Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Endarire Jan 10, 2009 2:51:08	Points to Critique What other changes do you believe would be prudent or necessary for this game to run smoothly? House Rules & Setting Notes Starting Out -Any source material from WotC or my homebrew cache is allowed, pending my ruling. Typically, we'll use the most recent errata. -No infinite or nearly infinite loops: They just kill the game. -We use a 30 point buy. starting at ECL1. You have 200 gold to spend wisely. -Magic-psionic transparency is active. Knowledge (psionics) is still a separate skill. (Spellcraft and Psicraft are interchangeable, caster level = manifester level, etc.) -As this is a low-magic, low-psionic world, I encourage someone in the party to take item creation feats. Magic Item Creation -All magic items have a crafting time of 1 day per 1000 gold of the crafting price. For example, a Headband of INT +2 has a market price of 4000 gold, a craft price of 2000 gold, and requires 2 days to craft. -Item creation feats are thus: Craft Contingent Spell (requires caster level 11), Craft Magic Item (requires caster level 1), and the Artisan feats. You still need the appropriate spells, caster level, gold, and XP to craft magic items. -Artisan Feats: Exceptional (-25% craft time for all items), Extraordinary (-25% gold cost for all items), Legendary (-25% XP cost for all items), and Magic (-25% craft time, gold cost, and XP drain for Craft Contingent Spell or Craft Magic Item. Artisan feats stack multiplicatively, meaning Exceptional Artisan and Magic.Artisan (Craft Magic Item) reduces magic item creation cost to 56.25% of its normal craft price. -Wizards are initially only able to craft magic scrolls. Artificers gain magic item creation abilities as normal.. -Should anyone get close enough to epic level to warrant it, Craft Epic Magic Item will also be available. -There are no magic item slot affinities. (I like the thought of boots boosting my INT and Blizzard does too.) Class Changes -Wizards, Sorcerers, and Psions get 4 base skill points per level and may choose 2 skills to always be class skills. -Artificers can choose to craft magic scrolls as arcane, divine, or neither. This overwrites official errata. -All Conjuration (Healing) spells from the cleric base list are added to the Wizard list as arcane Necromancy (Healing) spells of equal level. Some healy-like spells from other schools, such as delay death (Spell Compendium 63) are also available. -Likewise, all inflict spells are added to the Sor/Wiz list as arcane Necromancy spells. Specialist Necromancers can automatically convert spells into cure or inflict spells like a typical cleric can. (This is for the group's sanity. I don't want everyone needing to spend weeks to rest between fights, especially with everyone as d4s, nor do I want PC-created undead to be an undue liability.) -Sorcerers will be significantly modified to make them closer in power to Wizards. Faster-than-normal Sorcerer progression options such as Loredrake or Greater Draconic Rite of Passage will be toned down or eliminated. -Multiclassing is allowed, but starting a radically different class- like taking Barbarian at level 2- will require a significant amount of in-game training time. For story reasons, divine casters are highly discouraged. There is no multiclass experience penalty. -Certain classes aren't initially available because they're nonsensical. For now the list is: Mage of the Arcane Order (Complete Arcane 48). Feat Changes -Leadership is allowed, but we'll discuss details about your cohort before you take the feat. In short, the cohort's stats must be sensical. Why all Wizards? Wizards are my favorite class since they're physically weak but tactically strong. Built correctly, they are one of the most powerful classes. One of their primary weaknesses of a small number of spell slots at low levels is partially covered because there are so many Wizards in the party. Low HP and Fortitude saves make adventuring exciting and dangerous. Logically, in my opinion, Wizards should rule the world. After all, they have the desire if not the power. (Maybe it's the other way around.) Careful what you Ban! Each school should be usable by someone in the group. If you specialize, take these notes to heart: Buffs, site protections, and dispel magic are typically abjurations. While not every Wizard secures a base, every Wizard insufficiently protected has perished or worse. Heavily fortified opponents pose more trouble to you and their protections may be your downfall. Be careful about dropping Abjuration. Summons, teleporation, crowd control, some direct damage, and even some buffs are conjurations. A Conjurer would be expected to summon creatures and manipulate terrain to favor his allies, such as via summon monster, grease, solid fog, and benign transposition. Conjuration is debatably the most powerful school, tied with Tranmutation. Be very careful about dropping Conjuration. Knowledge is power in the form of preparation. Being able to remotely spy on enemies, identify items, assay resistance, and alter fortune are the favorite uses of divinations. Contrary to the core rules, you may drop Divination. Be careful about dropping it, however. Enchantment gets a bad rap as a small school with lots of redundanc as the vast majority of its spells are Mind-Affecting Will saves that offer Spell Resistance. This is true, but where there are low Will saves, there are mind slaves, or at least more helpful NPCs. Not every major civic figure will be strong of Will. (Dominate person and charm monster last for one day per level!) Be careful about dropping Enchantment. Initially at least, your damage is from your spells or physical weapons. You need not kill a foe to overcome its challenge, but there are times when being able to hurt things via magic missile, fireball, or scorching ray is helpful. Evocation offers the famous wall of force and the ever-helpful contingency and sonorous hum. Be careful about dropping Evocation. Illusions typically offer Will saves and Spell Resistance, but their power is proportionate to your imagination. Silent image can let you create illusionary creatures, walls, pits, spikes, and other dangers as well as make objects look less or more valuable. (A Shadowcraft Mage (Races of Stone 120) turns illusions into painful reality.) Mirror image is one of the best buffs for any Wizard, and blur and displacement help ensure your survival. Be careful about dropping Illusion. Normally, Necromancy is an obvious school to drop. In Allister, Necromancy is the school of life and death, meaning healers and would-be undead army commanders benefit greatly from cure, inflict, and reviving spells in this school. Specialist Necromancers can convert spells into cure or inflict spells as a typical cleric would. Necromancy also offers the most potent debuffs. Be careful about dropping Necromancy. Buffs and some painful, long-term status effects are the primary purview of transmutation spells. Time stop, polymorph, disintegrate, and flesh to stone are favorite transmutations. As a school, Transmutation is arguably the most powerful, tied with Conjuration. Be very careful about dropping Transmutation. Campaign Overview The campaign starts with a group of 4-6 ECL1s, preferably all wizards, sent through a portal from a magicopolis on their home plane to what they soon discover is a low-magic world. Hopefully they'll soon realize their chance to take over and mold society into a formidable fighting force, or take refuge in an obscure location. They'll probably come into contact with the organization controlling magic in this world. Casters and magic items exist, but they're typically low power and kept out of the general populace's view. Slowly or perhaps quickly, the group will draw attention to themselves. Perhaps planar invaders will come to this low-magic plane and try taking over. Perhaps the group will try protecting it. Perhaps the group will want to return home. In doing so, they may arrive to find the place as a warzone or a raided, deserted city. (I haven't decided on how time flows in their home plane.)
#2 Endarire Jan 11, 2009 19:18:21	Have I left everyone speechless?
#3 matthewswift Jan 11, 2009 21:31:12	Harry Potter on Steroids. It has plenty of potential. 3.x wizards have the potential to be any other class, only better with the right spells. How this turns out depends on the intelligence and know how of your players. I recomend this for experienced players (and dms) only. As an example, the first trap they encounter coul either one shot them or give them a chance to exercise detect magic or detect trap. The second trap they encounter will be harder since either spells or players have been used up. It depends on how sleepy your wizards are really... Kind of like playing the first Final Fantasy with a party of all white mages: Kind of cool, so long as you know how to play.
#4 Endarire Jan 11, 2009 22:53:03	I finished the first Final Fantasy with all black mages. It was fun once they learned Fire2, but got old quickly. At least Chaos was a challenge.
#5 dirtyfrank Jan 12, 2009 0:01:03	I finished the first Final Fantasy with all black mages. It was fun once they learned Fire2, but got old quickly. At least Chaos was a challenge. I haven't read through the entire post, but yes, it can get old quickly. Most people will stick with what works. A wizard has to memorize spells in advance so they will likely only memorize what will work. This means if you through at them what they are prepared for, the game will get boring because it it will turn into the same routine game after game. If you throw something at the wizards that they are not prepared for, it can turn into TPK quite quickly. Yes, wizards are strong and can be godlike but they are only so if they are prepared. If they are prepared they tend to fall into a routine which is sort of forced on them by how they memorize spells.
#6 Book5 Jan 14, 2009 11:57:23	The preparation deal is pertinent. I would say to make sure things go smoothly include some manner of logistics support. Eyes and ears or divination - either one. The wizards need to know what they are preparing for. This is neat - sounds like the start of a Regdars article. Careful what you Ban! Each school should be usable by someone in the group. If you specialize, take these notes to heart: Buffs, site protections, and dispel magic are typically abjurations. While not every Wizard secures a base, every Wizard insufficiently protected has perished or worse. Heavily fortified opponents pose more trouble to you and their protections may be your downfall. Be careful about dropping Abjuration. Summons, teleporation, crowd control, some direct damage, and even some buffs are conjurations. A Conjurer would be expected to summon creatures and manipulate terrain to favor his allies, such as via summon monster, grease, solid fog, and benign transposition. Conjuration is debatably the most powerful school, tied with Tranmutation. Be very careful about dropping Conjuration. Knowledge is power in the form of preparation. Being able to remotely spy on enemies, identify items, assay resistance, and alter fortune are the favorite uses of divinations. Contrary to the core rules, you may drop Divination. Be careful about dropping it, however. Enchantment gets a bad rap as a small school with lots of redundanc as the vast majority of its spells are Mind-Affecting Will saves that offer Spell Resistance. This is true, but where there are low Will saves, there are mind slaves, or at least more helpful NPCs. Not every major civic figure will be strong of Will. (Dominate person and charm monster last for one day per level!) Be careful about dropping Enchantment. Initially at least, your damage is from your spells or physical weapons. You need not kill a foe to overcome its challenge, but there are times when being able to hurt things via magic missile, fireball, or scorching ray is helpful. Evocation offers the famous wall of force and the ever-helpful contingency and sonorous hum. Be careful about dropping Evocation. Illusions typically offer Will saves and Spell Resistance, but their power is proportionate to your imagination. Silent image can let you create illusionary creatures, walls, pits, spikes, and other dangers as well as make objects look less or more valuable. (A Shadowcraft Mage (Races of Stone 120) turns illusions into painful reality.) Mirror image is one of the best buffs for any Wizard, and blur and displacement help ensure your survival. Be careful about dropping Illusion. Normally, Necromancy is an obvious school to drop. In Allister, Necromancy is the school of life and death, meaning healers and would-be undead army commanders benefit greatly from cure, inflict, and reviving spells in this school. Specialist Necromancers can convert spells into cure or inflict spells as a typical cleric would. Necromancy also offers the most potent debuffs. Be careful about dropping Necromancy. Buffs and some painful, long-term status effects are the primary purview of transmutation spells. Time stop, polymorph, disintegrate, and flesh to stone are favorite transmutations. As a school, Transmutation is arguably the most powerful, tied with Conjuration. Be very careful about dropping Transmutation.