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Topics - PlzBreakMyCampaign

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1
PBMC's Park / Balanced Spell Progressions
« on: June 29, 2017, 06:44:28 PM »
Rejoice! Wizards and Sorcerers have equal spell progressions. Minimum CLs required are exactly what you expect they are. If your class doesn't gain a spell level because it's too high, this does not change. For example, a bard does not gain a 7 level level casting list, although she will be able to keep up with a full caster until the full caster gains 7th level spells at level 16. Yes, there are no 9th level spells. Tell me over here what BALANCED 9th level spells you would miss having.

Level:
1   Everyone can gain 0th level spells
2   Everyone can gain 1st level spells
   —
4   Everyone can gain 2nd level spells
   —
6   Everyone can gain 3rd level spells
   —
8   Everyone can gain 4th level spells
   —
10   Everyone can gain 5th level spells
   —
   —
13   Everyone can gain 6th level spells
   —
   —
16   Everyone can gain 7th level spells
   —
   —
   —
20   Everyone can gain 8th level spells

KEY:
Gain x level spells means   "Sets your spell progression equal how it appears in the chart upon gaining spell level x   "                  
"—"   means "Sets your spell progression equal how it appears in the chart just before gaining the next spell level"
   If your class has more than one class level before gaining the next spell level, use the existing chart as closely as possible                     
   If your class does not have more than one class level before gaining the next spell level and you already had a “—“level, then you gain nothing this level                     
   If your class has no more higher spell levels, follow the chart until it runs out (at which point you gain nothing)

2
PBMC's Park / Thread Index
« on: June 29, 2017, 06:31:05 PM »
Yes, much of this is already in My MetaCompendium, but some of it doesn't belong there. If I repost something in this subforum, its to make it more easily reference-able for people. And I'll be using this guy so I don't have to search through multiple pages to figure out what I've already reposted.

. .
22. Balanced Spell Progression Chart
21. D&D Timeline (Needs cleaning)
20. 4e Epic Destinies Officially posted to 3.5 (WotC Spells that save you from taking feats or investing skill points by Eviltedzies
19. 5e for 3e Pros Handbook to Make
18. Making Epic Spellcasting Balanced, Pre-Epic
17. The Telos of RPG Builds: LoD'ing 3.5
16. 9th level spells you'd miss if they were banned
15. Arcane Dilettante Maths
14. Final Fantasy Color Mage Homebrew
13. Speedrunner Tactics in D&D
12. Free, RAW Campaign Benefit Finder
11. [FINISHED] Negative XP Penalties
10. Niche Rating For Classes
 9. Base Class & Tier Information
 8. Epic Feats Pre-epic
 7. LA for LA:-- Templates
 6. Levels at Which Abilities are Expected
 5. Positive Energy Level Breakthrough
 4. Quote of the Day
 3. SamWise on WotC Execs
 2. MegaTanking from Dota LoD to D&D
 1. PBMC Thread & Build Compendium

3
PBMC's Park / D&D Timeline (Needs cleaning)
« on: June 25, 2017, 05:12:13 PM »
(click to show/hide)
(click to show/hide)

4
PBMC's Park / 4e Epic Destinies Officially posted to 3.5 (WotC Webpage lost?)
« on: June 25, 2017, 05:03:03 PM »
Quote
One of the new concepts of 4th Edition D&D is the epic destiny, which determines what you are fated to become, your role on the stage of history, and how people across the planes will remember you for all time. Epic characters are incredibly powerful, but those with epic destinies go beyond what normal people can even imagine attaining. With an epic destiny, you might bind powerful artifacts to your will, fight back danger that would destroy the world, attain divine power, find your place in a cycle of great heroes, become a force of nature, or become a ghost story that gets told forevermore.
Immortality

Every epic destiny gives you immortality -- either true everlasting life or a legacy that will live forever. One way or another, you will move beyond mortal affairs. You might leave the world, be reincarnated as a new hero, die a glorious death, or enter the realm of the deities and assume divine power. This is the end of your adventuring career, and it provides a satisfying ending to your character's story. Which is not to say that your story might not have an epilogue . . . there are many ways you might return and find adventure once again. The forms of immortality listed here include ways in which the DM might incorporate the legacy of your epic hero into a future campaign.
Destiny Quests

You don't fulfill your epic destiny by chance or by gaining experience. Your final adventure, carefully crafted by your DM, takes you on to immortality. If everybody in the group has an epic destiny (which is recommended if you're using epic destinies in your campaign), the DM can end the campaign with one extraordinary adventure. You'll be working toward your destiny quest in subtle ways long before you reach 30th level. Keep an eye out for clues that might point toward your destiny quest.

Forge Your Own Destiny

You have many options when using epic destinies. Not every group wants to end the campaign at 30th level, and not every DM wants to end a campaign in a way that will mesh with your destiny. All the details for immortality and suggestions for destiny quests are entirely optional. What happens to you when you finish your destiny quest (or if you just keep playing) is up to you and your DM.
Epic Destinies in 4th Edition

As a part of the core 4th Edition rules, epic destinies are an iconic facet of epic play. The epic tier of play is built to have an endpoint, unlike 3rd Edition's epic levels. Usually, this means taking on an immense threat to the world, such as Orcus, or perhaps even an evil deity.

See if you can guess which of the epic destinies in this article is also featured in the 4th Edition Player's Handbook!

Gaining an Epic Destiny

Normally, you can gain an epic destiny by taking the Epic Destiny feat. Doing so takes up your 21st-, 24th-, 27th-, and 30th-level feat slots. (You gain bonus feats from your class normally.) Your DM might decide that, if everybody in the group is taking an epic destiny, the epic destiny doesn't use up any feats. Ask your DM how epic destinies work in his campaign.

An epic destiny has four parts:

* One or more 21st-level features
* A 24th-level feature that makes you harder to kill
* A 27th-level special power
* A 30th-level feature

Any effect that applies to class features also applies to epic destiny features.
New Feat: Epic Destiny

You have a destiny beyond that of other adventurers.

Prerequisite: 21st level, any other requirements listed in the epic destiny's description.

Benefit: Choose an epic destiny. You gain that epic destiny's benefits at 21st, 24th, 27th, and 30th level. When you have this feat, you do not gain additional feats at 24th, 27th, or 30th level.
Artifact Lord

The power of magic items lures you, and you learn to command them with great ease. When you hold an item, you can trace the paths of the magic that formed it, and understand it like no one else -- not even its creator, unless the creator also is an artifact lord -- is able to. The more you use magic items, the closer your connection to them, and you gain the ability to protect them and even place your very soul within them. Eventually, even artifacts consider you their master.

Requirements: 21st level.
Artifact Lord
Level Benefit
21st Impossible activation, charge item
24th Disjunction ward
27th Soul transfer
30th Artifact dominion

Impossible Activation (Ex): At 21st level, you disregard effects that prevent you from activating magic items. For example, you can speak a command word even when silenced, or activate a mental command item while dominated or unconscious. This does not apply to items for which you don't meet the requirements, but you automatically get a result of 20 on all Use Magic Device checks.

In addition, you never provoke attacks of opportunity for activating a magic item.

Charge Item (Ex): At 21st level, you get the most out of your magic items. Once per day as a swift action, you can add one charge to an item that has charges or get an extra use out of an item that has a limited number of uses per day. If the item has multiple functions that have charges (such as a staff) or multiple functions that have a number of uses per day, you choose which one to increase or restore.

Disjunction Ward (Su): At 24th level, magic items you possess are protected against magical disjunction. If an effect (such as Mordenkainen's disjunction) would cause an item you hold, wear, or have on your body to become nonmagical, you can choose to negate that effect (for your items only) and to cause the effect's caster (if within line of effect) to suffer the effect himself. This feature also offers some protection to items you own, but don't have with you. An item you own that is not being worn or held by someone else gets a bonus on its saving throws equal to half your level.

Soul Transfer (Su): At 27th level, you can transfer your soul to an item when you die. This ability functions once per day. When you are reduced to 0 hit points, choose a magic item you possess. Your body blazes with cold blue light, then transforms into adamantine as the object becomes your soul's new home. As the object you have a fly speed of 30 feet (perfect), though if you transfer into an item your body's wearing, you won't be able to move. You can cast spells in this form, activate the item, and attack with it if it's a weapon (or similar item). Anything you do using this item functions as it normally would, and you still count the bonuses for magic items your body's wearing.

In this form, you can be attacked only as an item, not a creature (mind-affecting effects are an exception). If the item is destroyed, you die.

Artifact Dominion (Su): At 30th level, you can call upon the power of various artifacts. An artifact called by artifact dominion appears, assists you briefly, then returns to the location from which it came. Choose three of the options from the list below. You can activate each effect once per day as a swift action. If at any time you possess one of these artifacts, you gain one extra use of the listed effect (and the artifact dominion effect doesn't prevent you from using the artifact normally).

Book of Exalted Deeds: You can use this effect only if you are lawful good, neutral good, or chaotic good. For 1 hour, you cast good spells and use good abilities at +2 caster level. During this time, you can also make a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 points of damage per character level to an evil creature.

Book of Vile Darkness: You can use this effect only if you are lawful evil, neutral evil, or chaotic evil. For 1 hour, you cast evil spells and use evil abilities at +2 caster level. During this time, you can also make a melee touch attack that deals 1d6 points of damage per character level to a good creature.

Olidamarra's Dice: Choose a creature within 20 feet (or yourself). Roll 1d6 and consult the table to determine the effect upon the creature. There is no saving throw.
Roll Result
1 -1 penalty on attacks, saves, and checks for 1 hour
2 -4 penalty to AC for 10 minutes
3 +1 morale bonus on attacks and on saves against fear for 10 minutes
4 Gain effects of blur for 10 minutes
5 +1 insight bonus on all attacks, saves, and checks for 1 hour
6 Gain effects of freedom of movement for 1 hour

Sphere of Annihilation: Duplicate the effects of disintegrate, caster level 20.

Staff of the Magi: You gain spell resistance equal to 10 + your level for 1 hour, and you're invisible (as the greater invisibility spell) for 5 rounds.

Immortality of Metal and Stone: With your destiny complete, you can rest in a new form that can survive for eons, through any sort of calamity. You disperse your essence into artifacts of your own design. Perhaps you transfer fragments of your persona to twelve amulets that wait to be picked up by the next generation of epic heroes. Or you could become an adamantine vessel that travels the skies, using supernatural senses to seek out danger and end it. Maybe your bones become artifacts, imbuing those who come upon them with some of your power. And if your next campaign is a 4th Edition game, you can use the artifact rules (in the Dungeon Master's Guide) to model your character's new incarnation.
Blade of Ragnarok

When powerful forces desire to end the world or to snuff out existence, you will be there. With power that is destined to be under your command, you can fight off any threat. There is no danger you cannot face, and on the battlefields where the fate of everyone and everything is decided, you will stand victorious. You can fight the most powerful of creatures -- those regarded as invincible by almost everyone.

Requirements: 21st level.
Blade of Ragnarok
Level Benefit
21st Unbreakable body, weapon of ruin
24th Slayer's fury
27th Unstoppable tenacity
30th Destiny strike

Unbreakable Body (Ex): At 21st level, you gain damage reduction 5/--. Unlike most damage reduction, this stacks with all other DR. You automatically succeed on saving throws when you take massive damage.

Weapon of Ruin (Su): At 21st level, your attacks have abilities that let them bypass some damage reduction. You gain the aligned strike (corresponding to your alignment), epic strike, and magic strike qualities (Rules Compendium, pages 100-101).

You can also emulate a material or damage type on all your attacks. Only one can be in effect at a time, and changing it is a move action. The effect is continuous. You can treat your attacks as bludgeoning, piercing, slashing, adamantine, cold iron, or silver (with no damage penalty).

You also gain the ability to make a Sense Motive check (opposed by the target's Bluff) to determine the damage reduction type (but not amount) of a creature you can see.

Slayer's Fury (Su): At 24th level, you gain the ability to make devastatingly accurate attacks. Twice per day as a swift action, you gain a +20 luck bonus on all attack rolls you make on your current turn, and your critical hit range is doubled. Furthermore, you suffer no miss chance on the attacks and can re-roll any 1 you roll on an attack or damage roll.

Unstoppable Tenacity (Ex): At 27th level, you can fight when you should be dead. You don't die when you reach -10 hit points. Instead, you die when you have negative hit points equal to half your full normal hit points.

Furthermore, you can keep fighting when you are below 0 hit points. When reduced to -1 or fewer hit points, you automatically become stable and can choose to keep fighting. If you keep fighting while below 0 hit points, you take a -1 penalty on attacks, saves, and checks.

Destiny Strike (Su): At 30th level, you can make attacks that strip away the defenses of powerful enemies. You can use this ability three times per day. Before making an attack, you can declare it to be a destiny strike (a free action). If you hit, the DM lists all of the following the hit creature possesses: damage reduction, fast healing, immunities, miss chance (including from incorporeality), regeneration, resistance to energy, spell resistance, and turn resistance. You can suppress one of those benefits for 3 rounds. If it has multiple types of immunities or resistances, choose only one. The DM lists only the types, not the amounts. For example, the DM would tell you a monster has fast healing, fire resistance, and spell resistance, not that it has fast healing 23, fire resistance 10, and spell resistance 35.

The Long Wait of Immortality: Your destiny quest has been fulfilled. Most likely, you fought off an evil that could have destroyed your world, your plane, or all of creation. Your work done, you pass into hibernation in an unknown place, sleeping until you are needed once more. You've become a legendary, godlike figure. The one who is prophesied to return when needed once again. When another threat arises that is as powerful as the last, you might rise to stop it . . . but you might need to be awakened. A group of adventurers could seek you out to tap into the deep well of your martial power. And perhaps your new character can be one of these brave souls.
Demigod

Over the course of adventuring, you have attained some small degree of inherent divine power. This initial spark is different from what divine spellcasters tap into, because it comes from within, not through worship or from the great deeds you have accomplished. As you travel through this epic destiny, you gain a small following of worshipers, which grows with each level until you become a full-fledged deity, and enhances your inherent divine power.

Note that the demigod epic destiny does not use the demigod traits outlined in Deities and Demigods. This is to keep the demigod's abilities more in line with the rest of the party, and for simplicity's sake.

Requirements: 21st level.
Demigod
Level Benefit
21st Divine spark, death denied
24th Regenerative touch
27th Divine surge
30th Miracle

Divine Spark: At 21st level, you gain either a +1 inherent bonus to each of two ability scores or a +2 inherent bonus to one ability score.

Death Denied: At 21st level, you become resistant to attacks that would instantly kill you. You gain a +5 luck bonus on saving throws against necromancy effects and saving throws against massive damage. If you roll a 1 on one of these types of saving throws, you can re-roll the die. If you succeed on a save against a necromancy spell, you suffer no effect, even if you would normally suffer a partial effect.

Regenerative Touch (Sp): At 24th level, you gain the ability to use regenerate at will (caster level 20).

Divine Surge (Su): At 27th level, you can restore yourself to fighting form. Once per day as an immediate action, you can use this ability to restore yourself to full maximum hit points and gain the benefit of greater restoration.

Miracle (Sp): At 30th level, you can use miracle once per day. You choose what happens, using your own divine power instead of making a request of a deity. You must still pay any XP and component costs required by the miracle spell. Use your character level to determine the caster level.

Divine Immortality: When you reach the end of your destiny quest, you become a true deity (if a minor one). Perhaps you create your own divine domain and portfolio, or perhaps a deity you had a close connection with gives you a piece of his power in respect for your incredible service. You might want to design a divine portfolio, holy symbol, and other trappings of your own faith before the campaign ends, and share those with the group when you finish your destiny quest. When you reach godhood, the adventuring life seems quaint compared to the power you wield. Your character's need to travel and battle mortal threats is finished, but her influence on other adventurers might not be. Perhaps the deity you've become will even be a major player in your next campaign.






Eternal Hero

Over many eons, in many bodies, with many names, you have adventured and conquered. In an endless cycle of death and rebirth, you have attained the name "hero" in many lands and many incarnations. When you die, you always return again, as a new hero. You might be very different in each form, but a common thread binds one soul to all these manifestations. You learn to draw on the strength and resolve of your past selves to fight off death itself.

Requirements: 21st level.
Eternal Hero
Level Benefit
21st Continual resurrection, death denied
24th Quickening
27th Eternal renewal
30th Nexus of many lives

Continual Resurrection: At 21st level, you gain the ability to return from the dead. At dawn each day, if you are dead, you are restored to life (as true resurrection). You can set a place where you want to be resurrected. (You must be standing in that place when you make the choice.) When you are resurrected, you can choose to be resurrected in the place you choose or in the place you died. You can choose a new location for your place of resurrection once per level.

Death Denied: At 21st level, you become resistant to attacks that would instantly kill you. You gain a +5 luck bonus on saving throws against necromancy effects. If you succeed on a save against a necromancy spell, you suffer no effect, even if you would normally suffer a partial effect.

You gain a +10 luck bonus on saving throws against death attacks and saving throws against massive damage. If you roll a 1 on one of these types of saving throws, you can re-roll the die.

Quickening: At 24th level, your body begins to heal at an amazing rate. At the start of your turn, you gain a number of temporary hit points equal to your level. If you already have any temporary hit points when you gain these temporary hit points, they do not stack -- use only the higher value.

Eternal Renewal (Su): At 27th level, you gain the ability to immediately come back from death's door. When you take damage that reduces you to below 0 hit points (even if you go below -10 hit points), you can use this ability as an immediate action. You go to 0 hit points, then regain a number of hit points equal to half your maximum hit points. You can use this ability twice per day, increasing to four times per day at 30th level.

Nexus of Many Lives: At 30th level, you can tap into the power of one of your past incarnations. You can use this ability once per day. When you do, choose which incarnation to activate and use the effect listed. Upon gaining this class feature, you must choose a weapon type for the warrior incarnation, the arcane spell for the arcanist incarnation, the divine spell for the disciple incarnation, and up to three options for the traitor incarnation.

The Warrior (Su): Make a full attack as a standard action. For the purpose of this attack, you have a +25 base attack bonus, a +11 Strength modifier, and a magic weapon with up to a +8 enhancement bonus and special properties equaling up to a total +5 bonus equivalent (you must choose the weapon's bonus and properties when you gain this epic destiny feature). You can apply any spells affecting you or feats you have to these attacks.

The Arcanist (Sp): Duplicate the effect of any 7th-level arcane spell from any class list. Your caster level is equal to your character level for this spell. While casting this spell, you do not suffer arcane spell failure, you automatically succeed on Concentration checks, and you gain a +10 bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance.

The Disciple (Sp): Duplicate the effect of any 7th-level divine spell from any class list. Your caster level is equal to your character level for this spell. While casting this spell, you automatically succeed on Concentration checks and you gain a +10 bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance.

The Traitor (Sp): Duplicate the effect of any 8th-level evil spell from any class list. This can include spells that can attain the evil descriptor if used in certain ways, such as summon monster spells, but must be cast as the evil version if used in this way. When you use the traitor manifestation, you might become evil if you are not already. Make a Charisma check (DC 20) after you use the manifestation. If you fail and are good, change the good axis of your alignment to neutral. If you are not good or evil, change neutral to evil. Your caster level is equal to your character level for this spell. While casting this spell, you automatically succeed on Concentration checks and you gain a +10 bonus on caster level checks to overcome spell resistance.

Immortality in Rebirth: Despite your ability to avoid it, you will eventually face death. It might be from a foe too powerful to overcome, but whom you might face again in another life. Or, you might have finished your destiny quest and realized your work is done in this body and it is time to move on. In either case, your soul returns to its true essence, and you experience, briefly, knowledge beyond all mortal ken. Then, you find yourself once again in a new body. Does this manifestation know anything about its past lives now or will it learn more later on? Does this form resemble the last or are they far different? All these might be questions to explore with your next character.
Force of Nature

Your connection to nature has always been strong, but now it grows deeper still. Wherever you go, your essence infuses the landscape all around you, and you are likewise affected by your surroundings. You can manifest the power of the weather and call upon all the animal and plant life of the terrain to defend you or strike your foes. The strength of stone, the fluidity of water, and the life force of the trees are all a part of you. In time, it becomes difficult to separate you from the land, as it and your soul merge into one.

Requirements: 21st level, wild shape class feature
Force of Nature
Level Benefit
21st Boon of nature
24th Improved boon of nature
27th Storm suffusion
30th Environment shape

Boon of Nature (Su): At 21st level, you gain a continuous benefit that gets better in certain types of environments. You have access to two of the different boons listed below (chosen when you acquire this class feature), and can swap out boons as a swift action. The benefit applies in both your normal form and when wild shaped (or otherwise in an alternate form).

Boon of Life: At will, you can use a swift action to heal a creature within close range (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels). This effect cures a number of points of damage equal to half your character level. While you are in an area where plant growth is pervasive (such as a forest or meadow), you have fast healing 10.

Boon of Stone: You have DR 3/adamantine while this boon is active. If you have the ability to wild shape into an elemental, you can wild shape into any elemental with the earth subtype (within the normal size and HD restrictions). If you're in an area where stone is common (such as a mountain or stone-walled structure), you can trigger a minor tremor as a swift action. The range is long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level) and affects any creature standing on the ground within a 30-foot-radius spread. An affected creature must make a Reflex save (DC 20 + your Wisdom modifier) or fall prone.

Boon of Storms: At will, you can use a swift action to tap into the power of lightning or wind. You can call down a streak of lightning against a creature within medium range. It requires a ranged touch attack to hit and deals 1d6 points of electricity damage per two character levels. If you have the ability to wild shape into an elemental, you can wild shape into any elemental with the air subtype (within the normal size and HD restrictions). If you're under an open sky, you gain concealment (20% miss chance) while this boon is active.

Boon of Water: While this boon is active, you gain DR 3/magic and resistance to fire 10. If you have the ability to wild shape into an elemental, you can wild shape into any elemental with the water subtype (within the normal size and HD restrictions). While you are in an aquatic environment, you gain the benefits of freedom of movement and water breathing.

Improved Boon of Nature: At 24th level, you gain access to one additional boon of nature.

Storm Suffusion (Su): At 27th level, you take on the form of an immense storm when you are in danger of dying. When you are reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, you become a storm. This duplicates the effects of a storm of vengeance, with the radius of the effect centered on the square where you were. Use your character level for the caster level and your Wisdom modifier for the ability bonus. This effect lasts for 5 rounds (it's not dismissable when used this way), at which time you return to your natural form at 0 hit points and become stable. You can use this ability once per day.

Environment Shape (Su): At 30th level, you can assume the form of the terrain around you when you wild shape. When you do so, choose one of the forms listed below that is applicable in your current environment. You fuse with the terrain, taking up a 15-foot cube of space within the terrain type you choose (this cube must be adjacent to you when you change shape). This makes you fill the same amount of space as a Huge creature, and attacks against you can target any square in that space (though you don't take any of the modifiers for being Huge).

You can "move" at your normal speed, though you're actually moving your essence from one part of the environment to another. Consequently, this movement doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity.

Unlike with other uses of wild shape, your physical ability scores do not change and gear you wear still functions, though you can't activate items. If you are targeted by a spell that would affect the terrain (such as transmute rock to mud or whirlwind), you get a Fortitude saving throw. If you fail, you return to your natural form in a square adjacent to the space you occupied as the terrain.

Form of Life: You must be in an area where plant growth is pervasive. You gain the benefits of boon of life (see above). You can make a grapple check as a swift action that doesn't provoke attacks of opportunity. You can use a slam attack as a swift action or a standard action. You can use control plants and entangle at will, as supernatural abilities.

Form of Stone: You must be in an area where stone is common. You gain the benefits of boon of stone (see above). You gain a melee touch attack that knocks the target prone. You can use this attack as a swift action or a standard action. You can use earthquake as a supernatural ability, using your character level as the caster level. You can do this once while in this form (returning to normal form, then using wild shape to return to form of stone allows you to use earthquake again). You can also cast spells with the earth descriptor normally while in this form (as the Natural Spell feat), and you use them as though you were three caster levels higher.

Form of Storms: Only while under an open sky, you gain the benefits of boon of storms (see above), plus the following additional features. You gain a slam attack that deals 2d8 (plus your Strength modifier) points of damage and knocks the target back 20 feet. You can use this slam attack as a swift action or a standard action. You can use call lightning storm as a supernatural ability while in this form. This is an at-will ability, but you can have only one in effect at a time. You can also cast spells with the air or electricity descriptor normally while in this form (as the Natural Spell feat), and you use them as though you were three caster levels higher.

Form of Water: You must be in an aquatic environment. You gain the benefits of boon of water (see above). You gain a slam attack that deals 2d10 (plus your Strength modifier) points of damage and knocks the target back 10 feet. You can use this slam attack as a swift action or a standard action. You can use waterspout (Spell Compendium 236) as a supernatural ability, using your character level as the caster level. This is an at-will ability, but you can have only one waterspout active at a time. Unlike the normal spell, this waterspout has a 10-foot radius and can suck in Large and Huge creatures. You can also cast spells with the water descriptor normally while in this form (as the Natural Spell feat), and you use them as though you were three caster levels higher.

Immortality of the Earth and Planes: Your life force pulses with the rhythms of the natural world, and in time you can no longer tell which is which. Your essence flows from place to place in the world, and from plane to plane. You see many things, but care little for events that don't harm the plants and animals of the planes. Over the eons, your name becomes forgotten -- heard only in the rustle of leaves, the crash of thunder, and the babbling of brooks.
Mythic Shadow

Legends of your exploits have traveled the world, but they seem so unreal that most consider your very existence a rumor. An enemy might, if he's lucky, catch a glimpse of you in the shadows before he feels your blade in his back. Those who bring the fight to you find you an elusive opponent -- almost impossible to keep in one place or to hit effectively. Being a mythic shadow means you won't get all the glory you deserve, so you'll have to take comfort in being the one person who knows how good you really are.

Requirements: 21st level
Mythic Shadow
Level Benefit
21st Improved precision damage, phantom visage
24th Spectral stride
27th Spurn death
30th Shadow strike

Improved Precision Damage (Ex): At 21st level, any attack you make that gets extra precision damage (because you're able to strike a vital spot with an ability such as the rogue's sneak attack, ninja's sudden strike, or scout's skirmish) becomes more powerful. Increase the size of your precision damage dice by one step.

Phantom Visage (Su): At 21st level, you are under a constant greater invisibility effect. You can suppress or resume this effect as a swift action.

Spectral Stride (Su): At 24th level, you gain the ability to move through solid objects. Doing so requires you to have a 10-foot running start. Additionally, you treat these objects as difficult terrain (each square of movement counts as 2 squares, each diagonal square counts as 3), and you can't end your movement inside a solid object. This movement provokes attacks of opportunity normally, but you have concealment (20% miss chance) against such attacks.

Spurn Death (Su): At 27th level, you can usually avoid being killed or disabled. If you would be reduced to 0 hit points or fewer by an attack or die from massive damage from an attack, you can use an immediate action to attempt to spurn death. You have a 50% chance to avoid all damage from the attack.

Shadow Strike: At 30th level, your attacks with weapons, natural weapons, or unarmed strikes become touch attacks.

Immortality in the Shadows: Many characters who achieve their epic destinies leave the world, but you might not want to. Ageless and always concealed from sight, you can find out many things you're not supposed to know. There are still so many places to go and things to see that you might not tire of earthly delights for some time. Occasionally, you might even hear a story about yourself and your exploits. Perhaps you'll even spread a few rumors of your own. There's something satisfying about watching tales of your legendary deeds grow and become well-known legends, and if there are a few exaggerations here and there, who does it hurt? When the bards sing tales of your first adventures, even if you're actually 3 feet shorter than they say and you didn't really kill 800 orcs with one swing of your blade, it still feels like old times. In time, as your tale becomes taller and taller, you can no longer remember whether you're a real person, or just an old story.
How to Implement Epic Destinies

If you decide to use epic destinies in your campaign, you'll need to dedicate yourself to working closely with your players, and you may possibly need to give up some of your control as a DM (but if you're playing epic level, you've probably gotten used to that anyway). The epic destiny a player chooses gives you a good idea of what she expects to get out of the final stages of a campaign.

As a DM, epic destinies are a great tool for crafting the last adventures of your campaign. If you've already plotted out the endgame, try tying destiny quests into the story. Let's say you're using Atropus from Elder Evils as a threat in your game (either a version you've modified to epic levels or one you're fighting using the "Non-Epic Epic Destinies" variant). This undead planetoid can obliterate all on an entire world if it's not stopped. A blade of Ragnarok character thrills at the prospect of a battle to decide the fate of the world. The force of nature must stop the destruction of natural life. The demigod sees the failure of the deities to stop the incoming destruction, and vows to become a deity who will be prepared for such extreme dangers. The eternal hero's previous incarnation is the one who inadvertently called Atropus to your world, and must stop the creature to redeem himself.

The immortality section of each epic destiny also includes ways you can create continuity between campaigns. By linking the epic characters from previous campaigns to your next campaign, you can give players a sense of a larger world and give their characters a more important role within it. This approach works especially well if you plan to do multiple campaigns in the same world.

Here are some suggestions for engaging characters who are using epic destinies in your campaign.

Artifact Lords in Your Campaign

Item-related hooks can draw in the artifact lord player. You can use an artifact lord character to bring artifacts into your game.

* The party finds a deck of cards that looks much like a deck of many things. However, instead of the normal faces, each of the 22 cards has a message scrawled on it describing a mission. The PCs find that if they complete a mission, the message transforms into a single letter. What could the 22-letter message be?
* One of the artifact lord's items, which seemed to be a normal magic item, suddenly becomes intelligent. Its personality seems benign, even helpful at times. But soon, other party members' items gain sentience, too, and they all share the same personality. As it spreads, the items grow rebellious, but you can't get rid of them. What is this being, and why is it taking over your items?

Blades of Ragnarok in Your Campaign

Combat and world-ending threats are compelling to a blade of Ragnarok. Only the biggest threats draw the notice of such a powerful warrior.

* Signs of deadly portent abound. The night sky is filled with strange phenomena, and a scourge upon the land brings drought, famine, and disease (see "Signs of Apocalypse," Elder Evils pages 7-10). The signs are clear, but there are so many. Is it possible many evils rise against the world at the same time?
* There is not just one blade of Ragnarok, and their numbers are split. A blade of Ragnarok sits on the throne of a small empire in the Outlands, far from other civilized life. He kidnaps beings from across the planes and brings them here to serve as slaves. All manner of creatures from solars to titans to great wyrm dragons toil, bound magically to his command. They carry out many schemes, and if the PCs can follow them to the Outlands and slay the corrupt blade of Ragnarok, they can greatly influence the apocalyptic battle.

Demigods in Your Campaign

Adventure hooks for demigods usually deal with existing deities and danger in good deities' domains.

* Becoming a true deity requires great sacrifice and dedication. The existing deities devise challenges for one who might join their number, and there's no guarantee that Ehlonna or Pelor will be any more lenient than Hextor or Gruumsh. These challenges can be folded into other adventures (and much of the difficulty lies in discovering when you are being challenged). Theme these challenges to the deities who chose them. Kord might demand a test of courage in battle. Vecna might want the demigod to infiltrate the power structure of one of his followers he suspects of deception. Fharlanghn might send the demigod traversing across the planes, gathering dust or useless trinkets from every corner.
* A deity needs to travel to a distant place. Perhaps it is beyond all the planes, in a place difficult for anyone but a deity to fathom. Perhaps the deity needs to assume a less powerful form for some time. In any case, it's too dangerous to let others know of the deity's absence. The demigod character must impersonate the deity, see to the affairs of the divine domain, and generally maintain appearances. This "trial run" for godhood might come with unwanted surprises . . .

Eternal Heroes in Your Campaign

Since eternal heroes all have deep histories, it's easy to incorporate them into your campaign. Here are a few plot hooks related to eternal heroes.

* The PCs find a magic item or artifact that belonged to a previous incarnation of the eternal hero. Inscribed on it is writing in a secret language only the eternal hero can understand. It warns of impending danger.
* The eternal hero hears about a villain that gives her an odd mental image. She discovers she encountered this villain in a previous incarnation. Perhaps this was someone the eternal hero was unable to defeat, an undead form of the original, or even an "eternal villain" who will always return to plague the hero.
* The party encounters a descendent of one of the previous incarnations of the eternal hero. This descendent wields some of the power of that incarnation. This could even be one of the PCs, if the players are game.

Forces of Nature in Your Campaign

The secrets of the natural world are known to the force of nature, and they can be a source of adventure ideas.

* The grass, the animals, and the rock of the earth speak to the force of nature. Every place of evil, and every dungeon in which aberrant creatures live, is like a disease in nature's body. Nature's life force is growing dim and could be snuffed out. Eons ago, shards of a vast, green crystal -- a heart of the earth -- were wrenched from the earth and scattered into hidden places across the planes by vile beings. If the PCs can recover the pieces and reform this nexus of nature's power, nature's resurgence can blot out the grotesque mockeries that dot the surface of the world.
* A powerful group of mind flayers (similar to the mind flayers of Thoon, Monster Manual V, pages 104-125) seeks a mysterious substance called "quintessence." It exists in many places, and the mind flayers are willing to extract it even from living creatures. Every time they extract it, the earth -- and the force of nature -- feel pain. The mind flayers are ruled by a thoon elder brain (MM5 144, advanced to 30 HD). The leaders of the group are ulitharid sorcerers (LoM 158), who aspire to gain even more power by becoming alhoons (LoM 157) kept alive with quintessence. You can use advanced versions of the thoon creatures as rank and file.

Mythic Shadows in Your Campaign

When a mythic shadow hears about an impenetrable fortress or well-guarded secret, she considers it a challenge. Sometimes, the reward for pulling off an unlikely scheme is just being able to say you could do it.

* The city of Sigil (Dungeon Master's Guide 167) is vast, and no one knows all its secrets. Several centuries ago, a sage began recording every door in the city, and he actually almost completed his list. However, he met with a messy end. His assassins failed to account for all his magical countermeasures, and his vast folio of maps landed in the hands of the mythic shadow, for unknown reasons. It seems like someone wanted to keep the sage from completing the list. Can the PCs discover why that is, and how the mythic shadow became involved?
* The mythic shadow walks the thin line between reality and legend, as does the Mazraghar Fortress. Tales bandied about between epic adventurers say that the fortress was formed with giant bricks carved from the substance of different planes and serving as a window into each. One brick is a slice of Arboria, another a chunk of the Negative Energy Plane, and so on. The fortress was created by a great dragon, and all his friends and allies died while building the fortress. When it was done, the dragon went inside and hasn't left. He now sits, watching all areas on all the planes, but with no companionship. Stories about the fortress are assumed to be fables, illustrating moral concepts about how ambition and power bring only solitude. But the mythic shadow character is not so sure they aren't true. What kind of power rests in Mazraghar Fortress? How can the PCs get there? And how does one get past a dragon who can see all places?

Variant: Non-Epic Epic Destinies

Despite the name, it's possible to use epic destinies at non-epic levels. If you don't feel like playing in an epic campaign, you can change the prerequisite of the Epic Destiny feat and the levels at which you replace feats with epic destiny features.
Epic Level Non-Epic Level
21st 12th
24th 15th
27th 18th
30th 20th
*The 20th-level feature doesn't replace a feat.

Keep in mind that the epic destiny features are much more powerful below epic level! Your game automatically has a higher power level than normal, and the power between characters is very unbalanced unless every character has an epic destiny. You can use tougher monsters to compensate, though you can give XP as though the monsters were lower CR to keep advancement at the rate you want.

5
PBMC's Park / Spells that save you from taking feats or investing skill points by Eviltedzies
« on: June 25, 2017, 04:59:04 PM »
I need to clean it up and post it as a handbook...

Quote
I am currently trying to find any spell that either duplicates/mimics feats and or spells that give bonuses to skills.
The criteria I am looking for in the spells is preferably flexibility and, in the case of skill points, spells that give bonuses to any skill.

Examples of spells I'm looking for include:

Psionic powers marked with an *

Spells/Powers that duplicate multiple feats:
Alter Self (Racial Feats)
Heroics (Extra Fighter Feat)
Mirror Move (Mimics a recently witnessed combat feat)
Polymorph Chain (Racial Feats)

Spells/Powers that duplicate specific feats:
Arrowstorm (Ranged Whirlwind Attack)
Beastland Ferocity (Diehard)
Bladestorm (Whirlwind Attack)
Blood Frenzy (Extra Rage)
Lion's Charge (Catfolk Pounce without the suck)

Spells/Powers that give bonuses to any skill:
Crown of Glory (+4 morale bonus on all skill checks)
Divine Insight (+5 - +15 insight bonus to one skill check)
Dream Casting: Rage (+2 morale bonus to any skill used in attacking the casting?)
Focusing Chant (+1 circumstance bonus to all skill checks)
Greater Heroism (+4 morale bonus to all skills)
Greater Skill Knowledge* (+10 competence bonus to a single skill check)
Good Hope (+2 morale bonus to all skill checks)
Guidance (+1 competence bonus to all skill checks)
Guidance of the Avatar (+20 competence bonus to a single skill.)
Heroism (+2 morale bonus to all skills)
Improvisation (+2 luck bonus/level to selected checks or attack.)
Major Action* (Allows you to take 20 on a single skill check)
Minor Action* (Allows you to take 10 on a single skill check)
Moment of Prescience (+1 to +25 insight bonus to attack, skill, opposed check, or AC vs single attack)
Prayer (+1 luck bonus on all skill checks)
Skill Knowledge* (+5 competence bonus to a single skill check)

Spells/Powers that give bonuses to individual and or some skills:
Alter Self (Racial and size bonuses to skills)
Appraising Touch (+10 insight bonus to Appraise)
Balancing Lorecall (+4 insight bonus to Balance)
Bears Endurance (+2 enhancement bonus to Constitution based skills)
Bulls Strength (+2 enhancement bonus to Strength based skills)
Cats Grace (+2 enhancement bonus to Dexterity based skills)
Eagles Splendor (+2 enhancement bonus to Charisma based skills)
Find Traps (Insight bonus to search and find traps like a rogue)
Find Traps* (2 or higher bonus to Search checks and can locate traps untrained)
Foxes Cunning (+2 enhancement bonus to Intelligence based skills)
Glibness (+30 unnamed bonus to Bluff for purpose of lying)
Gutsnake (Can use Balance and Climb skill of giant constrictor)
Invisibility (+20 to Hide checks)
Jump (+10 to jump checks)
Microkinesis* (Replaces need for tools for Open Lock and Disable Device. Also give minor untyped bonus to said skills for boosting the power.)
Polymorph spell chain (Racial and size bonus to skills)
Owls Wisdom (+2 enhancement bonus to Wisdom based skills)
Sirine's Grace (+8 unnamed bonus to Perform; also gives +4 Cha and Dex)
Snipers Eye (+10 competence bonus to Spot)
Spiritual Advisor (+4 divine bonus on Knowledge checks; may make checks untrained)
Surge of Fortune (+2 luck bonus to attack and damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks,  ability checks, AC, spell penatration checks AND take an automatic 20 once during duration.)
Voice of the Dragon (+10 bonus to Diplomacy)

Spells/Powers that negate the need for a skill completely:
Fly (Jump checks)
Freedom of Movement (Escape Artist checks or opposed grapple check)
Iron Silence (Removed Hide/Move Silently penalty from armor)
Knock (Open Lock)
Silence (Move Silently checks)
Tongues (Speak langauge skill)
True Seeing (Eliminates need for certain Spot and Sense Motive checks)


Special Comments:
*Using Alter Self or Polymorph to become a Midguard Dwarf grants Forge Ring, Craft Magic Arms & Armor, and Craft Wondrous Item as bonus Feats.

If you know of any other's please let me know. I want to see how cheap a character can afford to be when choosing feats and or skills

6
PBMC's Park / 5e for 3e Pros Handbook to Make
« on: June 25, 2017, 04:39:05 PM »
Ugly Text Dump:
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PBMC's Park / Making Epic Spellcasting Balanced, Pre-Epic
« on: June 25, 2017, 04:17:04 PM »
Since I'm doubting Soro will finish his Epic in Pre-epic thread, consider this the place to talk about all things epic casting related.

0a. 10th level and up spell slots granted via the Improved Spell Capacity feat aren't epic spell casting per se
0b. The Epic Spellcasting feat allows you to "develop and cast epic spells" but, for now, to keep the discussion simple, let's assume the feat wasn't necessary and that no epic feats existed. We can tackle the feats later. We're just talking about epic casting itself right now.

1. You can "cast epic spells [...] a number of open epic spell slots per day equal to one-tenth his or her ranks in the Knowledge skill appropriate to the spell and the caster’s class." They are Knowledge (aracana), Knowledge (religion) and Knowledge (nature). The above feat mentions that these stack, but DMs are likely to require fully progressed multiclassing before the second knowledge skill gives additional slots. Normally that would be hard for a Wizard 17 / x 3 character, although specialized builds like an ur-priest / blighter could manage 4 rather than 2 slots. If you want to be rule-lawyery to gain the 5th and 6th slots, remember that by throwing out (or giving for free) the epic spellcasting feat, a monk could also gain epic spells.

2. "Metamagic feats and other epic feats that manipulate normal spells cannot be used with epic spells." If epic feats can't even modify epic casting, regular feats surely can't. You'll notice the x2 for extending spells rather than being able to apply a wimpy extend spell feat to a powerful epic spell. Suddenly all of your old, high level casting tricks don't work anymore. It reminds me of people glossing over the fact that artificers aren't spellcasters. A lot of the power actually comes from those old patterns that don't just work now.

3a. Custom Epic spells should have no "guesswork and rules stretching" and should always have the "worst of all worlds" rather than the caster just choosing whatever is best. This means that all epic spells, rather than just some, have all the spell schools associated with the seeds.
3b. The Range, Targets, Area, and Effects lines all chose the worst value, additively. Nothing is stopping you from changing the target and area line before combining each seed so that they still make sense. It just costs more spellcraft.
3c. Similar to SR, saving throws are all added separately, allowing multiple instances of one save or even many instances of multiple different saves.
3d. Seeds still require a save if it deals damage, in addition to requiring a successful attack roll.
3e. Touch or ranged attack seeds still require an attack roll if it deals damage as a targeted seed, in addition to requiring a saving throw.

4. There is no recording of epic spells. You will always pay to learn/develop both existing and custom epic spells.

5. There is no additional participant mitigating factor. You can't chain gate solars for circle magic on crack.

6. Dirty-trick fix the seeds: the Armor, Conjure, Fortify, Reflect, Summon, Transfer, and Ward seeds have certain effects removed (see below). This is either to prevent TO things like loops, or because they replicate an effect already banned in any serious, balanced game. Specially they are, in order,:
(click to show/hide)

The Epic spell factors you will want:
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Custom mitigation factors that are worth it:
Code: [Select]
Everyone is going to select +20DC on in-combat custom epic spells since feats & MM don't apply to epic spells.
Everyone is going to select +10min casting time for -20 DC on buffs
Everyone is going to select 2*HD d6 backlash for -2*HD DC on instantaneous spells. Share pain/vigor is assumed.
Quick Notes on the Seeds:
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Costs:
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8
PBMC's Park / The Telos of RPG Builds: LoD'ing 3.5
« on: June 25, 2017, 03:15:40 PM »
Now that I've released my D&D archives, I feel like taking a step back.

Let's imagine you are playing Game 1: Baldur's Gate. In this case you chose the Dark alliance game in the series. You've picked your elf chick and been kill the baddies for a while. You wondered about something in the beginning and rolled up a human to go check it out.

In most games, each save file is monolithic and separate. Without hacking the data you can't put your elf into your human's early game state nor your weaker human into your elf's advanced game state. Some gamer's accept this fate due to "balance" concerns, but it's not really an issue anymore for modern gaming with auto-balancing systems like that found in the Game 2: Dragon Age Origins.

In some games, you have to wait for a New Game + to restart with your tough character back into the beginning of the game. The idea was still revolutionary decades ago for hallmarks (think Chrono Trigger). Nowadays, its a fairly standard mechanic for games that actually think themselves a decent game. Balder's Gate of course has this as "extreme mode".

But remember that a New Game + still falls short of a true in-game import. Even fewer games allow a true export process to a sequel. This is a much-appreciated feature that uses tried-and-true numbers inflation to maintain balance. It helps players think they've gotten somewhere without the "start all over again" disappointment. The Dragon Age Origins Expansion allows this, for instance, and the story line is coded to adjust for this fact.

Even the above is still short of a true in-game import. Why did I mention Baldur's Gate: Dark Alliance? Because it allows a true, overwriting import, even in multiplayer. This allows for all the muling item transfer goodness we've come to expect (think Diablo I & II).

But you notice as you take a look at your Elf wizard and Human archer, newly geared due to importing and in Extreme Mode, that you just don't like the options available to you. You like some of them. Going Emporer Palpatine on enemies is fun. The dancing sword is useful to help make enemies flinch even while you kite or attack. But that's it. Even your archer friend's character feels a little lack-luster. Multishot is good, and ice arrows were good. but mainly all you use is repulsion and your passives to hack threw enemies.

You look at a fighter's ability options and notice that the awful Drizzt incarnation is a mix of the main three character's ability sets. "I could do better than that," you think. And suddenly it downs on you. If you could just take a blank character, like the fighter, and swap out four or five abilities, you've have a very fun combination. But alas, your hopes are dashed because you can't do that.

Even with the two features, it does have, there is no built-in level editor so you can add that kind of system. But you don't want to make new levels or even change how the lightning looks or how much it costs, etc, like a full game editor would allow (Think Warcraft III). All you want is a system to build characters.

Da Rules (for those to lazy to click the download link in my sig)
(click to show/hide)


Speaking of Warcraft III, you realize that a third game, LoD DotA, does allow that sort of thing. It's is still alive and kicking even though DotA II has been available for years, and is in competitive play. It's pretty much the only spin-off to achieve that. Usually a new version and the migration of the e-sports scene spells the death of any game.

You are aware that Baldur's Gate is just a DnD intellectual property port to video gaming. In 3.5e you can multiclass, but then you only get the earliest abilities from the chasis. So by DnD's method, if Balder's Gate had a more linear abilities progression, maybe you'd never get Repulsion on your fighter without losing out on Fighter abilities (which you'd otherwise want). It's just not true customization.

Now you think over to DotA LoD again. You can get any ult from any hero at level 6. They are all available for level 6. They are all assumed to be balanced. No spell is assumed to be better than any other similar-level ability. Of course some combinations will be banned and there are going to be others that work together far better, but it's your job to find those.

What if you could do that for DnD? What if there was one mode that allowed a fighter to take a high level ranger's ability at a given point and only lose one equivalent high level fighter ability? Unfortunately DnD has "dead levels" which are universally agreed to be a terrible idea, much less a balancing point.

So assuming an adaption that had no dead levels (an up-shifted one, like my C8), or even just powering up generic 3e's dead levels, imagine the flexibility of being able to achieve this "LoD" mode. I'm curious if 3e would have lasted even longer the way LoD DotA has. Maybe that's something to hope for in 5e. I suspect that 5e's creators simply haven't played enough other games to learn this lesson, but we managed it in only three and a half ;)




Q: How did you come up with this?
A: I originally thought this was how multiclassing worked. Just the idea of it blew my mind. Then I realized 3e was still holding a "middle ground" between full customization and old school multiclassing: "you gain all the rogue levels if you take the xp hit for the rogue progression." It probably helped me see DotA LoD mode even before Formless in the DotA AI maps. Seriously, I had backstab + morph + omnistrike mapped out and everything.

Q: Does 3e even need this?
A: To be taken to its limits, yes it does. I think full customization haunted the creator's nightmares along with wizards in full armor. You'll notice that mundanes are significantly boosted while casters don't gain anything. If 3e started out this way, I don't think it would have been labeled 'caster edition' quite so quickly.

Q: My DM won't allow this! He can't handle my fighter being so uber!
A: It's weaker than gestalting. And I've determined that to be equivalent to at most worth 4 free LA. If your DM can't spare you 3LA, then he's basically can't DM for 3 levels higher. He might not be the most capable DM, in this case.

Q: Is this really the limit of gaming? What about homebrew for 3e?
A: For games that have build paths? Yes. Homebrew is like an entire world editor, rather than a high-powered mode for the same game. In a level editor, your mods basically become different games unless they are done very, very tastefully. Remember, that I've already released my homebrew and it is basically just an enumerated 3e game that uses the dirty trick handbook fixes along with about a hundred and fifty little, specific tweaks (most of which are just caster nerfs).

Q: How game I take a game even further?
A: You just apply the same principal: add customization features to the mechanics. The main decisions in a game is the build, but some have races or items, etc. See my racial Calculating & Comparing Racial ECL for how to say "Fine you can build any custom race using these given entries." You can do the same thing for spells, or whatever. Usually these things are more add-hoc and therefore harder to find swappable equivalency. Even something simple and cut and dry like melee weapon stats (which I've done) requires lots of analysis, but knock yourself out.

9
Game Design / Mind Blown: Removing Classes from 3e via Point Buy
« on: June 25, 2017, 03:05:22 PM »
http://www.easydamus.com/Custom_Characters.pdf
(click to show/hide)

Are you sad that the 3rd edition writers don't allow your character concept to have Slippery Mind and Greater Flurry of blows on the same character in core, pre-epic just because they were narrow-minded? Free yourself of their limitations with a point-buy system that enforces balance on millions of permutations.

Yesterday I came across this guy who had stripped the rigid and inflexible containers of classes from D&D back in 2010-2011. The complications for 3.5 melted away and the elegance shown through. It simultaneously simplifies and empowers players and DMs alike. It can even fully recreate standard 3e play if need be.

I know understand his system fully. Here's the most important part from the 2010 version's 4th page:
Quote
Trait             Cost (XP)       Maximum Value
Base Attack Bonus          300 for +1       +1
Base Save Bonus          100 per +1       +2
Base Hit Points          25 per HP       12 HP
Skill Rank             25 per       Rank 4 Ranks per Skill
Base Feat             100    per      Up to normal for Character level
Armor and Weapon Proficiency    Feats 100 per Feat    --
Bard Spellcasting       150         Up to Character level
Cleric Spellcasting        300      Up to Character level
Druid Spellcasting        200      Up to Character level
Psion Manifesting           500      Up to Character level
Sorcerer Spellcasting        500      Up to Character level
Wizard Spellcasting        500      Up to Character level
Special Ability        100 per Ability      Up to Character level
Class Level              25 per      Up to Character level
Ability Score           150 per +1    Racial Max
Who has questions?

10
PBMC's Park / 9th level spells you'd miss if they were banned
« on: June 15, 2017, 02:35:25 PM »
Image you are the DM and you have a Cleric, Wizard, Druid, and Psion party turning level 15. They've been good little optimizers and haven't lost any caster levels.

And they haven't broken your campaign with their 7th level spells, but now that they are about to get 8th level ones, you figure you'd better look over the 8th and 9th level spells. After all, you like to stay ahead of the curve. If you need to ban anything, now is the time.

You feel reasonably confident that if you could handle 7th level spells, you can handle 8th level ones. But the more you look at 9th level ones, the more you're not sure you can handle any of them. Atleast, not any that your players would bother using. The Psion laughs at Dominate Monster being a 9th level spell, considering he's had it as basically a 5th level spell.

What 9th level spells would you think are balanced? A balanced spell is A) not too weak to ignore / never use but B) not so strong as to break your campaign. Shapechange, for example, you find just too much.

List of 9th level spells & source
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PBMC's Park / PMBC Park Discussion Thread
« on: June 15, 2017, 02:26:06 PM »
Have something to say about any of the threads herein? Post it here! Although I will probably know what your talking about others may not, so quotes are encouraged.

12
PBMC's Park / Arcane Dilettante Maths
« on: June 15, 2017, 02:12:30 PM »
The below is the brute-force explanation as to why the Arcane Dilettante A) doesn't work give unusually high CL as thought before and B) why it should be allowed in play because its waaaaaaaaaaay more work than a Halruaan Elder 1 dip.

Round 1 was on BG
Round 2 was on MMB
This is round 3, saved from an edit 5 years later

13
PBMC's Park / Final Fantasy Color Mage Homebrew
« on: June 15, 2017, 02:03:43 PM »
The background
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
This class and campaign assumes the usual well-optimized, “overpowering difficulty” level, tier 2-3 campaign with a 4-9 member party and heavy teamwork.

I posted a version of this build once in a heavily derailed thread of mine. The idea was using limited homebrew abilities to atleast be able to confront a near fully optimized caster. It didn't see much light of day so here goes.   
Now, I know what you are thinking. “That's stupid! Casters are just going to rock your face if you try! No one can make a Tier 1 melee class without utterly breaking the game. You're just going to go TO...”   
What I present is a minimally original class that I'd say could keep most any non-TO caster in its place. The ironic thing is that like any other melee, it would still die to an optimized charger.   
So even if its not balanced, it at least feels like rock paper scissors to me.   
Yes that's right. It doesn't get fly. It uses heavy armor. It is most optimal as a sword and board type character. You see where I'm headed with this? No? Not yet? Here we go:

This class started by taking a tier 5's spellcasting class and choosing one spell per level to cast. The SLA progression soon looked closer to a warlock's ... but with no at wills and no changing choices.
Its primary duty is usually healing which eventually shifts into tanking.... without Damage Reduction... or Spell Resistance. Really.
Suggested base class abilities include the Monk and the Paladin. Once the SLAs were not set, a whole truck load of restrictions fell on it.
The skeleton was originally based around the barbarian class. So it has no dead levels but the abilities build off each other and synergize like a good class should.
The first six levels when people would normally consider PrC'ing out are its weakest. Only by staying in until after wizards have their highest level spells will this class shine. Yes I'm aware it probably wouldn't last its 17th, 18th, or 19th level.

Sound bad? Just trust me on this. There are several things that make this class unique. He's the list:   
Lots of HP. Without that... you look like a squishy caster. It's a must but it will still takes a lot of effort. :(
Knowledge is power. If you put enough levels in, this guy makes void disciples look like a kindergardener. Before whining about balance remember that it is nearly blind to non-casters.
One man party. Though the class is obviously geared towards a party role, it is not dependent on casters to make all its shiny bling can have its own buffs.
Truly counters what makes casters powerful – spells. Otherwise he is just one bag of muscles short of a horrible death via instantaneous conjuration orbs and yet another laughing caster.
In short, if you want to kill them, you either need to gank (you can't expect this thing to win an unfair fight of dozens of full casters) or kick his ass the hard way: with a weapon since he has no delay death silliness or ghostform and mystic shield or ... you get the point.   
I am also aware that CL shenanigans with PrCs or Thrallherd leadership pyramids or Tainted scholars, etc can create casters with enough numbers (usually spell slots) to hold him down, then find him and do whatever for the lulz. Sorry if I disappoint but I'm not going into TO territory.

The 'brew:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
     
Description: Antimages are their namesake. Set in their ways to the point of irrationality, blatantly disregarding the power that is magic all around them. They come in all manners only sharing the desire to thwart those that learn, over-use, and abuse magic. Other innate users including antimages and warlocks, or those who only dabble, however, are not immediate danger from an Antimage's zeal.
Alignment:   Any (see below)
Hit Dice:   d10
Starting Gold:   5d4x10 gp.
Class Skills:   As Monk but you lose Balance, Diplomacy, Escape Artist, Jump, Knowledge (Arcana), Knowledge (religion), Perform, Sense Motive, and Swim in order to gain Handle Animal
Skill Points:   2+int
Base Attack Bonus: Poor (and possibly full, see below)
Base Saves:      Good Reflex & Will, Poor Fort (possibly good, see below) at standard rates (with possible maximums, see below)
Class Features:   Code of Conduct, illiteracy, Leveling, Alignment & Ethos Progressions
Weapons and Armor Proficiency: Antimages are proficient with unarmed strikes, any single chosen martial weapon, shields, and armor.         
         
Illiteracy: Antimages do not automatically know how to read and write. An Antimage may spend 2 skill points to gain the ability to read and write all languages he is able to speak.         
         
Code of Conduct: If you ever willingly break any part of the following restrictions you lose all class abilities until atoned. Each code of conduct is cumulative based on your alignment.
         
(Red)   Chaotic Antimages may not cast or manifest any spells, powers, SLAs, or PLA on any allies that can cast or manifest spells, powers, or at will SLAs of higher than 2nd level.
   
(Grey)   Neutral Alignment Antimages must abide by mutliclass XP penalties for the classes chosen by this type of antimage. Favored classes still apply to the classes chosen for this antimage ability.
   
(Purple)   Neutral Ethos Antimages may not voluntarily forgo any saves against magic other than your own, even by allied casters.
   
(White)   Good Antimages may not kill any NPC that could be played (without alteration) as a PC. You must do everything in your power to prevent your party members doing this either, although they are aware of this. Such opponents must be captured or contained rather than slain. Monsters (creature which advance with RHD rather than class levels) may be killed even if their stat has class levels as an exception. Ultimately the DM decides (and should tell you) who must be restrained and which beasts may die from your party.
   
(Blue)   Lawful Antimages may not take any offensive actions until all participating enemies have had a chance to act; you may move or heal but are not allowed to attack or force rolls from enemies. The DM ultimately decides what counts as offense, although you may simply ask in order to get the answer.
   
(Black)   Evil Antimages must obey one prerequisite line for each prestige class chosen (even chaotic antimages do not have true spellcasting).

         
An Antimage may not willingly gain class levels in another class or change ethos or alignment without losing all class abilities until atoned. In this case she does not gain a different set of abilities and must be of her original alignment to gain her old ones. Antimages who unwillingly change ethos or alignment do not gain a different set of abilities but do not lose any class abilities, either.     
         
Leveling: Due to the potential complexity of this class (if your DM doesn't already allow this), you may treat the order of things gained and chosen at level-up as flexible. For instance you may chose feats at any point during your current level or in the level-up process, rather than immediately after skill point allocation and before spell gains.     
         
Special Abilities: Unlike a normal tier one class that always gets one progression of features and spells, the Antimage class has six sets of abilities. You gain abilities from the sets below as follows:

Red   Chaotic Antimages gain the SLA/PLA abilities as shown below.     

Grey   Neutral Alignment Antimages gain the Base Class abilities as shown below.

Purple   Neutral Ethos Antimages gain the Anti-Magic abilities as shown below.

White   Good Antimages gain the Pure Homebrew abilities as shown below.

Blue   Lawful Antimages gain the Creature abilities as shown below.

Black   Evil Antimages gain the Prestige Class abilities as shown below.

Chaotic Antimages
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

SLAs and PLAs: If you have casting or mainfesting from another non-class, set list (such as racial SLAs, domains, etc) before gaining higher level abilities, the benefits below apply to your prior casting and manifesting.   
   This means spells or powers you have count as SLAs or PLAs if gaining before learning 2nd level SLA/PLAs. Exceptions to the SLA and PLA rules are noted below.
   Your SLA/PLAs always cost XP (as your DM should enforce on player characters anyway). Your magical and psionic effects are much more basic and less regulated than real casters or manifestors.
   At any point before or after use, each of your SLA or PLA uses can count as spontaneous or prepared. Prepared spells require an hour of quiet as normal. They may count as arcane or divine magic or neither. Infusions must still target an item and PLAs still manifest as psionic.
   Preparing the SLA/PLAs require the same 8 hours of rest as casting or manifesting. If there is a psionic version of one of your known SLAs (the name will match or be followed or preceded by “psionic” or “psychic”), you may manifest it as a PLA instead.
   Similar to a Factotum, you may apply metamagic feats to your SLAs, keeping track of the slot increases as needed which you must pay for out of your other uses' spell levels.
   You may apply metapsionic feats to your PLAs, keeping track of the pp increase to that power as normal.
   You may pay an SLA's metamagic or a PLA's metapsionic costs in advance and apply it spontaneously, which does not manifesting time but does increase casting time.
   To determine other effects or interatctions, you should interpret your 'uses' as 'slots' where appropriate. Your primary casting/manifesting stat associated with these new abilities is charisma.
   The minimum charisma needed to cast or manifest is 10 + level. DCs are 10 + cha + spell or power level
   
At level 1, an antimage chooses the 20 SLA/PLAs she will learn one at a time, each level, as given by the chart below.   
Lists between different antimages are often vastly different, but once each list is chosen, it may not be changed, reformatted, or retrained.   
You may choose these SLA/PLAs at the level they appear on any casting/manifesting list subject to the restrictions below.   
You may use an entry in this main list a number of times per day equal to the lesser of your class level or 9 minus the SLA/PLA's level.   
All lower level SLA/PLAs must come before any SLA/PLAs of a higher level.   
The sum of an antimage's regular SLA/PLA progression's spell slot levels must be under 90   
A Chaotic ethos antimage has a SLA/PLA progression as follows:   
   At least 2 1st level spells/powers
   At least 2 2nd level spells/powers
   At least 2 3rd level spells/powers
   At least 2 4th level spells/powers
   At least 2 5th level spells/powers
   At least 2 6th level spells/powers
   At Most 2 7th level spells/powers
   At Most 2 8th level spells/powers
If you permanently have domains, they grant SLAs/PLAs (explained above) called Domain List A and B instead of their normal spell list.   
Unlike normal domain slots an antimage's domains may not mix and match spells between lists; once chosen, your Domain List A and Domain List B cannot be changed, reformatted or retrained.   
You may choose these SLA/PLAs at the level they appear on any casting/manifesting list subject to the restrictions below. You may not chose [chaotic] subtype domain spells.   
You may use each spell in that day's list once a day.   
The increased uses comes at a loss of flexibility as you must alternate lists each day rather than picking and choosing spells per level as normal with domain slots.   
The sum of an antimage's domain SLA/PLA progression's spell slot levels must be under 75   
A Chaotic neutral antimage's domain SLA/PLA progression is as follows:   
   At least 2 1st level spells/powers
   At least 2 2nd level spells/powers
   At least 2 3rd level spells/powers
   At least 2 4th level spells/powers
   At least 2 5th level spells/powers
   At most 1 6th level spells/powers
   At most 1 7th level spells/powers
   At most 1 8th level spells/power
An antimage gains no 0th level spells.   
The main list's maximum total spell/power levels (level of spell/power * number of uses, summed) must be less than 90.   

Each domain spell list must have a maximum total spell/power levels of no more than 75.   
You may chose any 1st to 8th chose spell or power from any list (including unique lists such as artificer) within the following limits:   
   No spells/powers that allow you to become, make, or join another form, being, or body, including incorporeality
   No spells/powers that give complete immunity to a single or all melee or ranged attacks, even if its only from a specific material
   No spells/powers that allow you to automatically percieve casting or dispel other forms of magic. That's for neutral ethos antimages.
   No spells/powers that force movement or create barriers restricting it. This is loosely referred to as battlefield control
   No spells/powers that control, create, summon, or call other creatures. Antimages do their own fighting.
   No spells/powers that generally rewrite normal mundane combat such as percentile retributive damage or becoming immune to attacks of opportunity or death by hp loss.
   No spells/powers that gives free lives (“1up”s) or consumes/borrows another's lifeforce/stats to add to your own even temporarily.
   No spells/powers that directly allow the emulated casting of other spells such as Anyspell. An antimage only knows one spell every level up for her regular list and domain A and B if she has them.
   No spells/powers that create weapons that emulate weapon attacks or manipulate items for you. Antimages do their own fighting.
   No spells/powers that give the benefit of epic skill checks or (if its a spell) otherwise allow uncapped CL benefits
   No spells/powers whose hefty drawback can cripple enemies if it somehow effects them but are meant for the caster. These are usually called 'anti-buffs' (which is separate from debuffs).
   No spells/powers that give magic immunity, even if it is just for a certain level of spell. That is for neutral ethos antimages.
   No spells/powers that have the [Good] or [Evil] or [Lawful] subtypes. An antimage with SLAs is primarily chaotic, after all.
Abilities that would expand the above spell selection do not function unless they have their own uses.

Neutral Alignment Antimages:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Base Class Abilities: At each level, you may pick any base class regardless of alignment restrictions. You gain the abilities of that level as if you were a member of that class at that level.

If a chosen base class has a chart progression or ability that adds onto itself (such as a rogue's sneak attack), you only gain the increment for that level. For instance a third level antimage selecting his first rogue level would only gain +1d6 sneak attack rather than the +2d6 sneak attack total shown at that level, because half of that came from level 1. An antimage who selected both Rogue 1 and Rogue 3 would gain (Su) (see below) +2d6 sneak attack.

If an ability both progresses more uses, and can do more things with those uses at higher level, you the additional benefits only up to the highest level of the selected base class. For instance the above example would sneak attack as a third level rogue, rather than a 2nd level one for the purposes of uncanny dodge, even after becoming a fourth level antimage.

Any previous negative abilities of the chosen class are gained, such as a barbarian's illiteracy or a psion's discipline focus. It the negative ability has a positive side (such as a wizard's banned schools) you do not gain it.

You either gain the (Ex) class abilities of the level decided upon as (Su) at that level or you gain the abilities unaltered, but one level behind normal. You always gain the above mentioned negative abilities of any previous levels in a chosen class.

You never gain spells/powers known, spell/power lists or spell slots/pp for that class (see above for domain spells).

You may not gain abilities that emulate other spells or powers, although other chart-based power sources are fine on the margin.

You don't gain proficiencies or higher BAB, HD, saves, or skill point progressions for the chosen class rather or in addition to than your antimage levels.

Neutral Ethos Antimages:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

First the ability progression in order from 1-20:
(Su) Not the Brightest Bulb
(Su) Slower is Faster
(Su) From Tick to Dragon
(Su) Minimized Magic
(Su) Flexible Retraining
(Su) Practice Makes Perfect
(Ex) Mana Burn
(Su) Greater Spellcaster's Bane
(Su) Shields as they should be
(Su) Resist Time
(Su) Armor as it should be
(Ex) Magical Antithesis
(Su) Dismiss Magic
(Su) Magical Affiliation Negation
(Su) Above Magic
(Su) Magically Inconsiderable
(Su) Sacrificial Healing Pool
(Su) One with the Void
(Su) Deny Magic
(Su) Magic Conquered

Then the descriptions:
Only through pain can you hone your abilities. For each full 2.5% below full HP your current total is, you may use one of the following abilities. You may chose which abilities you may use if your high is too high to benefit from all your abilities.   
   
At 1st level you count any mental score as having a modifier of three if it is actually lower than that. This applies to skill points, even for first level.   
   
At 2nd level once an encounter as a free action after your turn, you may set your initiative to the initiative of the enemy caster/manifester/etc with the highest initiative minus your initiative modifier.   
   If your initiative modifier is less than zero, then your new initiative will be higher than the caster with the highest initiative.

At 3rd level any time you gain a size change, you may retain any differences from your old size favorable to you. For instance after growing from medium to large, you could squeeze as if you were a medium creature.
   If you have the powerful trait and are Colossal, you may treat Colossal+ as a full size category, giving you the expected Changes to Statistics by Size.
   
At 4th level magical effects are minimized whenever effecting you, as if any associated dice rolls yielded the smallest number. You may choose to forgo this ability purposely as a free action.
   
At 5th level chose a mental stat and a physical stat. Any abilities that to use that mental stat instead use a new physical stat instead.   
   
At 6th level Chose up to five skills you can use. You may use a single physical stat instead of their normally associated stat.   
   
At 7th level all physical attacks remove one slot (as if cast) of each level (81pp for manifestors with 9th level powers) and deals an extra 10 damage per hit.   
   Only the latter effect allows SR and DC equal to what the DC would have been for the highest spell slot lost if they attackee had cast it on herself.
   
At 8th level so long as you maintain full ranks in spellcraft and psicraft, you realize when any spell, power, or similar ability source (including abilities that emulate such effects) within line of sight and line of effect takes effect or is prepared as if you had succeeded on a spellcraft or psicraft check. You become aware of any creatures that activate your Battlemagic Perception. This is not a divination effect and requires only the check. If there are a high number of these at one one time, this ability does not afford you special cognitive functions to combat the assault on your memory. It is far too much for any one ping to be written (which would take a full round action per entry due to the stress) without losing access to further awareness during the rounds spent recording. You can only keep track of the last minute's worth of this awareness, without stopping the ability and forgetting any and every entry you attempted to remember regardless of mental scores or memorization.
   
At 9th level if you are using a tower shield and have continuously worn it for the last 24 hours, you may use and gain the benefits of any spikes on the shield. You may apply shield spikes to an existing tower shield for 25gp.
   If you are size Huge or larger, you may attach to your forearm any shield type, even if said shield is not a buckler. Unlike normal even for a buckler, attaching a shield to your forearm now gives no penalty to hit.
   If you are not using an animated shield, you may grant all allies within 100' shield proficiency and a shield bonus equal to any you are equipped to have.
   
At 10th level, you resist any changes in the time stream of any combats you are involved in. For instance, if any enemy wizard cast time stop, you would be brought into the accelerated time frame to take actions.   
   
At 11th level chose one skill to which your armor will not apply its ACP. Furthermore you gain extra armor abilities under certain conditions:   
   If you have not removed your armor for the last 24 hours, it counts as being apart of you for magical effects. For example, an enemy would not be able to use armor-damaging abilities on your worn armor.
   As long as you are in Heavy armor you are treated as if using the Total Defense Option. Unlike normal for this option, you gain no to hit penalties from it.
   As long as you are not helpless or immobilized, you may count its AC and your shield AC for the purpose of avoiding damage to your worn or carried items.
   As long as you are in Heavy armor, wearing your physical armor provides an unnamed bonus to AC rather than an armor bonus.
   
At 12th level all Su, or item abilities for you and your bonded pets (animal companion, special mount, etc) may become unsupressed, at will, when exposed to Antimagics, Null psionics, Dead Magic zones, Wild Magic, Mournelands, etc. You may not alter such abilities as they affect others (discluding your bonded pets). For instance you may use an item on yourself but not an ally that is also in an AMF
   
At 13th level once per encounter as a free action you may dismiss one spell from an enemy as if it were your own so long as your level is less than or equal to the spell you are dismissing.   
   
At 14th level you gain the ability to, once per round as a free action, deactivate any feat related to casting with no save or SR if you are aware of it. The feat is unusable for one minute.   
   You know each feat used for spells currently in effect or currently being cast, but only at the time this ability is used. This is not a divination effect.
   
At 15th level you may add a will save to any interaction with magic or its effects that do not allow a save similar to Divine Denial, except this works for any magic rather than just targeted divine spells.   
   
At 16th level spells such as contingency or other logic-based, magical triggering effects cease to work in relation to you or your actions (Magical answers are given without considering your existence even through self-reference).  You may chose to allow any you are aware of to function if you wish.   
   
At 17th level 1/day you may subtract up to ½ your current hit points to place them in a delayed healing pool. You may as a free action later remove some or all of it to heal yourself or an ally within 100' times your level.   
   Unused healing in your delayed healing pool does not disappear from previous deposits, but the amount of healing may never exceed your usual maximum hit points.
   For example, level drain could cause the amount of healing in the pool to go down but not rise upon removing the negative level and restoring the pool's maximum.
   
At 18th level your Greater BattleMagic Perception ability no longer requires line of sight or line of effect. It works at any range and across planes. You know the identity and locations of creatures or items preparing or using the relevant abilities. This is not a divination effect.   
   
At 19th level you may choose as a free action to negate any spell or replicated spell as it is cast or during its duration that you know from the your Greater BattleMagic Perception or Magically Inconsiderable abilities by taking damage equal to spell's level times the caster's primary casting ability modifier plus the Caster Level. The caster is not aware of the spell or replicated spell's negation until it is used. This damage cannot be redirected, lessened, or negated. If reduced to 0 or less hp by this damage, you are dying and cannot reuse this ability again until healed.
   Creatures that share spells are considered spell-countered when the original caster is thwarted. For example you may stop a 36 Int Wizard with a CL of 20 from casting a 8th level spell by taking 104 damage
   
At 20th level whenever you defeat (via lethal or non-lethal damage) a creature on whom you have used your deny magic ability you may attempt to rend the magic from its body. This is is treated like the caster had failed the willsave after successfully disjunctioning an artifact. This ability has no save. A successful magical rend precludes the ability to ever learn cast spells or manifest powers in the future.
   Your percentage chance to succeed is the sum of all spell levels the creature possesses for both used and unused spells including open spell slots as well as spell emulating abilities with uses per day.
   If you succeed by more than 100%, you may 'store' the remaining % to be added to the next use of this ability only. If it is not used then, it is lost, and the extra cannot be added roll-over to future uses.

Good Alignment Antimage:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

First the Ability names:
(Su) One to a Dozen
(Su) Class Feature Alteration
(Su) Flexible Sources
(Su) Buyoff Break
(Su) Spending Addiction
(Su) Double them HD
(Su) Double dat Race
(Su) HD Bump
(Su) Heightened Defensiveness
(Su) Better with Age
(Su) Hear the Phantoms
(Su) Save Boost
(Su) Stacking SR & DR
(Su) Double the Lines
(Su) Unarmed Blitz
(Su) Base Attack Gain
(Su) Instant Healing
(Su) HD Bump
(Su) Multi-healer
(Su) Support the Team

Then the Ability Descriptions:
At 1st level chose one feat you gained at first level that provides a numeric or variable effect, even if it cannot be gained more than once. You gain this feat a dozen more times as if the feats stacked.   
   If, for example, you took acrobatics as your starting feat then you gain an additional +24 to balance and escape artist.
   
At 2nd level you count as any race for alternate class features or substitution levels of any class so long as you matching ability names at the indicated level. You may even decide to forfeit abilities you do not have yet since you must stay in this class.   
   Any changes you chose permanently change the class chasis, although it does not add class skills. As an exception, the chasis changes even for previous or later levels. Once these decisions are made, they may not be changed.
   
At 3rd level you may chose to have all (Ex) abilities become (Su). Doing so allows the two things. Feats changed by this ability may be gained twice, rather than once. This does not affect the stacking rules.   
   For instance a lawful Antimage selecting a creature's bonus feat would  gain that feat twice. This ability does not allow non-stacking feats to stack.
   Also all (Ex) abilities that become (Su) abilities have their abilities continue to advance with each Antimage level as if additional levels were invested, potentially giving more iterations of the same ability.
   For instance a lawful Antimage selecting a CR10 young adult brass dragon would by level 20 gain 5 higher Frightful Presence DCs or 3 additional rounds of sleep on a failed save of its breath weapon.
   
At 4th level your LA buyoff costs are cut by a third (since they happen at levels that are multiples of 3) and are based on 1000*Class Level rather than new ECL. This applies even retroactively to the buyoff of LA+1   

At 5th level you may spend any XP you have access to in any way XP can be spent, even if not normally possible for that source. For instance, you can spend XP you have gained to help an ally level up. The one exception is for spellcasting/manifesting/etc. Antimages wish to limit magic, on average, not expand it.   
XP recovered or spent this way may not be used for casting spells or manifesting powers. Antimages wish to limit magic, on average, not expand it.   
   
At 6th level all past, present, and future HD give double the feats and stat boosts. If a second iteration of the same feat would not stack, this ability does not change that, although you still gain a useless copy of the second feat.   
   
At 7th level all past, present, and future bonii from race and template give double the feats and stat boosts. If a second iteration of the same feat would not stack, this ability does not change that, although you still gain a useless copy of the second feat.   
   
At 8th level all of your HP dice are increased one step to a larger die size.   
   
At 9th level you may, as a free action, make a DC25+HD knowledge check to determine all of an enemy's special attacks aside from spells known or prepared.   
   
At 10th level your body gets stronger with age rather than weaker. Your aging penalties become boni and your mental boni instead also add to your physical stats.   
   
At 11th level you can hear silent or incorporeal enemies as long as you are corporeal.   
   
At 12th level a Neutral ethos Antimage gains a “Good” base saves progression instead of a “Poor” one for each of her HD.   
   Each HD gives a base save bonus as if it were the first hit die, meaning the good saves give a +2.5 (fractionally) saves bonus
   
At 13th level you may stack more than one amount of SR or DR or TR.   
   If your game already allows all sources of SR to stack with itself and all sources of DR to stack with itself, then you SR and DR values add to the same number: the sum of what they would normally be.
   
A 14th level if your bloodline abilities are all taken from existing BL descriptions and have another ability from the same bloodline Description (the affinity BL desc shows up x4, all others show up x2), you gain each effect twice (effectively giving the BL to you again, stacking as if it were a separate source). Feats that do not stack become bonus feats   
   
At 15th level your natural weapons also receive the attack die boosts from your unarmed damage. Precision damage is likewise no longer such and now adds to your attack damage directly.   
   
At 16th level each HD adds a full base attack bonus. If this would cause your BaB to exceed +20 you may gain extra iterations, but it does not qualify you for epic feats that require more than 20 BAB if you would not otherwise qualify.   
   
At 17th level any limited healing effects you bestow may be activated as a free action, which may exceed the number of free actions to which your DM normally limits a PC. This provides no benefit to healing effects which do not run out, such as a Dread Necromancer's Charnel Touch when in range of an undead ally.
   
At 18th level all of your HP dice are increased one step to a larger die size.   
   
At 19th level your fast healing from multiple sources stack. If your DM already allows this (as he should) double your total fast healing rate.   
   
At 20th level you may bestow any or all of the above abilities on any or all creatures that you consider allies and that reside within a mile of a location you have been within the last day.

Lawful Antimage
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Monster Abilities: An antimage of this path choses at each level a non-epic, non-templated, non-unique monster lacking class levels with HD or CR within one of your class level. You must have seen this monster engage in combat.   
   You may then chose a special ability or special quality of the chosen creature. Once chosen, such an entry may not be changed. All chosen abilities or qualities are subject to the restrictions below.
   You may not gain statistics without an ability entry such as size, type, subtypes, HD, speeds, AC (including natural armor), BAB, space, reach, natural weapons, saves, ability scores, skill ranks, non-bonus feats, environment, organization, CR, treasure, alignment, weight, etc. You may chose abilities that effect those values, though.
   No similar abilities emulating class features that would not normally stack. That is for Neutral alignment antimages. Class abilities that would stack such as sneak attack, you may only gain from one creature.
   No abilities that grow or remove HD or stats such as a barghest.
   No abilities that create copies, minions, or spawn, or slaves.
   No abilities that make automatic skill checks such as a silent creature.
   No Spell-like or spellcasting abilities including summoning abilities or abilities matching the name of a spell. Those are for chaotic alignment Anti Mages. For example a blink dog's Dimension Door
   No appendage-growing abilities or abilities that depend on parts your base race does not have (eye rays, etc).
   No abilities that allow you to make more of yourself or turn yourself into something else (pudding, phasm, etc).
   No continuous or infinitely every round action-gaining abilities (Choker, etc). This includes abilities that give extra rounds. Limited use ones are fine (cheetah, etc).
   No type or subtype traits such as undead traits or swarm traits. This includes specified immunities that are normal for a creature type or subtype such as a lich with mind-affecting immunity or an archon's electricity immunity.
   No Spell Immunity. For example, as a golem.
   No abilities that absorb effects, often damaging effects. These are more powerful than immunities.
   You may only select two immunities, even if you chose a creature that has more. For instance a unicorn would give immunity to charms and compulsions, but you could not gain any more immunities.
   No abilities that would heal upon, change a damage type, or block or divide a type of damage such as spells or magic, acid, dexterity, nonlethal, negative, etc, (ie shambling or bone devil).
   Regeneration or similar abilities must be bypassed by a type of damage that can deal lethal damage to you. If you become immune to the type of damage that bypasses your regeneration, you lose your regeneration.
   You may only have one Regeneration, Fast healing, Spell Resistance and Damage Reduction ability. These cease to work when lethal or nonlethal damage would reach your HP value. This means you must track these values even if you are immune to either: you do not become immune to damage.
   No abilities that interfere with your death or others, ie. Ghost or bhargest
   Knowledge checks that reveal something related to a chosen ability of a chosen creature also apply to you. Effects that specify the creature also work on you: for instance if you chose a tiger for one your abilities, a spell that targets only tigers would successfully target you

Evil Antimages:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)

Prestige Class Abilities:
   At each level, you may pick any non-epic prestige class. Once chosen, you must chose any two levels of that class, no more and no less. You must finish each prestige class before starting the next (but see below). You may not start a new prestige class at Antimage level 20. You gain the abilities of those levels as if you were a member of that class, subject to the restrictions below. Unless also chosen, you do not gain previous abilities from lower levels of that class.
   You must order the prestige classes by the sum of the levels's numbers, from lowest to highest with priority given to the first level of a chosen prestige class, to select your prestige classes and levels in that order. For instance, an antimage who has already taken the first and tenth levels (1+10=11) of Arcane Archer may not then take the second and fourth levels (2+4=6) of duelest because 11, 6 is not arranged lowest to highest.
   If you would gain an ability that is functionally identical to an ability of a base class, you do not gain that prestige class's level's abilities. Those are for Neutral ethos antimages. Instead chose a new prestige class to start, which is still subject to the this retry condition. You must finish any interrupting prestige classes first, before finishing the interrupted prestige class.
   You do not gain casting capabilities or casting advancement of any chosen prestige classes. A chaotic antimage who picks a prestige class that would normally advance or grant casting/manifesting, instead gains a (Su) bonus metamagic/metapsionic feat. You may not gain abilities that emulate other spells or powers, although other chart-based power sources are fine on the margin.
   You don't gain proficiencies or higher BAB, HD, saves, or skill point progressions for the chosen class rather or in addition to than your antimage levels
Clearly NG is the most "traditional" path and I'm open to ideas on the dead/unnamed ability levels. Please post what you can do with this class. Is it as powerful as a wizard? As hard to CO? As flexible? Does it feel too much like a warlock with items or too much like a StP Erudite with every trick in the book? Demonstrate below vis a vis another Tier 1 class!

14
PBMC's Park / Speedrunner Tactics in D&D
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:58:51 PM »
I'll start with a small chart with a number for each category (feel free to format this for me, and I'll update):
  Speedrunners  D&D Players or DMs
1   Yes                  Yes, both
2   Yes                  Not players, but DMs may
3   Yes                  Yes to players, but not DMs
4   No                   Not players, but DMs may
5   No                   Yes to players, but not DMs
6   No. Casuals!    No

1 Techniques Runners and D&D also uses:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A) Optimal Movement / Fast Travel. In Video games its morphing, explosions, strafing, sliding, etc. In D&D it's anything from "Okay, you walk there" or wildshape, teleport, planeshift, etc.
vs.
B) Route Planning. It's pretty much "let's figure out a close to optimal path and then follow that" in both kinds of games. More advanced games have "pathing" to help do the computation work for you, similar to Find The Path.
C) Imposed Time Limits. In video games it is usually nice enough to give you a timer on the UI. In D&D it should be ever-present to avoid "I know we are supposed to save the kidnapped princess, but I want to sleep in rope trick for the night to replenish spells. I blindly ignore the NPC warnings that the princess will be killed when the king pays the ransom by midnight."
D) Genre Saviness. "Gee, I want to manifest true sight on that maiden we just saved. Oh look, she's a succubus. Who would have known..."

2 Acceptable for Speedrunners & DMs in D&D, but more and more frowned upon when done by players
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A) Metagame Information. "I've played this before so I know the password is ..." D&D players can attempt divinations, but should expect them to fail.
B) Save Scumming. "Oh, that was a mistake. Nevermind, I don't do that. Instead I ..." It is okay for DMs to realize a mistake and ret-con something. Players are barely allowed this beyond the immediate.
C) RNG manipulation. Video Games use Number Generators based off timestamps to generate "Random" numbers. These can be manipulated to an extent in real play and quite massively in the more TO-like Tool-Assisted Speedruns. DMs might cheat with rolls but players are expected not to: "All monsters roll non-natural 20" vs "I roll in a certain way to get a 20"
D) Purposely Losing / Take Enemy Damage. Videogames take damage for temporary speed boosts based off the collision detection or sometimes even fail missions because its the fastest acceptable option. DMs often let parties win more easily than they should but players tend not to throw the game because they are playing with friends.
E) Memory Corruption. I know the game world is supposed to work that way, but it doesn't right now.

3 Things Speedruns consider acceptable and D&D Players do, but DMs don't use
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A) Out of Bounds / no clipping glitch. Video games often forget to draw what happens outside of pathable areas and allow unhindered movement there. In D&D it's "I'll borrow down to the end of the dungeon." If all alerted monsters did this, the players wouldn't be too happy...
B) Contingency Bypass. "I'll skip this boss counter attack by x, or pause to skip this cut scene, etc" In D&D isn't there an ability that makes you immune to contingent spell or other interruption effects? If so players would find it fishy if a DM used it to counter Island in Time or whatever.
C) Throw money at your problems. "I'll just buy/duplicate the most powerful items and abuse them..." which although D&D marks Mirrors of Opposition item duplication as RAW abuse, the boards does assume crafting is allowed so you can basically make anything you can afford (hopefully mundanes have access to a ye old Magic Mart to balance this). DMs are expected to not liquidate the dragon hoard with dragon-only magic items, however.
D) 1 shot abilities In videogames it sounds like "And from now on, I spam imminuty-piercing insta-death." In D&D several SoD become this way if your DM allows KoK books (now that their license is gone).

4 Things Speedrunners and D&D Players don't do but DMs may
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A) Rule Fixes In D&D it's the DM saying "No, you can't use a thought bottle after using CL boosters to manifest alter reality via default transparency in order to Haunt Shift a fusioned Ice Assassin after a Bestow Power recharge setup. I don't care that I'm allowing each book that you're using for those entries. In speed running it would be like ROM Hacking in order to make the game harder by fixing bugs rather than by making new, far harder content.

5 Things Speedrunners and DMs don't expect, but that D&D Players often do:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A) Creative Problem Solving Video games are limited philosophically because computers games are blindly following huge instruction sets. DMs shouldn't expect players to come up with a solution to a problem that the DM doesn't even know how to fix. See the 'rule of 3' on this. For players, it starts with something like "Okay, I'm going to need prestidigitation, a bag of holding, this illusion spell, and ..."
B) Plot Inversion. Although sandbox games do a better job of accounting for this, it's hard to find a 100% unchained version of this (and still beat the game). For D&D players, it's "I'm not going to beat this boss, I'm going to join him!" If a DM required joining the bad guys in order to win, players would rightfully object.

6 Things neither Speedrunners do, nor D&D players. DMs should not require these, either.
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
A) Infinite farm. Speedrunners don't have time to max out their gold the hard way. If they need to buy something, they'll do it as soon as possible. Even 100% runs don't max out gold. For D&D Players it would be various WBL abuses like selling salt or breaking ladders into poles. For DMs allowing this, it would look like "You just used a potion so now WBL reset soon, making the one you just drank free. You can do this infinitely." However, casual players mind take a few hours "grinding" just for fun.

15
PBMC's Park / Free, RAW Campaign Benefit Finder
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:55:33 PM »
Since no one else was able find a third example of a RAW campaign benefit (without cost), I finally did: Dungeon Magazine 153's 6th page of Touch of Madness has an artifact called Tears of Ioun that with exposure (but not ownership) gives the Aberrant Blood feat to humanoids. The real question became how to find it. This brings me to:

The Finder



One explosion later that commoner level transforms in only a path to become the world's best detective ... if you need to find things.

The Build:
StP Erudite 20 or a 999 build, etc in non-fixed 3e
or in fixed 3e: Human Psion 5 / Chameleon 5 / Cerebremancer 5 / Psychic Theurge 5 a 13th level psion with 7 levels of chameleon which lands ML20 with a major BL.

Either Psychic Reformat (you are a psion, after all) yourself to go from a Shaper to a Seer after your last Chameleon level (you'll have the levels to support the prereqs with the cross-rank skill cap and thanks to able learner it does not cost any extra skill points) or retrain. You can also be an Apprentice(Criminal) [DMG2p177] with the Skil knowledge [UA81] feat at 3 for Bluff & Disguise but it isn't as elegant. EDIT: See the Magical Training + sanctum spell + southern Magician / alternate source spell feats below. These could eat up your flaws and 6th level feat, but your 9th-18th level feats are still open.

The Trick:
Finding important things or powerful people has always been tricky in D&D. Its balance is of concern to every murder mystery or behind the scenes, powerful wizard story in a multitude of campaigns. The go to sources for core attempt to locate a creature or locate an object are woefully underpowered, purposely. Anyone with mind blank, form-changing, mislead, or nondetection laugh at these spells even if you happen to be within 2000' of a fully buffed circle mage who has cast these spells to find you. The same goes for objects (nondetection or PAO only). There are additional restrictions of needing to know exactly what you are after, especially when Vecna blooded is in play. Most players looking for something don't know a target's exact nature. They certainly won't have it less than a half mile away.

The solution (for important things) is time. Characters under level 11 typically don't have access to means to defeat standard divinations and people generally don't want to find nonlegendary items. The Finder doesn't have time to find your favorite spoon. He uses the Legend Lore spell that allows a bard (or high level wizard or even higher level cleric) plus 3 days to almost 3 and a half months (average of 2 months) to "fish" for information based off intercepting legendary information.

Normally Legend Lore has a limit. Specifically it can get you detailed information about what you are looking for. But it can't get you exactly what you want. This is where Hypercognition comes in. It can help you deduce the exact location of what you want. But it needs enough "fuel" to zero in on your target. A nice DM might allow your standard PC to simply hire two separate NPCs to do the castings for you. This bends the rule that most NPCs offering casting services won't accompany the PC. But even more than that it could be very plausible that a standard seer 20, even after being dropped in the correct place and after being told the relevant information from three Legend Lore castings may not have enough experience with the castings to use it as fuel for Hypercognition. Only by having them in the same character is it a likely guarantee. Of course this won't work well with rapidly moving targets, but that opens up other potential information leaks which may result in more normal methods working.

Sample use of "The Trick":
The Finder can be highered to get a PC to the Tear of Ioun so that the PC can benefit from the bonus after exposure. How the PC knows about the effects of the Tear of Ioun is left as an excersize to the reader, but the sample NPCs with the listed bonus feat is RAW.

The finder takes the time to cast Legend Lore three times. The first time, the Finder only knows of the Tear of Ioun as a rumor. It gives the vague and incomplete information that Tear of Ioun isn't what it used to be after being used by the Kaorti. This directs him to more detailed information, allowing a better legend lore result next time. Specficially, Legend Lore reveals that the Kaorti using the Tear of Ioun happened long ago, according to legend, near the small town of Wellspring near the Kadagast Mountains. The last Legend Lore casting could take place in the town of Wellspring (the Finder can teleport/shadow walk, etc). It doesn't take long for the last Legend Lore casting to point to a deserted tower in the Kadagast Mountains past the Harrow Wood.

Upon an instant visit to this location, Hypercognition can deduce the location of the stole Tear of Ioun by illithid agents of an illithid named Shathrax residing in a fortress under Wellspring. Now standard methods (stone tell/location item/locate creature/etc) can be used to directly locate the Tear of Ioun after returning to Wellspring. Upon doing so, the Finder will have earned his pay of time+spells.

Why This Build?:
Could a lot of other builds do this? Yes. Could RAW cheese my like triple 9 build do this? Yes. But this build is elegant and does the trick even when using the balanced spellcasting progression (with no 9th level spells or powers): Specifically all 6th level spells and powers plus any 7th or 8th level powers you want to learn via an 8th level, power-swapping only version of psychic chirurgery. For those who haven't read over the last year this basic part of my 3e fixes, here is how to equalize spell progressions for all classes: a maximum of 0th spells are gained at level 1, 1st level spells at level 2, 2nd at level 4, 3rd at 6, 4th@8, 5th@10, 6th@13, 7th@16, & 8th@20. For psionics you can already manifest anything of your ML (still have the PP of a psion 15) and with a major BL and Practiced Manifestor your ML=15+3+4 without Overchannel. Those could be your 2 [psionic] feats if you have nothing better to do.

Shout Out:
Michael Clarke Duncan (in the picture) died three months after the show. It was his last time on-screen.

16
PBMC's Park / [FINISHED] Negative XP Penalties
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:50:57 PM »
It's well known that a character can reach 100% XP penalties due to how poorly tested the multiclass rules are. Going Non-Favored Class A 2 / Non Favored Class B 1 / Non Favored Class C 1 / Non Favored Class D 1 / Non Favored Class E 1 / Non Favored Class F 1 and then going Non-favored Class A 3 suddenly means all XP received goes to 0.

Since penalties all stack this would also nullify any XP losses. Which oddly, isn't abusable since the XP nullification happens "from the moment the character adds a class" that puts you into the penalty. So even if you would have extra XP left over, it goes to zero. That means no XP available to spend (for free) on magic items. Since level drain also sets the level first before messing with XP, the temporary XP nullification is not helpful (since the XP change happens after the lost level).

If the above example took a 6th dip before gaining 3rd level in the highest level class, the XP penalty would be negative. The XP gain to get you there would have to exactly put you at 0 hp over the amount needed or it would create a yo-yo effect of instantly de-leveling because the gained XP would become negative XP. Presumably this was a built-in fix. If a a PC managed this situation, would you allow XP losses to become gains? There are very few ways to spend XP when you have 0 more than you needed for your last class level....

"Your multiclass character suffers a -20% penalty to xp for each class that is not within on level of his or her highest-level class."

An XP penalty is an is a penalty to xp change. Things that change XP use the XP penalty because ... its your XP penalty value. The examples mention XP awards which state no source or other restrictions. I see no reason to think other awards would get off scott free. If they did, the XP penalty would be toothless for a character who stayed at a set ECL and spent XP on other things. That would be an even great dysfunction to me.

XP costs are just negative awards. Basic math is preserved in D&D, aside from the (x2)*(x2)= x3 stuff.

Captnq is correct that the RAI is probably only concerning XP increases. He writes:
"For example, killing a monster grants you 200 xp in situation X.
However, in some games, killing a NPC is a XP penalty of say -200 xp. (why did you kill all the kobold children?)

In THAT case, and that case alone would your theoretical -20% penalty net you a whopping 40 xp."




tl;dr RAI the xp -% is for XP gains only (all costs aren't gains so voila). RAW its not specific and the text only mentions the -% affecting classes but this is rule-lawyery (if you have a -% that goes below zero, you would gain xp but only for xp changes relating to classes, ie DM negative xp awards or bloodlines).

It ALSO requires very specific dipping and build orders to not lose xp (the whole point of the build). Let's put it in the "I'll allow it only if you're a noncaster that I already have pity on" category.

17
PBMC's Park / Niche Rating For Classes
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:48:41 PM »
Niche Rating For Classes
Or, what PCs actually do in D&D

Disclamers: 1)This is way more specific than tiers. 2) This is blatantly stolen from Person_Man from GitP. Hes a good guy; I just specifically wanted this communitys input. He and Curmudgeon are really the only two useful minmaxers left over there anyway. Given time they be banned like everyone else, of course.

Rubric: (lower scores are better)
 (click to show/hide)
1 - The best for the role at most all times and circumstances. Druids have some of the best summons at the drop of a hat. Immunities and normal defenses dont matter.

2 - High efficiency for most cases or acceptable under all circumstances. Psions with minor creation have many things easy at their disposal for a fairly long time. It doesnt cover everything, but its still very good.

3 - Normal efficiency occasionally. Mass staredown samurai are nice but completely ineffective against something with mind-affect immunity. Class skills often matter here, so monks would reach this level for perceptiveness but a fighter would not.

4 - Low efficiency most of the time or rarely very useful. Most very suboptimal focused builds, like spring attack fighters can be this or a Sorcerer with all useful but obscure utility spells known.

5 - Useless most of the time but low efficiency occasionally. For example a recaster trying to keep mundanes alive via healing spells.

6 - No contest. A sorcerer with a Charisma of 1.

Categories:
 (click to show/hide)
1) Melee Damage: Deal meaningful damage to enemies in reach. Hurting close things is the bread and butter of DnD.

2) Ranged Damage: Deal meaningful damage to enemies within range. What if things you need to hurt arent close?

3) Mobility: Can quickly meet or retreat from enemies. Circumventing barriers and battlefield control. What if you cant get there quickly?

4) Meat Shield: Can stand in the front line of combat with a reasonable chance of not getting killed. What if you cant tank long enough?

5) Scout: Locates enemies, threats, and other useful things while remaining hidden. What if you arent fighting creatures?

6) Trapfinder: Detect and disarm or knowingly bypass traps. What if you cant detect the trap?

7) Buffer: Increase the abilities of allies. What if the buffs arent enough?

8) Healer: Can restore hit points and remove harmful status effects for allies around encounters. What if its too much to heal?

9) Battlefield Control: Prevent enemies from taking their normal actions and/or movement. What if you cant stop the encounter from continuing?

10) Utility: Rarely used but helpful in some meaningful way. (Examples: Forgery, Tongues, Slow Fall, etc). What if specialized interaction isnt enough?

11) Intel: Knows or can find useful information. What if you know all you can know?

12) Party Face: Interacts with NPCs in a way that gets desirable results. What if the NPCs wont cooperate?

13) Dominator: Take functional command of enemies. What if you cant control you antagonists?

14) Debuffer: Reduce the abilities of enemies, usually by inflicting status effects. What if you cant drag them down enough?

15) Thief: Can take things from an enemy and enemy locations without being discovered. What if you need a diversion?

16) Summoner: Can summon allies (or make them) that fills other niches without putting the character directly in harms way. What if all else fails?

17) Game Changing Panic: Can proactively reshape the game (or realty) to suit your goals. (Examples: Wish, Miracle, Gate, Psychic Reformation, anything that completely breaks the action economy, etc). If this fails, your DM isnt letting you reasonably win.




Class   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   Average
Archivist   3   1   1   3   2   2   1   2   2   2   2   3   2   1   2   3   2   1   1.94
Ardent   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   SoD   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Artificer   3   2   2   2   3   1   1   1   2   3   2   1   3   4   2   3   2   2   2.17
Barbarian   1   3   3   2   4   3   5   6   5   4   6   4   5   5   3   6   6   4   4.17
Bard   2   3   2   4   2   3   2   3   3   2   1   2   2   3   3   3   3   3   2.56
Beguiler   3   4   4   4   3   3   2   4   3   4   4   3   2   3   3   3   5   4   3.39
Binder   2   4   3   3   3   4   4   4   3   3   4   3   5   4   4   2   3   3   3.39
Cleric   2   2   1   2   2   3   1   1   2   2   3   3   3   1   2   4   2   1   2.06
Crusader   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Dargonfire Adept   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Divine Mind   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Dragon Shaman   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Dread Necromancer   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Druid   1   2   2   1   1   3   1   2   1   2   2   2   3   2   2   3   1   2   1.83
Duskblade   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Factotoum   2   4   3   4   2   2   3   4   3   2   4   2   3   3   3   2   4   3   2.94
Favored Soul   2   2   2   3   3   4   2   3   2   3   3   3   4   2   3   4   3   1   2.72
Fighter   2   3   4   3   5   6   5   6   4   5   6   5   5   6   4   6   6   5   4.78
Healer   4   4   3   3   3   4   2   2   3   4   5   3   6   6   5   6   5   3   3.94
Hexblade   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Incarnate   3   4   3   3   3   3   3   3   3   4   5   4   5   4   3   5   5   4   3.72
Knight   3   5   5   3   4   6   6   6   4   6   6   4   5   6   4   5   6   5   4.94
Marshall   3   4   4   4   3   4   2   4   4   4   5   3   5   6   6   4   6   4   4.17
Monk   3   4   4   4   4   6   6   5   6   4   6   4   5   4   4   5   6   5   4.72
Ninja   3   5   3   5   3   2   6   6   5   4   5   4   6   5   5   2   6   5   4.44
Paladin   2   4   3   3   4   6   3   3   4   4   5   4   5   4   4   6   4   5   4.06
Psion   4   2   2   3   3   4   2   3   2   3   3   3   1   2   3   5   3   1   2.72
Psychic Warrior   2   3   3   3   3   4   3   3   3   4   5   4   4   3   4   4   4   5   3.56
Ranger   3   2   3   3   3   4   4   4   4   4   5   4   4   5   4   4   4   5   3.83
Rogue   2   3   4   5   2   2   5   6   6   4   5   3   6   6   4   1   6   5   4.17
Samurai   3   5   5   4   4   6   6   6   5   6   6   5   5   6   5   6   6   6   5.28
Scout   3   3   3   4   2   3   6   6   5   5   6   4   6   6   4   5   6   5   4.56
Shadowcaster   4   5   2   5   3   5   4   5   4   3   4   3   4   4   3   4   4   3   3.83
Shaman   3   3   3   3   2   3   2   2   2   3   2   3   3   2   3   5   2   2   2.67
Shugenja   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Sohei   3   4   5   4   3   3   4   5   5   6   5   3   5   6   4   3   5   5   4.33
Sorcerer   3   2   2   3   3   4   2   4   2   3   4   3   2   2   2   4   3   1   2.72
Soulborn   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Soulknife   4   4   5   5   3   6   5   6   5   5   6   4   5   6   4   5   6   5   4.94
Spelltheif   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Spirit Shaman   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Swashbuckler   3   4   4   4   3   5   6   6   4   5   6   4   6   6   4   4   6   5   4.72
Swordsage   3   3   2   4   3   5   4   6   3   4   4   3   6   4   4   3   6   2   3.83
Totemist   2   4   3   3   4   3   4   5   4   4   5   4   4   5   3   4   5   4   3.89
Truenamer   4   3   3   4   4   3   4   3   3   3   4   5   6   4   4   6   4   5   4
Warblade   1   3   3   1   4   5   3   4   4   4   5   4   5   4   4   5   6   2   3.72
Warlock   4   2   2   4   3   3   4   3   3   4   5   2   3   5   3   4   4   3   3.39
Warmage   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Wilder   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0
Wizard   2   1   2   3   3   2   2   3   1   2   2   3   2   1   2   4   2   1   2.11
Wu Jen   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   BFC   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   0



Class   Melee   Range   Move   Tank   Scout   Traps   Buff   Heal   BFC   Utility   Intel   Face   Dominate   Debuff   Steal   Summon   Panic   Average
Druid   1   2   2   1   1   3   1   2   1   2   2   2   3   2   2   3   1   2   1.83
Archivist   3   1   1   3   2   2   1   2   2   2   2   3   2   1   2   3   2   1   1.94
Cleric   2   2   1   2   2   3   1   1   2   2   3   3   3   1   2   4   2   1   2.06
Wizard   2   1   2   3   3   2   2   3   1   2   2   3   2   1   2   4   2   1   2.11
Artificer   3   2   2   2   3   1   1   1   2   3   2   1   3   4   2   3   2   2   2.17
Bard   2   3   2   4   2   3   2   3   3   2   1   2   2   3   3   3   3   3   2.56
Shaman   3   3   3   3   2   3   2   2   2   3   2   3   3   2   3   5   2   2   2.67
Favored Soul   2   2   2   3   3   4   2   3   2   3   3   3   4   2   3   4   3   1   2.72
Psion   4   2   2   3   3   4   2   3   2   3   3   3   1   2   3   5   3   1   2.72
Sorcerer   3   2   2   3   3   4   2   4   2   3   4   3   2   2   2   4   3   1   2.72
Factotoum   2   4   3   4   2   2   3   4   3   2   4   2   3   3   3   2   4   3   2.94
Beguiler   3   4   4   4   3   3   2   4   3   4   4   3   2   3   3   3   5   4   3.39
Binder   2   4   3   3   3   4   4   4   3   3   4   3   5   4   4   2   3   3   3.39
Warlock   4   2   2   4   3   3   4   3   3   4   5   2   3   5   3   4   4   3   3.39
Psychic Warrior   2   3   3   3   3   4   3   3   3   4   5   4   4   3   4   4   4   5   3.56
Incarnate   3   4   3   3   3   3   3   3   3   4   5   4   5   4   3   5   5   4   3.72
Warblade   1   3   3   1   4   5   3   4   4   4   5   4   5   4   4   5   6   2   3.72
Ranger   3   2   3   3   3   4   4   4   4   4   5   4   4   5   4   4   4   5   3.83
Shadowcaster   4   5   2   5   3   5   4   5   4   3   4   3   4   4   3   4   4   3   3.83
Swordsage   3   3   2   4   3   5   4   6   3   4   4   3   6   4   4   3   6   2   3.83
Totemist   2   4   3   3   4   3   4   5   4   4   5   4   4   5   3   4   5   4   3.89
Healer   4   4   3   3   3   4   2   2   3   4   5   3   6   6   5   6   5   3   3.94
Truenamer   4   3   3   4   4   3   4   3   3   3   4   5   6   4   4   6   4   5   4
Paladin   2   4   3   3   4   6   3   3   4   4   5   4   5   4   4   6   4   5   4.06
Barbarian   1   3   3   2   4   3   5   6   5   4   6   4   5   5   3   6   6   4   4.17
Marshall   3   4   4   4   3   4   2   4   4   4   5   3   5   6   6   4   6   4   4.17
Rogue   2   3   4   5   2   2   5   6   6   4   5   3   6   6   4   1   6   5   4.17
Sohei   3   4   5   4   3   3   4   5   5   6   5   3   5   6   4   3   5   5   4.33
Ninja   3   5   3   5   3   2   6   6   5   4   5   4   6   5   5   2   6   5   4.44
Scout   3   3   3   4   2   3   6   6   5   5   6   4   6   6   4   5   6   5   4.56
Monk   3   4   4   4   4   6   6   5   6   4   6   4   5   4   4   5   6   5   4.72
Swashbuckler   3   4   4   4   3   5   6   6   4   5   6   4   6   6   4   4   6   5   4.72
Fighter   2   3   4   3   5   6   5   6   4   5   6   5   5   6   4   6   6   5   4.78
Knight   3   5   5   3   4   6   6   6   4   6   6   4   5   6   4   5   6   5   4.94
Soulknife   4   4   5   5   3   6   5   6   5   5   6   4   5   6   4   5   6   5   4.94
Samurai   3   5   5   4   4   6   6   6   5   6   6   5   5   6   5   6   6   6   5.28

Outliers:
Bard
Warlock
Ranger
Healer
Truenamer


Expansion:
 (click to show/hide)
Feel free to fill out an entry. Also feel free to critique what is here. I will be updating whats here based on community consensus.
PrCs are not considered although breaks will be given for usual/unique PrCs. Yes there are better wizard PrCs than Truenamer ones.
ACFs are not included, yet.
No one probably cares about: NPC classes, Battledancer, Death Master, Jester, Mariner, Master, Montebank, Mystic, Nightstalker, Savant, Shair
I will eventually post this in handbooks.

Thoughts?

18
PBMC's Park / Base Class & Tier Information
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:41:47 PM »
I have staged a coup of the Why Tier X's are in Tier X series of threads with a complete list. My hope is to free JaronK the burden of now a 3rd and a maybe 4th 'tier system for classes' thread. This will save the discussion of tiers themselves for the tier thread. Concern over specific classes can go here.

Let me know if I am missing any non-variant base class in 3.5. I intend to include them all.

I do not claim to intimately know or play each class. The work I have done is completely at the mercy of the boards and my be changed, so please try to keep indignation to its lowest. Any balance concerns are considered after the dirty handbook fixes.

You will notice that the upper tiers are casters. If you are looking for all casting classes, feel free to look here.

Finally, I will try to keep up with the discussion and add mention about specific class features when needed; hence the two posts per tier.


Coloring Key for optimizing the base classes:
Too simple or too few options: It is just about as powerful or weak as it is going to be even after optimization so it's not worth the effort. For low tier classes this means you can't stretch it into higher tiers as easily. For upper tiers its nice that you probably won't suck that much even if you are fairly new.
Some complexity, some options: You get out what you put in. Heavy optimization won't be as obvious as blue colored, but it will be noticable. Consider this normal 'stretchiness' to go up or down a tier dependent on the build and player. JaronK noticed that optimization bumps up or down a tier - two for classes on the edge or with more extensive cheese. This is normal.
Too complex or too many options: You get more than what you put in. You really need to understand how this class works. For high tier classes this is bad because you can't start cold and be the epitome of tier 1. For lower tier classes this is actually a good thing because if you try, you can pull it up more than normal. However it might be frustrating to get past the learning curve.


Tier Summary:
1 Can do everything (often full casters preparing huge lists)
2 Can do anything, but not everything (often full casters with limited spells known from huge lists)
3 Extreme versatility and power, but not both (either constrained lists or mechanics)
4 From a cynical point of view, does what's on the tin (constrained lists and mechanics on 3/4 casting, so UMD)
5 Don't pull its own weight even in its area (constrained lists and mechanics on 1/2 casting, no UMD)
6 Utterly fails to do much of anything (awful mechanics or no usable casting / UMD)

Tier Outline
6(3+3NPC): Aristocrat, Commoner, Divine Mind (CP 9), Warrior, Samurai (CW 6), Truenamer (TM 198)

5(14+2NPC): Battledancer (DC 26), Divine Mind (with Web Enhancements), Eidolon (Gh 16), Expert, Fighter, Healer (MH 8), Knight, Lurk (CP 13), Magewright (ECS 256), Mariner (LotT 13), Mlar (Dungeon Magazine 100 256-257 githyanki section), Monk, Ninja (CAd 5), Noble (DCS 50), Paladin, Samurai (with Imperious Command feat), Soulborn (MoI 25), Soulknife, Swashbuckler (CW 11)

4(18+1NPC): Adept, Barbarian, Dragonfire Adept (with Breath Effects), Dragon Shaman (PHB2 11), Fighter (Dungeon Crasher variant), Jester (DC 36), Hexblade (CW 5), Marshal, Master (WotL 21), Montebank (DC 42), Nightstalker (Races of Ansalon 153), Ranger, Rogue, Savant (DC 45), Scout (CAd 10), Spellthief, Sohei (OA 27), Totemist, Warlock (CArc 5), Warmage (CArc 10)

3(16): Ardent (CP 5), Bard, Beguiler (PHB2 6), Binder (TM 9), Crusader (ToB 8), Dread Necromancer (HH 84), Duskblade (PHB2 19), Factotum (Du 14), Incarnate (MoI 20), Psychic Rogue (with powers), Psychic Warrior, Ranger (Wildshape variant), Shadowcaster (TM 111), Shugenja (CD 10), Swordsage (ToB 15), Warblade, Wilder,

2(9): Binder (with Online Vestiges), Death Master (DC 31), Favored Soul (CD 6), Mystic (DCS 47), Psion, Sha'ir (DC 51), Shaman (OA 23), Sorcerer, Spirit Shaman (CD 14), Wu Jen (CArc 14)

1(6): Archivist, Artificer (ECS 29), Cleric, Druid, "Erudite" variant Psion (with Spell to Power ACF), Wizard

Other(12): Aberrant Paragon (DragMag332 45), Eidoloncer (Gh 17), Drow Paragon, Dwarf Paragon, Elf Paragon, Gnome Paragon, Half-Dragon Paragon, Half-Elf Paragon, Half-Orc Paragon, Halfling Paragon, Human Paragon, Kobold Paragon, Orc Paragon, Tiefling Paragon



Tier Relative Amount Breakdown: (missing a few classes, feel free to recalculate)
6: 8.3% with NPCs, 4.5% without
5: 22.2% with NPCs, 21.2% without
4: 26.3% with NPCs, 27.2% without
3: 22.2% with NPCs, 24.2% without
2: 12.5% with NPCs, 13.6% without
1: 8.3% with NPCs, 9% without

Displayed in groups of 2:
6&5: 30.6% with NPCs, 25.8% without
4&3: 48.6% with NPCs, 51.5% without
2&1: 20.8% with NPCs, 22.6% without

Results:
The mode is Tier 4 which JaronK suspected might be the 'default' level of power a PC should have, followed by Tier 3. Notice that when NPC classes are considered Tier 3 and 5 tie for second place, making us even more sure that Tier 4 is truly the norm. Tier 6 and 1 have the same number of outliers when NPC classes are considered, which is good because each is considered 'broken' albeit in opposite manners. Furthermore the mostly non-casting Tier 5 makes up a greater chunk than the all full caster classes of Tier 2, perhaps indicating greater hesitation with 9th level spells and powers.

Base Class Chassis Chart

Class   ?+int   d?   BAB   Fort   Ref   Will   * = Variable Tier
Aberrant Paragon   2+   d8?   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   *
Aristocrat   4+   d8   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   NPC
Adept   2 +   d6   1/2   Bad   Bad   Good   NPC
Archivist   4 +   d6   1/2   Good   Bad   Good   
Ardent   2 +   d6   1/2   Bad   Bad   Good   
Aristocrat   4 +   d8   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   NPC
Artificer   4 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Barbarian   4 +   d12   3/4   Good   Bad   Bad   
Bard   6 +   d6   1   Bad   Good   Good   
Battledancer   4 +   d8   3/4   Bad   Good   Bad   
Beguiler   6 +   d6   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Binder   2 +   d8   1/2   Good   Bad   Good   
Cleric   2 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Commoner   2 +   d4   3/4   Bad   Bad   Bad   NPC
Crusader   4 +   d10   1/2   Good   Bad   Bad   
Death Master   2 +   d8   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Divine Mind   2 +   d10   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Dragonfire Adept   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Dragon Shaman   2 +   d10   1/2   Good   Bad   Good   
Dread Necromancer   2 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Drow Paragon   4 +   d6   1/2   Bad   Good   Bad   
Druid   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Duskblade   2 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Dwarf Paragon   2 +   d10   1   Good   Bad   Bad   
Eidolon   2 +   d8   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Eidoloncer   2 +   d6   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Elf Paragon   2 +   d8   1/2   Bad   Good   Bad   
Erudite   2 +   d4   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Expert   6 +   d6   1/2   Bad   Bad   Good   NPC
Factotum   6 +   d8   3/4   Bad   Good   Bad   
Favored Soul   2 +   d8   3/4   Good   Good   Good   
Fighter   2 +   d10   3/4   Good   Bad   Bad   
Gnome Paragon   4 +   d6   1   Good   Bad   Good   
Half-Dragon Paragon   4 +   d12   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Half-Elf Paragon   4 +   d8   1   Bad   Good   Bad   
Half-Orc Paragon   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Bad   
Halfling Paragon   4 +   d6   1   Bad   Good   Bad   
Healer   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Hexblade   2 +   d10   1/2   Bad   Bad   Good   
Human Paragon   4 +   d8   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Incarnate   2 +   d6   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Jester   6 +   d6   1/2   Bad   Good   Good   
Knight   2 +   d12   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Kobold Paragon   4 +   d6   1   Bad   Good   Good   
Lurk   4 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Good   Good   
Magewright   2 +   d4   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   NPC
Mariner   6 +   d8   1/2   Good   Good   Bad   
Marshall   4 +   d8   1   Good   Bad   Good   
Master   8 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Mlar   4 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   NPC
Monk   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Good   Good   
Mountebank   6 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Good   Bad   
Mystic   2 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Nightstalker   4 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Good   Good   
Ninja   6 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Good   Bad   
Noble   4 +   d8   3/4   Bad   Good   Good   
Orc Paragon   2 +   d10   3/4   Good   Bad   Bad   
Paladin   2 +   d10   1   Good   Bad   Bad   
Psion   2 +   d4   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Psychic Rogue   6 +   d6   1/2   Bad   Good   Bad   
Psychic Warrior   2 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Bad   
Ranger   6 +   d8   3/4   Good   Good   Bad   
Rogue   8 +   d6   1   Bad   Good   Bad   
Samurai (CW)   2 +   d10   3/4   Good   Bad   Bad   
Samurai (OA)   4 +   d10   1   Good   Bad   Good   
Savant   6 +   d8   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Scout   8 +   d8   3/4   Bad   Good   Bad   
Sha'ir   2 +   d4   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Shadowcaster   2 +   d6   1/2   Good   Bad   Good   
Shaman   4 +   d6   1/2   Bad   Bad   Good   
Shugenja   4 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Sohei   2 +   d10   1/2   Good   Bad   Good   
Sorcerer   2 +   d4   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Soulborn   2 +   d10   1/2   Good   Bad   Bad   
Soulknife   4 +   d10   1   Bad   Good   Good   
Spellthief   6 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Spirit Shaman   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Swashbuckler   4 +   d10   3/4   Good   Bad   Bad   
Swordsage   6 +   d8   1   Bad   Good   Good   
Tiefling Paragon   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Good   Good   
Totemist   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Good   Bad   
Truenamer   4 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Urban Druid   4 +   d8   3/4   Good   Bad   Good   
Warblade   4 +   d12   3/4   Good   Bad   Bad   
Warlock   2 +   d6   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Warmage   2 +   d6   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Warrior   2 +   d8   1/2   Good   Bad   Bad   NPC
Wilder   4 +   d6   1   Bad   Bad   Good   
Wizard   2 +   d4   3/4   Bad   Bad   Good   
Wu Jen   2 +   d4   1/2   Bad   Bad   Good   

19
PBMC's Park / Epic Feats Pre-epic
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:40:01 PM »
Epic feats tag should just be "prereq: level 10", like legacy champion.

While browsing Complete Adventurer, I noticed that epic improved skirmish is decidedly un-Epic in terms of power, and makes more sense as a "normal" feat for Scouts to pick before level 21, removing the prerequisite and [Epic] tag. Which made me wonder: which Epic feats do you think could be allowed before level 21?
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 Online ketaro

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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #1: March 02, 2017, 11:35:07 PM »
Every feat that requires a feat from PHB but aren't tied to class features. Also all the stat boosting feats.
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 Offline Hades

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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #2: March 03, 2017, 10:26:14 AM »
+1
Since Spiritual Lion Totem Barbarian gains pounce at level 1, I think that Dire Charge (also inferior to true pounce, since it works on the first round of combat) could be fine at non-epic.

Even feats like Improved Stunning Fist (+2 DC on stunning first) or Improved Death Attack are not too umbalanced in a non-epic game, imho.
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 Offline Garryl

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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #3: March 03, 2017, 01:17:55 PM »
+1
Quote from: Hades on March 03, 2017, 10:26:14 AM
Since Spiritual Lion Totem Barbarian gains pounce at level 1, I think that Dire Charge (also inferior to true pounce, since it works on the first round of combat) could be fine at non-epic.

Even feats like Improved Stunning Fist (+2 DC on stunning first) or Improved Death Attack are not too umbalanced in a non-epic game, imho.

Heck, Improved Stunning Fist, Improved Death Attack, and Improved Arrow of Death already exist in non-epic (minus the stacking for repeated selection). It's called Ability Focus.

Actually, a lot of epic feats have comparable non-epic feats. Not that they all should be made non-epic, but a lot of them should.
Additional Magic Item Space: Extra Rings gives you +2 ring slots, but it's also pretty close to epic-level itself. It has a CL 12 prerequisite and has another feat as a prereq (Forge Ring) that itself also has a CL 12 prereq. This epic feat lets you double up on other slots, too. Seems appropriate for an epic feat.
Armor Skin: Dodge is laughably weak. Even when people buff it to apply to every attack, it's nothing amazing.
Damage Reduction: 50% more effective than Roll With It's DR 2/-. Still nothing amazing past about 10th level.
Energy Resistance: Improved Energy Resistance is a racial feat that increases an existing resistance by 5. Even at 10 it would probably be unimpressive.
Epic Inspiration: Song of the Heart, but repeatable.
Improved Spell Resistance: Awaken Spell Resistance.
Multiweapon Rend: Two-Weapon Rend. The non-epic version of the feat, not the epic one.
Reflect Arrows: Technically, Snatch Arrows only lets you throw back thrown weapons, not all projectiles, but it's not that big a deal.
Two-Weapon Rend: It was reprinted as a non-epic feat with only slight differences.

And some other epic feats that just aren't epic:
Augmented Alchemy: Alchemical items aren't that impressive, and doubling their effects doesn't change that. If you really want them, you can just buy them from someone who can make them. They're still not prohibitively expensive.
Blinding Speed: 5 rounds/day of a 3rd-level spell. That's only half as long as Boots of Speed, a 12000 gp item.
Combat Archery: I don't think there are any feats that just remove the AoO for 3.5, but it's not infrequent among homebrew. Pathfinder has a couple.
Deafening Song: Deafened is a crappy condition that can be produced by a 2nd-level spell or a 30 gp alchemical item.
Dire Charge: As Hades mentioned, Lion Totem Barbarian pounces better.
Improved Combat Casting: Casting defensively should have been an automatic success since about level 10 if you took Combat Casting. Edit: To add to this feat's stupidity, it requires Combat Casting and 25 ranks in Concentration. Even with a Constitution of 1 (-5), you have a +24 modifier for casting defensively, enough to defensively cast epic spells even when you roll a natural 1.
Mobile Defense: This should have been a baseline part of the ability to begin with. Edit: Actually, this is the 8th-level class feature, too.
« Last Edit: March 09, 2017, 08:08:34 PM by Garryl »
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #4: March 03, 2017, 01:39:55 PM »
in a similar vein, a lot of regular feats, simply shouldn't be feats at all. should be racial/class feature options or maybe skill tricks.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #5: March 04, 2017, 06:55:25 AM »
Hell Epic Toughness can be a acceptable feat with a level prerequisite of 10th level (or make is scaling like PF/Improved Toughness even) without to much impact.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #6: March 04, 2017, 07:42:24 AM »
A better question is, other than Epic Spellcasting and the Automatic Metamagic feats, are any other Epic Feats really deserving of that limitation?  I can't think of any offhand.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #7: March 04, 2017, 12:38:46 PM »
Quote from: Keldar on March 04, 2017, 07:42:24 AM
A better question is, other than Epic Spellcasting and the Automatic Metamagic feats, are any other Epic Feats really deserving of that limitation?  I can't think of any offhand.
Spell Stowaway, maybe?
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #8: March 04, 2017, 03:41:16 PM »
Quote from: Keldar on March 04, 2017, 07:42:24 AM
A better question is, other than Epic Spellcasting and the Automatic Metamagic feats, are any other Epic Feats really deserving of that limitation?  I can't think of any offhand.
Yeah, given how infrequent good epic feats are, they really should be non-epic until proved otherwise as opposed to the opposite. Improved elemental wild shape and magical beast wild shape are pretty good. Dunno how they compare to taking the already existent form adding feats, but there're some obvious pieces of utility there.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #9: March 05, 2017, 09:48:37 AM »
While we're at it, are there any non-caster feats that would be broken if not level gated?  (I.E. still having other prerequisites other than those derived from level, BAB, Base save, skill ranks, ect.)  Few feats really are that powerful if they don't create magic items or modify spellcasting.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #10: March 05, 2017, 02:30:47 PM »
hmm

if Auto-Quicken still has the 9th level spells pre-req, it's basically Battle Blessing, just way later.  Allows known action abuse.

Epic Ex.Know. blurs the original 6 types of Psions a little.
Epic Psi Focus doesn't catch up to what metamagic does.
Psi Improved Heighten, doesn't have the tricks of non-psi. EStP would save 1 feat via this, if the build is even possible.
Improved Manifestation still orders of magnitude less than recharge.
Improved Metapsi is already in CPsi as non-epic.
Improved Spell Capacity adapted, see heighten above.
Power Knowledge nice especially for non-9s, but see the EZbake Wizard.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #11: March 22, 2017, 05:37:20 PM »
Quote from: Keldar on March 05, 2017, 09:48:37 AM
While we're at it, are there any non-caster feats that would be broken if not level gated?  (I.E. still having other prerequisites other than those derived from level, BAB, Base save, skill ranks, ect.)  Few feats really are that powerful if they don't create magic items or modify spellcasting.
Chassis-derived prereqs are less common for feats as a large barrier. I see little value in throwing them out for feats but leaving them in for everything else. Perhaps you had a specific feat in mind.

Quote from: eggynack on March 04, 2017, 03:41:16 PM
Given how infrequent good epic feats are, they really should be non-epic until proved otherwise
I agree. I have an analysis of Epic Spellcasting here. I agree with aDMg that auto quicken at max skill ranks and spells is underwhelming when it only works on 3rd and below spells. Arcane spellsurge anyone? The still and silent ones are a joke. Spell Stowaway is weaker than share spells with a familiar since it only works on a single spell that you already have to be able to cast. Circle magic is way more powerful, even after my nerfs.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #12: March 26, 2017, 11:08:29 AM »
Quote from: PlzBreakMyCampaign on March 22, 2017, 05:37:20 PM
Spell Stowaway is weaker than share spells with a familiar since it only works on a single spell that you already have to be able to cast. Circle magic is way more powerful, even after my nerfs.
Four words: Spell Stowaway (Time Stop).

Watch the DM's face when his BBEG casts Time Stop and you get your own free turns.  You can also argue that you get pulled into the same accelerated time frame.

Honestly, it's good for instantaneous or incredibly short duration buffs.
« Last Edit: March 26, 2017, 11:10:35 AM by snakeman830 »
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #13: March 26, 2017, 06:26:04 PM »
Quote from: snakeman830 on March 26, 2017, 11:08:29 AM
Quote from: PlzBreakMyCampaign on March 22, 2017, 05:37:20 PM
Spell Stowaway is weaker than share spells with a familiar since it only works on a single spell that you already have to be able to cast. Circle magic is way more powerful, even after my nerfs.
Four words: Spell Stowaway (Time Stop).

Watch the DM's face when his BBEG casts Time Stop and you get your own free turns.  You can also argue that you get pulled into the same accelerated time frame.

Honestly, it's good for instantaneous or incredibly short duration buffs.

I wouldnt say that means the feat is broken, rather the spell is.

Either way this within spitball distance of Epic levels anyways.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #14: March 29, 2017, 01:42:01 PM »
i agree, outside the epic casting/manifesting, pretty much none of the epic feats are actually that epic.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #15: March 31, 2017, 09:59:06 PM »
Zook, can I get you to look at my 4 small tweaks for balanced epic spellcasting (pre-epic) thread?

Quote from: TC X0 Lt 0X on March 26, 2017, 06:26:04 PM
I wouldnt say that means the feat is broken, rather the spell is.

Either way this within spitball distance of Epic levels anyways.
Bingo. If you don't have 9ths in your game, everything becomes more balanced and epic feats in pre-epic is no exception.
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #16: April 05, 2017, 04:20:51 AM »
Do you have a link, being on a tablet 99.99% has its disadvantages?
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #17: April 06, 2017, 05:57:07 PM »
Quote from: PlzBreakMyCampaign on March 22, 2017, 05:37:20 PM

... I agree with aDMg that auto quicken at max skill ranks and spells is underwhelming when it only works on 3rd and below spells. Arcane spellsurge anyone? The still and silent ones are a joke. Spell Stowaway is weaker than share spells with a familiar since it only works on a single spell that you already have to be able to cast. Circle magic is way more powerful, even after my nerfs.

However, if you're playing with the original Epic (book+srd) wording for Quicken, taking it the 2nd time is very interesting.  Auto-Quicken up to 6s, is delicious.

Wizard starts combat
round 1 : 9 + q6
round 2 : 8 + q5
round 3 : 7 + q4
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Re: Which Epic Feats do you Think will work Fine as non-Epic?

« Reply #18: April 20, 2017, 06:56:31 PM »
Hmm. Level 10 requirement, instead of level 20, then?

Edit: Nevermind Dragon Magaize 297 page 27 states: "Some epic feats could be feats for characters without epic levels" before listing ALL of the epic feats it adds as belonging to this category, including a feat that requires 30 ranks in a skill. Their solution is just to add prereqs that only high level characters could access.

Quote from: zook1shoe on April 05, 2017, 04:20:51 AM
Do you have a link, being on a tablet 99.99% has its disadvantages?
You can click post -> thread history, but yeah my threads are very meaty, and I understand how scrolling could be a pain. If you only use mobile, how do you look at your .pd COUGH, I mean how do you look up your seventeen-year-old, soft-cover, out-of-print primary sources?

20
PBMC's Park / LA for LA:-- Templates
« on: June 15, 2017, 01:38:03 PM »
I maintain that the designers were just too scared to assign reasonable LA to many of the LA: -- templates. It haunts their dreams along with casters in heavy armor and other over powered munchkinry.

I'd like to remedy this. Here is a list of most (but not all) of the templates without LA. There will be none of those "But the PC has limited actions!" or "This only applies to animals!" or "Then PC can't move!" or "The PC will be enslaved!" or "The PC will be mindless!" objections. There are already ways to do this, so let's not worry about such little things.

Template starting list:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Bone Creature (BoVD 184)
Corpse Creature (BoVD 185)
Corrupted Creature (BoVD 186)
Effigy Creature (CAr 152)
Pseudonatural Creature (CAr 160)
Spellstiched (CAr 161)
Living Zombie (CR 128)
Arachnoid Creature (CSQ 124)
Half-Dragon Faerunian (CSQ 126)
Revenant (CSQ 127)
Silveraith (CSW 127)
Mob (DMG2 59)
Skeletal Dragon (Dr 192)
Husk Vermin (DrU 126)

Acidborn Monster (Du 111)
Dungeonbred Monster (Du 112)
Guardian Monster (Du 113)
Sentry Ooze (Du 114)
Hivenest Monster (Du 115)
Horrid Animal (ECS 287)
Living Spell (ECS 293)
Magebred Animal (ECS 295)
Corrupted by the Abyss (EDP 190)
Paragon Creature (ELH 208)
Pseudonatural Creature (ELH 212)
Worm That Walks (ELH 228)
Yellow Musk Zombie (FF 191)
Huecuva (FF 94)
Madborn (FN 125)
Zin-Carla (FP 184)
Chosen of Bane (FP 213)
Shade (FRCS 314)
Bonesinger (Gh 158)
Monstrous Vampire (Gh 166)
Mumia (Gh 167)
Yuan-ti (Gh 173)
Tainted Minion (HH 153)
Tainted Raver (HH 154)
Dread Warrior (LE 169)
Necromental (LM 112)
Revived Fossil (LM 118)
Swarm– Shifter (LM 123)
Umbral Creature (LM 128)
Elder Eidolon (LoM 146)
Pseudonatural Creature (LoM 161)
Crypt Spawn (Mag 184)
The Magister (Mag 185)
Spectral Mage (Mag 189)
Skeleton (MM 225)
Captured One (MM2 204)
Chimeric Creature (MM2 206)
Half-Golem (MM2 209)
Spellstitched (MM2 215)
Titanic Creature (MM2 217)
Warbeast (MM2 219)
Living Spell (MM3 91)
Web Mummy (MM4 165)
Thoon-Thrall (MM5 111)
Phantom (MM5 130)
Xorvintaal Dragon (MM5 43)
Beast of Xvim (Mon 85)
Curst (Mon 87)
Lich, Good (Mon 90)
Revenant (Mon 93)
Petitioner (MP 199)
Pennaggolan (OA 189)
Half-Elemental (RT 160)
Bone Naga (SK 73)
Quorbound Creature (SoS 150)
Quorbred Creature (Sos 151)
Gelatinous Creature (SS 116)
Gravewight (StS 31)
Warforged, Quorcraft (SX 84)
Blightspawned (Una 59)
Dread Warrior (Una 62)
JuJu Zombie (Una 66)
Arachnoid Creature (Und 80)
Half-Illithid (Und 89)

If you want to critique an LA, please do! But can you do one book's templates? Pretty please? Who wants to do Dungeonscape?

Templates with assigned LA and ability summary:
Spoiler (click to show/hide)
Bone (BoVD 184) LA+2 [Non-undead, corporeal w/ a skeletal system]->Undead, RHD d12s, flight->magical, size-based +0-10Nat & 1-2d8 claw damage if better, cold immune, Dex+4, Weapon Finesse.

Corpse (BoVD 185) LA+1 [Non-undead, nonconstruct, nonplant corporeal]->Undead, RHD d12s, fly->(clumsy), size-based +0-11Nat & 1-4d6 2-handed slam damage, Str+4, Dex-2.

Corrupted (BoVD 186) LA+1 [corporeal that is not an oustsider]->Aberration, +4nat (+8 if Huge+), natural attacks +1size, acid immune, +50% [20max] vile damage upon touch [noncorrupted, living, corporeal], +4DC special attacks, 50%RHD as Fast Heal [10max], +4str,-2dex,+4con,-2wis&cha

Effigy (CAr 152) LA+1 [corporeal Aberration, animal, dragon, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or vermin]->Construct d10s & lose class HD, +2nat, size bonus HP & 3/4BAB, 0-2slams d2-4d6, con-based (Su) special attacks, HD-based 1-15DR/adamantine, bad saves, +4str,-2dex, no con&int, wis=11, cha=1, lose all but attack-helping feats

Pseudonatural (CAr 160) LA+1 [corporeal.]->Outsider, True Strike(Su)1/day, res5-15 acid&elec, 0-10DR/magic, Alternate Form=-1hit morale enemies

Spellstiched (CAr 161) LA+4 [corporeal undead with a wisdom score of 10 or higher] 4/day 2 1st, 4/day 2 2nd, 2/day 2 3rd, 2/day 2 4th, 2/day 2 5th, 1/day 1 6th conj, evoc, or necro spells @wis>18 CL=HD w/ permanent 'slot' choice, 0-5DR/magic and/or silver, SR=10+cha, +2turn res, +2saves profane. CR+1 (wtf??)

Living Zombie (CR 128) LA+0 [corporeal non-undead]animal->magical beast, +0-11Nat, 1-4d6 slam if better, no magical abilities or communication, age creator -1/2, natural healing -50%, int&cha=1, no int or cha skill use,  toughness, True Neutral

Arachnoid (CSQ 124) LA+2 [animal, beast, or magical beast]->Aberration 50%ms climb, +0-15Nat, +2limbs if had any, size-based 1-4d6bite+1-2d8str poison DC 50%hd+con+0-10 if greater, immune to mind-affects, +4dex, -4int (can become mindless), int*2+2/HD skills (hide jump,spot) & can have skills if mindless (NEEDS 3.0 UPDATE, PLEASE HELP) & +4hide, +6jump

Revenant (CSQ 127) LA+3 [humanoid]->Undead d12RHD, +d10 dam against its killer, killer 1st encounter paralyze 2d4rounds, Will DC10+50%HD+cha, DR5/magic, Turn Immune, Fast Heal3 can regrow fire-lost parts, acid, air, cold, elec & polymorph immune, knows killer's distance & direction, +4str, +2cha,

Silveraith (CSW 127) LA+2 [5HD magic-user]->Undead (incorporeal) d12RHD, fly30'(perfect) if better, 5+cha Defl, natural attacks->incorporeal touch as 3d8+1-10 inflict serious wounds DC10+50%HD+cha to halve, (Su) can ready action to absorb spell as rod -> d6/spell level negative damage w/ will DC & this creates another if kills, cannot cast positive energy or healing spells, cold, elec, polymorph, mind-affect immune, +4turn res, +2int&wis&cha, +8hide,listen,search,spot

Mob (DMG2 59) LA+0 [15+ crowd of Small, Medium, or Large] lasts 1d4+1, 30HD, breaks up like swarm, +0init, -10ms, 20' gargantuan sized but can move through smaller areas, BAB & saves are type-based, 5d6 bludgeoning if end in space no roll, ignoring concealment or cover, 0' reach, no attacks that require actions but carrier-affects work, no grab+attack penalty & can multi-grapple, 2d6+150%str trample if move over but not end Reflex DC=25+str or AoO to halve, immune to flank,trip,grapple,bull rush, +50%AOE, incapacitating an individual gives -2levels, reduce mental stats to 10, improved bull rush & overrun.

Skeletal Dragon (Dr 192) LA+0 [Dragon]->Undead +HD hp, no fly or swim, nat=0-10, no crush attacks, no Su or SLA or subtypes but keeps all immunities, DR5/bludgeoning, immunity to cold, no int & wis=10, no skills or skill bonuses, improved initiative.

Husk Vermin (DrU 126) LA+2 [vermin]->Undead, CE, all HD->d12s, natural weapons are magical for DR, 0-10DR/magic, 1 attack 1-2d4 str damage 24hr +5hp/hit, energy drain if Huge sized, +4str, -2dex, int=2, +2wis, +8cha, toughness

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