Post/Author/DateTime	Post
shivafang 11-04-05, 11:49 AM	I'm about to start a new campaign set in a much 'darker' world. A friend of mine who I've described the world to says it reminds him of ravenloft but I'm not familiar with the setting. Part of the campaign feel is that there is a lack of divine power. Originally I was going to have no divine casters at all, but then I decided to add in Avenger Druids (From Unearthed Arcana) with a varient spell-list, and I've decided to add in the Archivist from Heroes of Horror (with a modified spell-list also). Basically one of the things in the campaign I've decided is that positive energy flow dosn't work the same way it does in other worlds, which overall means there's no curative magics or ressurection. Another thing I've decided is that the creation of magical items are a fairly new science (or actually a revitalization of an old science since there are old artifacts from ancient times). Which makes the magic item count very low. Part of the way this works into the world is that I've decided thre's no generic wizards, but instead use the specialty wizards described in Unearthed Arcana, which for the most part removes the bonus feats wizards get (making magic item creation less likely). What factors do I have to consider about encounter balance? I obviously can't use the CRs straight from the monster manuals because the party is overall weaker. It cannot survive as many consecutive battles because they have no way to heal up immediatly after a grueling fight. Any thoughts or ideas would be greatly appreciated.
sfurtwangler 11-04-05, 11:54 AM	rely on fewer battles, more encounters of other types of challenges (traps, puzzles, mission-based or story-based). still base overall expereinece awarded for an adventure on the number of encoutners they should have - jsut don't make them do as many. :-)
Milo HoBo 11-04-05, 12:14 PM	Don't forget to let them sleep more so that their hit points can be healed through natural healing. Over all, I've thought about doing something similar and really enjoy the concept. Low magic campaigns are rare these days, but offer alot of potential, IMHO. Be careful about putting in monsters with DR x/magic because if a magic weapon is rare, your up front combatant will be unhappy with you. Most random encounter tables should be discarded because of such instances. Also be wary of undead that deal negative levels, con damage/drain, and just in general because of the lack of turning. Take into concideration what creatures are rare, those that rely on being made or twisted from magic, such as golems and certain abberations. Also think about your plane set up and what spells specifically will be affected. The positive energy plane heals characters who are just there. I can't really think of anything else. :D P.S.: Some classes have a distinct advantage in a low-magic setting. These are as follows: Soulknife (because of free weapon enchantments) Sorcerers (because they don't have to find their spells on scrolls, when scrolls will be rare) Barbarians (because they have the power to do far more damage to over come damage reduction, rather than fancy combat manuvers) Clerics were removed Druids were removed Psions, wilder, psywarior (the same as a sorcerer) Bard (if he still has healing magic) Monk (who doesn't require as many magic items to be useful and can bypass some damage reduction) Warmage (not really in need of magical equiptment and able to blast really well) Classes that face trouble ahead would be: Wizard (trying to find spells on scrolls and other wizards spell book) Archivist (same as wizard) Fighter (less capable without proper equiptment) I seperate the warlock because at low levels he might be less useful, but if he makes magic items once the ability is gained he could be the best addition to a party. Warlock (little or no magic items hinders one of the best warlock abilities, but they also later have the ability to make magic items, this is a toss up to the characters in play, really) And on a completely different note, you could change all of the healing spells to change lost hit points into subduel damage, just a thought. Change the school to transmutation and call it Close Minor Wound
Gilean 11-04-05, 01:10 PM	Use the following rule changes, in some form Improved masterwork items Defense bonus Arcane healing A way to negate ability drain Nonmagical ranger variant To elaborate a bit; Masterworking: The following enhancements are available to weapons (and shileds, as applicable): +1 damage, +1 to hit, +5 hit points and +2 hardness, +10 (ranged) or 5 (thrown) feet range increment, +2 to specific combat maneuvre (trip, disarm...) The following for armours (and shileds, as applicable): +1 armour bonus, +1 max dex, reduce check penalty by 1, -5 ASF, +10 hp and +5 hardness Cost for masterworking equals 300*(numbers of enhancements squared) Defense bonus: Equal to half BAB, reduce by armour check penalty, is a dodge bonus Arcane healing: As Milo Hobo said, or a version that heals damage but deals subdual damage (from, say, pain), or a version that takes time. Applicable to ability drain and damage. Ranger variant: Try Szatany's (see my sig). These are, of course, just example fixes for a few things. Use better ones if you know any.
Joe Outside 11-04-05, 01:42 PM	You might also want to consider allowing the d20 Modern Treat Injury rules to apply to the Heal skill. Allowing someone with the skill to heal others of 1d4 hit points after each fight can go a long way.
shivafang 11-04-05, 03:02 PM	I'm not planning on including planar travel, so I actually neglected thinking aobut it, but now that you mention it it is something I should still consider. I think it makes sence for me to think about it as if the plane was 'askew' compared to most material planes and being more knocked towards the plane of shadow and the negative energy plane and further from the positive, which is why there is more negative energy than positive energy. The funny thing is, I was thinking necromancy would be quite common, and undead tend to rise of their own accord at times. You've made a good point that I do need to think about what the residences of this world have that they use to counter undead without the use of positive energy. Good to think aobut, thanks for bringing it up. I wouldn't say it's a 'low magic' world. In some regards it is a lot lower level of magic, but Arcane magic is redily available and actually a large part of the military. The elite military squads of the world often emply Arcane Archers and Eldrich Knights, it's just really short on divine magic and magic items because of the lack of real divine influence and knowledge of how to create magic items... there were gods of old who had real power but they've kind of 'left' or been forgotten aobut and the Archivists are re-discovering that power, and there are artifacts and magic items from days gone by and there are people trying to re-create the knowledge of how to create items. Actually I'll rephrase what I said above, Arcane magic is common, but most arcane casters use it to supplment their martial abilities (ie.. Wizard/Fighter or Warmage/Fighter) very few pure spellcasting npcs, and those that are play predomonent roles in their societies - ie the high seer or head of a wizarding community. Improved masterwork items Defense bonus Using the rules from Player's Guide to Arcanis for Greater Masterwork Items. Defense bonus - great idea, I could incorporate the rule from Unearthed Arcana. Arcane healing Decided against this. Was thinking about letting Bards keep their Cure Light but then decided against it. I've also removed the spell from the two divine classes that remain (The avenger druid and the archivist) A way to negate ability drain Or just have those types of undead be REALY scary to meet. I'd like to incorporate more ideas from Heroes of Horror. Nonmagical ranger variant Using it, the one from Complete Warrior. You might also want to consider allowing the d20 Modern Treat Injury rules to apply to the Heal skill. Alright, is there a d20 modern ogl srd? I don't own those books and I think I could use some of those rules. I've bought nearly EVERY book wizards has put out for base D&D Complete, Environment, Races, Exhaulted Deeds, Vile Darkness, Unearthed Arcana ... I think the only ones I'm missing are Sandstorm and Incarnum, so I've been reluctant to go into a related suplement that I'd rarely play except for rules modifications. Another note i'm using a 'wound level' system I found in an ogl book (Sword & Sorcery Advanced Player's Guide), but I could adjust the rule to a recovery check.
Joe Outside 11-05-05, 03:40 AM	From the d20 Modern SRD: Treat Injury (Wis) Check: The DC and effect depend on the task attempted. Long-Term Care (DC 15): With a medical kit, the successful application of this skill allows a patient to recover hit points and ability points lost to temporary damage at an advanced rate—3 hit points per character level or 3 ability points restored per day of complete rest. A new check is made each day; on a failed check, recovery occurs at the normal rate for that day of rest and care. A character can tend up to as many patients as he or she has ranks in the skill. The patients need complete bed rest (doing nothing all day). The character needs to devote at least ½ hour of the day to each patient the character is caring for. Restore Hit Points (DC 15): With a medical kit, if a character has lost hit points, the character can restore some of them. A successful check, as a full-round action, restores 1d4 hit points. The number restored can never exceed the character’s full normal total of hit points. This application of the skill can be used successfully on a character only once per day. Revive Dazed, Stunned, or Unconscious Character (DC 15): With a first aid kit, the character can remove the dazed, stunned, or unconscious condition from a character. This check is an attack action. A successful check removes the dazed, stunned, or unconscious condition from an affected character. The character can’t revive an unconscious character who is at –1 hit points or lower without first stabilizing the character. Stabilize Dying Character (DC 15): With a medical kit, a character can tend to a character who is dying. As an attack action, a successful Treat Injury check stabilizes another character. The stabilized character regains no hit points, but he or she stops losing them. The character must have a medical kit to stabilize a dying character. Surgery (DC 20): With a surgery kit, a character can conduct field surgery. This application of the Treat Injury skill carries a –4 penalty, which can be negated with the Surgery feat. Surgery requires 1d4 hours; if the patient is at negative hit points, add an additional hour for every point below 0 the patient has fallen. Surgery restores 1d6 hit points for every character level of the patient (up to the patient’s full normal total of hit points) with a successful skill check. Surgery can only be used successfully on a character once in a 24-hour period. A character who undergoes surgery is fatigued for 24 hours, minus 2 hours for every point above the DC the surgeon achieves. The period of fatigue can never be reduced below 6 hours in this fashion. Treat Disease (DC 15): A character can tend to a character infected with a treatable disease. Every time the diseased character makes a saving throw against disease effects (after the initial contamination), the treating character first makes a Treat Injury check to help the diseased character fend off secondary damage. This activity takes 10 minutes. If the treating character’s check succeeds, the treating character provides a bonus on the diseased character’s saving throw equal to his or her ranks in this skill. Treat Poison (DC 15): A character can tend to a poisoned character. When a poisoned character makes a saving throw against a poison’s secondary effect, the treating character first makes a Treat Injury check as an attack action. If the treating character’s check succeeds, the character provides a bonus on the poisoned character’s saving throw equal to his or her ranks in this skill. Try Again?: Yes, for restoring hit points, reviving dazed, stunned, or unconscious characters, stabilizing dying characters, and surgery. No, for all other uses of the skill. Special: The Surgery feat gives a character the extra training he or she needs to use Treat Injury to help a wounded character by means of an operation. A character can take 10 when making a Treat Injury check. A character can take 20 only when restoring hit points or attempting to revive dazed, stunned, or unconscious characters. Hope that helps.
Gilean 11-05-05, 03:48 AM	D20 modern SRD (http://www.12tomidnight.com/d20modernsrd/Home.php)
shivafang 11-05-05, 04:25 AM	Thanks :). I've started the campaign today before reading the above post and basically decided to allow them to heal for a 'full day' with only 8 hrs rest since the amount of travelling the party is doing makes a full days rest totally impractical. I've been doing healing as one person providing long term care througout this 8 hr period. (They basically devided the night into 4 watches and try to have 3 people awake during each shift, one on medic duty and two actually watching. The two main medics are the pure Scout (with +4) and the Archivist, who has a masterwork healer's kit for +10.) Thanks your your input, a breif synopsis of how tonight's session played out, if interested, The party made their characters as: an archivist3/fighter1 (who is also thinking of taking mage levels..), a scout (melee), a scout/fighter (archery), a ninja and a monk. Greatly lacking on the arcane and 'tank' sides (the monk is played by the same player that usuall plays barbarians, and with the same mindset.. high str=kill it before it kills you.) but the dynamic seems to be doing well (except the ninja who happens to always be in exactly the wrong place at the wrong time and winds up serving as comic releif, but it seems like all of the player's characters usually get relegated to that role because he is just so hard to take serously even when he tries real hard.). The party feels worried about their 'wound levels' but so far not so much that they are always going into battle nearly dead. Of course this is overland travel where I've given them one 'combat' encounter and one 'rp' encounter that could go battle (she's a bale.. kind of like a humanoid living creature that's almost like a vampire. She pretends to be nice but just wants to suck the party's blood. Even though she's got extra joints in her fingers and cat-like eyes the party likes her.)
super*rare 11-08-05, 12:52 AM	someone mentioned UA. it has many good ideas for this type of campaign. the sections on Reserve Points and Damage Conversion are cool. if you use Vitality Points and Wound Points you last longer in a fight but crits are a bit more deadly. also point out the Endurance and Diehard feats to your players. if you use Wound Points, give a +4 bonus(Endurance) for the Fort save to avoid being stunned when any Wound Points are lost. if at 0 Wound Points, the Diehard feat cancels the save the character must make to avoid dying. check out the Defense Bonus and Action Points section, too. well, i think i made my "point" :D
Thelon Fairblade 11-10-05, 02:00 PM	Reserve Points are working well in my campaign, where I only give them out equal to hit points earned for Fighter levels. Alchemical / Herbal healing options are also a good thing to have. Something truly curative but weak (like 1d4 healing, or maybe 1d6 with a side effect), or something that speeds healing (like 1d8+1 "lethal" converted to "nonlethal", i.e. speeding that wound up from days to hours). Dealing with undead: holy water and fire. Even without holy water, fire works on pretty much every undead out there... being an "energy attack", it even works on wraiths and spectres (50% miss chance, of course), and bypasses the DR of zombies and skeletons. One GM I met a convention recently decided that in addition to normal Hit Points, he would also use "Wound Levels". Once the players lose all their hit points, each strike requires a Fort Save or a Wound would be suffered... Wounds impair all actions, slow the character, and generally take a long time to heal. But a character could fight on with lots of minor wounds, or be dropped by a single serious wound (as determined by comparing the damage suffered to the Fort save results). Sadly, I don't know his exact rules... Basically, the point of that paragraph is to use a "Vitality" concept, and have Hit Points return very quickly (hours), but actual physical wounds/damage to the body requires long-term rest and care.