Ability Brokerage [Archive] - Wizards Community

Ability Brokerage [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Ancient History
06-03-06, 10:08 AM One of the principle grievances that comes out with every new DnD book is that they inevitably include Kewl New Abilities (TM) that your established characters cannot use. This is particularly true in regards to mystical abilities. The natural attempt to "fix" this situation is to include "dual classes" (such as the cerebremancer) that augment the abilities of both a new ability (like meldshaping) and an old one (like arcane spellcasting), and/or "currency feats" that allow characters to exchange some of one ability to augment another (sacrifice essentia to gain psionic focus, for example). However, given the limited amount of space in each book, there is no way to create a comprehensive list of "dual classes" and "currency feats."

To this problem, I offer a possible solution: the Ability Broker substitution metalevel. Whenever you gain a level in a class, you may take an Ability Broker substitution level instead. When you take an Ability Broker substitution level, you may do one or all of the following:

If your character would gain a "relative level" (i.e. the class grants +1 arcane spellcasting level, +1 divine spellcasting level, +1 manifester level, +1 meldshaper level, etc.) you may instead gain a different "relative level."

If your character would gain a "numberal potential" (i.e. spell-per-day slot, essentia, power points, infusion slot, etc.) you may instead gain a different "numeral potential", as governed by an appropriate exchange table (1 Essentia == 3 power points, etc.)

If your character would gain an "effect knowledge" (i.e. spells known, mystery, utterance, invocation, psionic power) you may instead gain a different "effect knowledge", as governed by an appropriate exchange table (level 3 psionic power == least invocation, etc.)

Numeral potentials may also be exchanged for effect knowledges and vice versa, but carries it's own exchange rate (dark invocation for 8th level spell slot, etc.)

Your effective level for using any abilities not covered under your original class(es) is equal to one-quarter of your character level, rounded up.

For example: Spelljack the Sorceror decides to diversify a little. When Spelljack gains enough XP to make 3rd level, and he decides to make it an Ability Broker Sorceror level. Normally, he'd gain one relative arcane caster level, one 1st-level spell slot, and spell knowledge of a 1st-level spell. Spelljack decides to trade the 1st-level spell slot for a 1st-level infusion slot and the knowledge of the 1st-level spell for knowledge of an infusion (which, because he is 3rd level, he would use as a 1st-level artificer). In all other respects, Spelljack is still a 3rd-level sorceror, and does not recieve penalties for multiclassing.

Notes: This can also be used to further customize a base class. For example, a psion may want to sacrifice power points in order to know more powers than they otherwise could; and a wizard might be willing to sacrifice spell slots to gain the versatility of an invocation or sorceror spell.

Naturally, some abilities appeal more than others. Sacrificing a spell slot to gain power points makes the character psionic, essentially giving them the Wild Talent feat and giving them access to various classes, feats, and items. Exchanging a power known to gain a spell known is useless unless you also trade for a spell slot.
Board_Rider
06-03-06, 11:39 AM Not bad. But I think it just isn't needed. With the Tome of Magic haveing something a bit like this as well as the PHB2 covering retraining Players have two ways to "rebuild" their PCs.

Personaly, if the Player wanted something that bad that couldn't wait until the next campaign I would just let him make a new PC.
Ancient History
06-03-06, 12:33 PM This isn't the same as retraining to change your feat selection or psychic reformation to pick up a different class. You stay in the same class but change your abilities. The main use would be to allow your character to take advantage of new material without creating a completely new character.

For example, say you're a monk and you decide to pick up some levels in druid. You're not interested in the divine spellcasting, but you do like the wildshaping. So you take Ability Broker substitution levels for Druid - trade out your "relative levels" of divine casting ability for "relative levels" of wildshaping or monk-attack abilities, and trade out the divine-spell-slots-per-day for additional uses-per-day of stunning fist or wild shape.
K
06-03-06, 10:22 PM Wouldn't it be a better idea to just make sure you understand that a new power type is probably going to be accessed as a second or third schtick by anyone who uses it and make sure that it provides something level appropriate. Like we did with the Sphere magic in the Tome of Fiends (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=646241)

Essentially, the fact that Shadow Magic and Incarnum don't integrate into a normal charactr in a level appropriate fashion is a bad thing, but it's a bad thing that is the fault of the people who wrote those things. Making new crazy-hook-up stuff doesn't solve the essential problem - it just makes the game more complicated.

And like we told Lars, making things more complicated does noone any favors. If you're going to write new material, make sure that it is easy to integrate into the existing game. Like the old adage goes: "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." If something really requires crazy hook ups to work at all, it's just not playable. Rather than bending yourself in knotts trying to make it work, just accept the fact that it's badly written and spend that energy making something good yourself.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Ancient History 06-03-06, 10:08 AM	One of the principle grievances that comes out with every new DnD book is that they inevitably include Kewl New Abilities (TM) that your established characters cannot use. This is particularly true in regards to mystical abilities. The natural attempt to "fix" this situation is to include "dual classes" (such as the cerebremancer) that augment the abilities of both a new ability (like meldshaping) and an old one (like arcane spellcasting), and/or "currency feats" that allow characters to exchange some of one ability to augment another (sacrifice essentia to gain psionic focus, for example). However, given the limited amount of space in each book, there is no way to create a comprehensive list of "dual classes" and "currency feats." To this problem, I offer a possible solution: the Ability Broker substitution metalevel. Whenever you gain a level in a class, you may take an Ability Broker substitution level instead. When you take an Ability Broker substitution level, you may do one or all of the following: If your character would gain a "relative level" (i.e. the class grants +1 arcane spellcasting level, +1 divine spellcasting level, +1 manifester level, +1 meldshaper level, etc.) you may instead gain a different "relative level." If your character would gain a "numberal potential" (i.e. spell-per-day slot, essentia, power points, infusion slot, etc.) you may instead gain a different "numeral potential", as governed by an appropriate exchange table (1 Essentia == 3 power points, etc.) If your character would gain an "effect knowledge" (i.e. spells known, mystery, utterance, invocation, psionic power) you may instead gain a different "effect knowledge", as governed by an appropriate exchange table (level 3 psionic power == least invocation, etc.) Numeral potentials may also be exchanged for effect knowledges and vice versa, but carries it's own exchange rate (dark invocation for 8th level spell slot, etc.) Your effective level for using any abilities not covered under your original class(es) is equal to one-quarter of your character level, rounded up. For example: Spelljack the Sorceror decides to diversify a little. When Spelljack gains enough XP to make 3rd level, and he decides to make it an Ability Broker Sorceror level. Normally, he'd gain one relative arcane caster level, one 1st-level spell slot, and spell knowledge of a 1st-level spell. Spelljack decides to trade the 1st-level spell slot for a 1st-level infusion slot and the knowledge of the 1st-level spell for knowledge of an infusion (which, because he is 3rd level, he would use as a 1st-level artificer). In all other respects, Spelljack is still a 3rd-level sorceror, and does not recieve penalties for multiclassing. Notes: This can also be used to further customize a base class. For example, a psion may want to sacrifice power points in order to know more powers than they otherwise could; and a wizard might be willing to sacrifice spell slots to gain the versatility of an invocation or sorceror spell. Naturally, some abilities appeal more than others. Sacrificing a spell slot to gain power points makes the character psionic, essentially giving them the Wild Talent feat and giving them access to various classes, feats, and items. Exchanging a power known to gain a spell known is useless unless you also trade for a spell slot.
Board_Rider 06-03-06, 11:39 AM	Not bad. But I think it just isn't needed. With the Tome of Magic haveing something a bit like this as well as the PHB2 covering retraining Players have two ways to "rebuild" their PCs. Personaly, if the Player wanted something that bad that couldn't wait until the next campaign I would just let him make a new PC.
Ancient History 06-03-06, 12:33 PM	This isn't the same as retraining to change your feat selection or psychic reformation to pick up a different class. You stay in the same class but change your abilities. The main use would be to allow your character to take advantage of new material without creating a completely new character. For example, say you're a monk and you decide to pick up some levels in druid. You're not interested in the divine spellcasting, but you do like the wildshaping. So you take Ability Broker substitution levels for Druid - trade out your "relative levels" of divine casting ability for "relative levels" of wildshaping or monk-attack abilities, and trade out the divine-spell-slots-per-day for additional uses-per-day of stunning fist or wild shape.
K 06-03-06, 10:22 PM	Wouldn't it be a better idea to just make sure you understand that a new power type is probably going to be accessed as a second or third schtick by anyone who uses it and make sure that it provides something level appropriate. Like we did with the Sphere magic in the Tome of Fiends (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=646241) Essentially, the fact that Shadow Magic and Incarnum don't integrate into a normal charactr in a level appropriate fashion is a bad thing, but it's a bad thing that is the fault of the people who wrote those things. Making new crazy-hook-up stuff doesn't solve the essential problem - it just makes the game more complicated. And like we told Lars, making things more complicated does noone any favors. If you're going to write new material, make sure that it is easy to integrate into the existing game. Like the old adage goes: "A lack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part." If something really requires crazy hook ups to work at all, it's just not playable. Rather than bending yourself in knotts trying to make it work, just accept the fact that it's badly written and spend that energy making something good yourself.