Questions

[Rudolf]

Thanks for the picture @Steel Warrior. It appears that -any- stat could be used. My vote is no.

[Delia2531]

18 hours ago, Rudolf said:

Based on my whole one game of experience, our generous character creation rules appear to be worth +1 CL. I’ll let you know what I learn with game 2.
 

While I have the skills to customize every single encounter, that takes more time. I’d rather not do that, because it just starts the optimization arms race. Instead, I think it’s far better if we can run published adventures. We’ll have more GMs that way, and the busy GMs will get to take breaks.

DMs are free to run published adventures or ones of their own making; I've tried both and each has their ups and downs. I definitely don't advocate for only one or the other here at RFT.

[Delia2531]

16 hours ago, Steel Warrior said:

The page I showed was from the actual book. You might have found an online version that someone posted and modified. Don't think they made an updated version.

But I recall it was brought up in the past as well, that does it mean they could use Str or Con as an example. A Barbarian Sorcerer comes from the strength of his blood. :p

I agree the page does not specify mental stat. I'd be willing to say yes if we restricted it to mental stats, but as written I'd say no.

[Blue Jay]

 

Re: Lost Tradition

I'm on the fence. I'm kind of interested the idea of casting-stat flexibility. However, it also feels like, if Lost Tradition is allowed, we're going to suddenly start seeing more builds that use it than that don't. That would imply that either (1) Lost Tradition is too powerful, and we'd have just started a major arms' race; or (2) there's something severely lacking in the system to begin with.

Having played an over-the-top Cha-to-everything build here on RFT, I know how absurd it can get, and I'm really leery of making builds like that synergize with wizard casting.

It would also beg the question of why we're not considering other 3rd-party content. I love Green Ronin's books, and there's plenty of stuff in their books that I'd love to try playing at some point. But, I'm still unwilling to open the floodgates on 3rd-party content.

So, I'm voting "no" to Lost Tradition. I'm in favor of continuing to allow Academic Priest and Dynamic Priest, since we've had that grandfather clause for quite some time.

 

[Steel Warrior]

Yeah, I understand the 3rd party rule. It is unfortunate, because a lot of 3rd party content brings back monsters from D&D 1e and AD&D 2e.

Tome of Horrors I for example has Quickling (for those not familiar, Tephanis from the Dark Elf Trilogy) and Nilbog for example.

QUICKLING
Small Fey
Hit Dice: 2d6 (7 hp)
Initiative: +7
Speed: 120 ft. (24 squares)
Armor Class: 19 (+1 size, +7 Dex, +1 natural), touch 18,
flat-footed 12
Base Attack/Grapple: +1/-4
Attack: Dagger +9 melee (1d3-1, 19-20/x2)
Full Attack: Dagger +9 melee (1d3-1, 19-20/x2)
Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft.
Special Attacks: Poison, spell-like abilities
Special Qualities: Blur, damage reduction 5/cold iron, evasion, natural invisibility, low-light vision, uncanny dodge
Saves: Fort +0, Ref +10, Will +5
Abilities: Str 8, Dex 24, Con 11, Int 15, Wis 15, Cha 14
Skills: Bluff +7, Concentration +4, Craft (any one) +6, Escape Artist +12, Hide +15*, Listen +8, Move Silently +11, Search +7, Spot +8, Survival +5
Feats: Dodge, Mobility (B), Spring Attack (B), Weapon Finesse (B)
Environment: Temperate forests
Organization: Gang (2-4) or band (4-11, plus one 4 HD leader)
Challenge Rating: 3
Treasure: No coins; 50% goods; 50% items
Alignment: Usually chaotic evil
Advancement: 3-4 HD
Level Adjustment: +4

Edited April 19 by Steel Warrior (see edit history)

[Blue Jay]

20 hours ago, Dnd4life said:

I think I may have asked this before.. But for the two characters that I ported over, I was considering possibly retraining Sarah (Dread Necromancer/Pixie) from the ground up as she was made way back in the day and my knowledge was fairly limited. I'm still interested in keeping mostly the same classes but possibly some feat selection difference. Also, I think I recall reading somewhere online a slightly modified spell list for Dread Necromancer as there's a few spells that are repeated for no reason. If not all good. I know we just did the whole "retraining" bit but this is slightly different as it's not directly from a level up :P

@rogueblade0729 and I were discussing a "major rebuild" option for just such a situation, but we haven't come close to implementing it yet. We both got a bit too busy in real life to keep working on rules innovations, so the conversation stalled midway through.

Major rebuilds were going to be allowed at a certain level, or after a certain amount of real-life play time. So, once you reached the designated level, you could make some major changes to the character, potentially even allowing a complete, ground-up rebuild, with the caveat that it actually remain the same character (i.e., we don't want you leveraging this to build a free high-level character).

We haven't implemented that though, so please just use the PHB2 Retraining rules for now.

20 hours ago, Dnd4life said:

Also, I think I recall reading somewhere online a slightly modified spell list for Dread Necromancer as there's a few spells that are repeated for no reason. If not all good. I know we just did the whole "retraining" bit but this is slightly different as it's not directly from a level up :P

To my knowledge, we haven't adopted a modified spell list for the dread necromancer. We augmented the healer list, but that's the only time I remember us doing that.

I think this GiantITP thread is what you're talking about. It makes four changes to the dread necromancer list:

1. Adds desecrate as a 2nd-level spell.
2. Adds magic circle as a 3rd-level spell.
3. Moves animate dead from 4th level to 3rd level.
4. Makes death ward at 4th-level spell (instead of both 3rd and 4th, as it is currently printed).

I'm okay with this modified list, actually. I have some reservations (e.g., desecrate has overtly religious connotations, so giving it to an arcane caster is a bit weird; and magic circle was primarily added for synergy with the planar binding line, which is already one of the most unbalanced things in 3e), but I think I can tolerate the modified list.

Are the other mods okay with this?

@Delia2531, @rogueblade0729, @Rudolf

[Dnd4life]

@Bluejay - Sounds good. I wasn't too sure if the IRL time frame counted since she was back from OGMY and there's been some changes. I'm not too familiar with the rebuild rules form PBH2 but it seems it's mostly feats or some alternate class features that would work. I was thinking of maybe swapping Dread Necromancer to Hexblade (fix) or something similar. For now then, I'll keep her as is and wait until a consensus is reached on the rebuild.

Those were some of the ones that I saw for the spell list. I think there was something about Death Watch as well but I could be wrong. I've never fully gotten into the Planar Binding thing but I have heard it's pretty wild.

Also in regards to the healer, I didn't see anything posted in the rules for the class. Not that it's very popular (My other ported character actually used it, I believe I was allowed Spontaneous and a few extra spells added to the list) but I imagine it doesn't come up very often.

[DragonFriend]

1 hour ago, Blue Jay said:

It would also beg the question of why we're not considering other 3rd-party content. I love Green Ronin's books, and there's plenty of stuff in their books that I'd love to try playing at some point. But, I'm still unwilling to open the floodgates on 3rd-party content.

If I am remembering correctly, it had to do with a certain former player abusing stuff from the BoEF with her succubus character. That player leaving is right about the time that the character creation and other rules started to become a lot more strict. Before all that happened it was pretty much all published 3.0 and 3.5 books + oslecamo, the business rules were much more loose, and we didn't have explicit don't screw with other player's character rules.

Edited April 20 by DragonFriend (see edit history)

[Rudolf]

I think this GiantITP thread is what you're talking about. It makes four changes to the dread necromancer list:

1. Adds desecrate as a 2nd-level spell.
2. Adds magic circle as a 3rd-level spell.
3. Moves animate dead from 4th level to 3rd level.
4. Makes death ward at 4th-level spell (instead of both 3rd and 4th, as it is currently printed).

 

I’m ok with slight changes to the Dread Necromancer spell list

[Steel Warrior]

I don't recall if the Oslecamo feats were allowed in the past or not, but Owlbear and Lightning Elemental are on the approved oslecamo list.

Monster Blooded[Monstruous]Either trough ritual, ancestry or some other event, the blood of a monster now courses trough your veins, strenghtening you.

(click to show/hide)
Benefit: Choose a base monster class. You gain +1 to an ability score of your choice that the chosen monster also gains.

Special: you can take this feat multiple times, each time choosing another monster. and Monster Hybrid[Monstruous]Your monster Blood grows stronger, now completely changing you.

(click to show/hide)
Prerequisites: Monster Blooded.

Benefit: You can now take levels of the base monster class you chose with Monster Blooded. You don't lose your old racial abilities, but if your actual creature type would change, you may choose to keep your old one or you must lose it in favor of the new one. You may also choose to keep:
-Limbs capable of fine manipulation.
-Your previous size.
-Your old natural weapons on top of new ones. If the new monster class offers natural weapons you already have, they don't stack.

This multiclass may be performed on the level you gain this feat, so for example if you reach 3rd, 6th or 9th level, you may pick this feat and instantly pick the chosen base monster class right away instead of another class. If you can pick monster blooded and Monster hybrid at first level, you can start with a base monster class and a race right away.

Special: This may be taken multiple times, up to the number of Monster Blooded feats you have. Each time, it applies to another monster. aka a Warcraft Druid Boomkin 😁. I would only be taking each feat once.
Shapeshift Druid 3 || Owlbear/Lightning Elemental Hybrid 1,2

Edited April 20 by Steel Warrior (see edit history)

[Rudolf]

14 hours ago, DragonFriend said:

abusing stuff from the BoEF…

I’m comfortable with letting that book go.

[Garol]

Hello, I've been looking for a thread/section of this forum to ask what goes and what doesn't in this game, and even if there is a place where I need to sign up or I just simply join the game. Are there such threads?

[Faeryl_]

10 minutes ago, Garol said:

Hello, I've been looking for a thread/section of this forum to ask what goes and what doesn't in this game, and even if there is a place where I need to sign up or I just simply join the game. Are there such threads?

Welcome to the RFT! To join, you only need to hit the 'join game' button and review the Creation Rules before submitting a character. Once your character is approved by a mod, you can start hanging out in the Tavern IC threads if you want as you wait for a new mission to open.

[Blue Jay]

3 minutes ago, Garol said:

Hello, I've been looking for a thread/section of this forum to ask what goes and what doesn't in this game, and even if there is a place where I need to sign up or I just simply join the game. Are there such threads?

Welcome to RFT! Everyone is welcome to join and start playing.

In a nutshell, this is an open club for anyone to play or DM. Characters have to be approval by a moderator (me, @Delia2531, @rogueblade0729 or @Rudolf), but once you're approved, you can apply to join any mission you qualify for. You can also run a one-shot mission as DM, if you want.

Look in the "Rules of the RFT" tab for basic guidelines. Start with this thread for character-building guidelines, including which sources we allow. Several other threads in that tab have our more extensive house rules, sorted by topic. If you have a character you want to play, just start an application thread in the "Character Submissions" tab.

[Blue Jay]

4 hours ago, Steel Warrior said:

I don't recall if the Oslecamo feats were allowed in the past or not, but Owlbear and Lightning Elemental are on the approved oslecamo list.

Monster Blooded[Monstruous]Either trough ritual, ancestry or some other event, the blood of a monster now courses trough your veins, strenghtening you.

(click to show/hide)
Benefit: Choose a base monster class. You gain +1 to an ability score of your choice that the chosen monster also gains.

Special: you can take this feat multiple times, each time choosing another monster. and Monster Hybrid[Monstruous]Your monster Blood grows stronger, now completely changing you.

(click to show/hide)
Prerequisites: Monster Blooded.

Benefit: You can now take levels of the base monster class you chose with Monster Blooded. You don't lose your old racial abilities, but if your actual creature type would change, you may choose to keep your old one or you must lose it in favor of the new one. You may also choose to keep:
-Limbs capable of fine manipulation.
-Your previous size.
-Your old natural weapons on top of new ones. If the new monster class offers natural weapons you already have, they don't stack.

This multiclass may be performed on the level you gain this feat, so for example if you reach 3rd, 6th or 9th level, you may pick this feat and instantly pick the chosen base monster class right away instead of another class. If you can pick monster blooded and Monster hybrid at first level, you can start with a base monster class and a race right away.

Special: This may be taken multiple times, up to the number of Monster Blooded feats you have. Each time, it applies to another monster. aka a Warcraft Druid Boomkin 😁. I would only be taking each feat once.
Shapeshift Druid 3 || Owlbear/Lightning Elemental Hybrid 1,2

Yes, we allow those feats. I've built monster hybrids before.