earth, Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 10
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action.
Range: Medium (100ft + 10ft/level)
Area: 10ft cube per five levels; see text.
Duration: Instantaneous.
Saving Throw: Reflex halves; see text.
Spell Resistance: No.

This spell functions as Vitrify, immediately heating an area of sand into molten glass. All creatures within it are allowed a reflex save as normal. This only lasts for a split-second before a burst of intense cold flash-freezes the molten glass, causing a spectacular explosion of cooling glass shrapnel. This burst explodes out in 100ft from each cube in all directions. Any creature within the burst takes 20d6 points of slashing damage from the class. A reflex save is allowed to halve this damage. Targets who were in the range of the Vitrify effect and failed the reflex save suffer a -5 penalty to this second reflex save.

Afterwards, the energy of this spell is spent and cooling glass shards litter the entire area of the vitrify and burst effect. No molten glass remains. Treat this area as difficult terrain covered with caltrops. These caltrops have an attack bonus equal to your caster level and deal 2d4 points of damage.

[Anastasia]

While I'm working on custom content, do any of you guys want some?

[Merc]

More epic touch spells for the duskblade spell list (or just spells in general) and dragon glaive.

[Yuthirin]

Maybe a Monk ACF for Still Mind and/or Slow Fall that doesn't suck?

[Anastasia]

Added three new ACFs for Monk and Still Mind. Serene Body takes the control of Still Mind and applies it to the body instead, Roaring Mind focuses this control into a piercing dagger of revenge and Still Nature imposes serenity on the seasons around the monk.

Each one is playing with the concept of tranquility and how/where it is applied.

[Merc]

Assuming another option for flight doesn't pop up by the time I get cash for it, I wanted to ask about permanency + overland flight. Doable?

[Anastasia]

Three new monk ACFs to replace Slow Fall are up. Wall Jump is something out of Cityscape, allowing an urban monk to ascend easily. Ki Leap is essentially more anime styled jumping. Considering that the next level grants fly on wizard spell lists and it starts creeping into the game in other ways, making monks even better at jump is hardly a big deal. Finally, Meteor Kick. I think this is balanced. I think. There's a lot of words to describe how it is meant to work, but the essence is 'You suicidally take damage to inflict extra damage, and no, you can't work around taking that damage with it'.

[Anastasia]

Assuming another option for flight doesn't pop up by the time I get cash for it, I wanted to ask about permanency + overland flight. Doable?

Mental note: Add permanency rules to house rules. Forgot to. Anyway!

First question: Do you have some way to cast Overland Flight yourself. It's a personal/you spell, so permanency requires you casting it on yourself as you're the only one who can make it a valid target on yourself.

Bad spells to be made permanent

...

Spells on an object or creature that you can't target them with. For example, righteous might or divine favor.  These spells can only be self targeted! So you can't put them on another person anyway, silly!

[Merc]

Bah! I somehow missed the personal part. A generic fly spell I guess then, or whatever other spell I can find besides fly that doesn't have personal. I shall have to look what's available.

[Anastasia]

Okay, look and let me know with another post.

[Anastasia]

Aside: I like the callback to Balmuria 2 style log titles with Sylvie, Cor. I thought that was a neat little reference.

[Corwin]

As continuation to our PM, Dune. Being a religious character and all, I need to have the proper view of the world. There are things where judgement, wishful thinking or guesswork just can't cut it, so I'd appreciate the following answered in some way, even if it seems entirely obvious.

-Can Evil people love?
-What is horrible about being a vampire to the vampire? Are they constantly suffering from hunger? Urges they need to suppress? Specifics would help.
-You said Deathless (ie 'good undead') existed, right? How does that work?

I'm sure I'll have some followups, but this is good for now.