User:Aarnott/Lego Bin 17

Andrew's Campaign Rules (AKA Grimoire and Gritty)

First off, these rules were calculated with an E8 system in mind. That is to say, they don't work well outside this system.

Attack rolls and AC

Attack rolls and AC are greatly simplified in this system. There are no qualifiers to types of bonuses/penalties to attack rolls and AC because, for the most part, they are being removed.

An attack roll is as follows: 1d20 + BAB + Str or Dex modifier + size bonuses + tactical modifiers. Tactical modifiers are one (or more) of the following: flanking (+2), high ground (+1), opponent is flat-footed (+2, see below), touch attack (+4, see below), opponent is helpless (+4).

Light weapons and ranged weapons can only have Dex added to the attack roll. Two-handed weapons can only have Str added to the attack roll.

Attacks against flat-footed opponents gain a flat +2 bonus to hit (instead of removing their dex bonus to AC).

Touch attacks work differently than standard 3.5e. They let you hit more easily as before, but instead of removing different portions of AC (now that AC is simplified), they instead just let you treat your BAB as your character level + 4. They are also light weapons (so you use Dex for your ability score bonus to the attack roll).

This basic rule does away with morale bonuses, enhancement bonuses, luck bonuses, etc. If a character would gain any bonus to their attack roll, their damage increases by 1 per 2 points of bonuses instead (round up, combining all bonuses together first).

Attack roll penalties of any sort can reduce attack rolls by a maximum of 2 points, after which they instead decrease the damage dealt by the creature by 1 per point of penalties. By any sort, I mean that if it would reduce your attack roll by some amount (be it negative levels, poison damage to an ability score, etc.) it counts as a penalty for these purposes. For example, if John the 3rd level fighter has a curse on him that gives him a -6 to attack rolls and he is poisoned by a spider bite that decreased his Strength by 4 (-2 to attack rolls and damage), he instead takes -2 to attack rolls and -8 to damage (-4 from the curse and -4 from the poison).

There are no extra attacks from having a high BAB.

For every 2 points you exceed a target's AC, you deal an extra point of damage.

AC no longer represents your ability to withstand blows, it instead represents your ability to dodge blows. A character has an AC score of 10 + BAB + size bonuses + Dex or Int modifier. Max dex of armor still applies!

There is no longer a flat-footed AC or touch AC.

This rule does away with morale bonuses, natural armor bonuses, armor bonuses, shield bonuses, etc. If a character would gain any bonus to AC (including bonuses like a monk's wisdom bonus to AC), they instead gain a stackable damage reduction of 1/— per 2 points of bonuses instead (round up, combining all bonuses together first). A character can also gain an additional point of damage reduction per point of BAB they have to a maximum of their armor bonus to AC or natural armor bonus to AC, whichever is higher (not that either is actually added to AC, but you get the idea).

AC penalties can reduce your AC by a maximum of 2 points, after which they instead reduce your stackable DR by 1 per 2 points of penalties.

For example: a level 1 rogue with +1 natural armor, a buckler, and a chain shirt would have DR 3/— (+2 armor, +1/2 natural, +1/2 buckler). If that same rogue wore a breastplate and used a large shield, he would have DR 4/— (+2 1/2 armor, +1 shield, +1/2 natural). A level 1 fighter in full plate would have DR 5/— (+1 armor and BAB, +4 armor). Clear as mud?

How's that for staying on the RNG? Basically, I can set the RNG around a 3/4 BAB. This means at 8th level the casters have a 40% chance to hit, the rogues have a 50% chance to hit, and the fighters have a 60% chance to hit.

Note to self: this means I need casters to deal 5/4x the damage of rogues and have fighters deal 5/6x the damage of rogues to have damage all on the same playing field.

Ability modifiers

In any situation where you can add an ability modifier to something, you can add 1/2 a different ability modifier to that thing instead if it would benefit you. Strength can be used in place of Constitution (or vice-versa), Dexterity in place of Intelligence (or vice-versa), and Wisdom in place of Charisma (or vice-versa).

Level Up Changes

You gain a feat at every level.

You gain +1 to two different ability scores at every even level (2, 4, 6, and 8).

At level 4 and 8, you gain a +1 bonus to every ability score.

Two weapon fighting

Fighting with two weapons is a very strong option since this system is trying to have each attack deal lots of damage (rather than several lower damage attacks).

So instead of the usual -2 penalty with the feat, it is -4 with the feat (-5 if the off-hand is one-handed). Gaining the feat also allows you to attack with both weapons as part of a standard action/full round action that would normally use a single attack (which is better than the original TWF rules).

At 4th level, TWF penalties reduce by 1.

At 8th level, TWF penalties reduce by 1.

Saving Throws

Saving throws do not progress like standard 3.5e and are not used like normal. Instead they are a defense (like 4e).

They are 10 + 3/4 your character level + ability modifier. Fortitude saves allow you to add Str or Con, Reflex saves add Dex or Int, and Will saves add Wis or Cha.

If you have at least 1 level in a class that has a "good" saving throw, you gain a +1 bonus to the appropriate defense. For every 4 levels you have that improves that saving throw at a good rate, you gain an additional +1 bonus to that defense.

I am doing away with random bonuses to saves. Any other bonus you would gain to a saving throw defense instead allows you to force an opponent to reroll an attack against that defense once per day per 3 points of bonuses (round up). Track the number of rerolls you have used in a day (ie. you can't gain a +4 bonus from a spell, use 2 rerolls, dismiss the spell, cast it again and use another 2 rerolls -- the rerolls up to the "+6 worth of bonuses" are used up).

For example: John has 3 levels in rogue, and 2 levels in monk. Monk progresses all saving throws as good, so he gains at least a +1 bonus to his Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses. Rogue progresses reflex as good, so he has at least 4 levels progressing his Reflex defense, which gives him an additional +1 bonus to it.

Feats are small and specific

Feats in this system are meant to be small and specific. They basically are supposed to give a small vertical increase of +1 or +2 or open up a new situational option.

Here are some examples:

• Combat Reflexes: You gain an extra attack of opportunity each round.
• Dodge: You gain +1 AC.
  • Greater Dodge: You gain an additional +1 AC.
• Weapon Focus: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls with a chosen weapon group.
• Tough: You can use your Con modifier for attack rolls (in place of Str).
• Clever: You can use your Int modifier for attack rolls (in place of Dex).
• Intuition: You can use your Wis modifier for attack rolls (in place of Dex).
• Passion: You can use your Cha modifier for attack rolls (in place of Str).

Special Attacks

Bull Rush

Make an attack roll using Strength against the opponent's Fortitude defense. If you succeed, you deal unarmed damage against the opponent (or the damage of your shield bash or natural weapon damage, whichever is best) and you push the opponent back 5 ft. For every 2 points you beat the opponent's Fortitude defense by, you can push them back an additional 5ft. You must move with your opponent (and cannot push farther than your movement allows, although you may spend a move action to push twice your move speed). This movement provokes attacks of opportunity at a -4 to hit.

Improved Bull Rush: If you hit your opponent, you can push them back an extra 5ft. You can also choose not to move with the opponent, but if you do, the amount you push them is halved.

See Also: Overrun

Charge

As SRD rules.

Demoralize

As a standard action, make an intimidate check against 10 + the target's HD + the target's wisdom or charisma modifier (whichever is higher) + any bonuses vs. fear the target has. You take a -4 penalty to this check against monsters immune to mind-affecting abilities. If you succeed, the target is shaken for 1 round + 1 round per 2 points you exceed the DC.

Having intimidate as a trained skill can allow you to demoralize with move actions or swift actions:

• 1 HD: move action 1/encounter
• 4 HD: move action 2/encounter or swift action 1/encounter
• 8 HD: move action 3/encounter or swift action 1/encounter and move action 1/encounter

Improved Demoralize: You can take a -2 to your demoralize check to target each enemy within 15 ft. of you (just compare the single check against all the creatures).

Disarm

As an attack action, make an attack roll at a -4 penalty against an opponent's Reflex defense. If your attack roll is higher, you disarm him, knocking his weapon into any adjacent square to him. You must be threatening your opponent to disarm him.

Note: You can disarm spellcasters of their implement.

Against creatures that only have natural weapons, making a successful disarm attempt gives them a -2 penalty to attack rolls with that natural weapon until they heal it.

Improved Disarm: You can make an attack roll against an opponent immediately after you disarm him.

Feint

As a move action, you can make a Diplomacy check (diplomacy replaced bluff) opposed by your opponent's Will defense. If you succeed, the target is treated as flat-footed (+2 to hit) against you until your next turn.

Improved Feint: You can feint as a swift action.

Fight Aggressively

You can take a -3 penalty to AC to gain a +2 bonus to your attack rolls until your next turn. You can declare this at any time during your turn as long as you have not attacked yet.

You can only fight aggressively or defensively once per turn.

Combat Expertise: You take a -1 penalty to AC instead.

Fight Defensively

You can take a -3 penalty to hit with your attack rolls to gain a +2 bonus to AC until your next turn. You can declare this at any time during your turn as long as you have not attacked yet.

You can only fight aggressively or defensively once per turn.

Combat Expertise: You take a -1 penalty to hit instead.

Grapple

As an attack action, make an attack roll against an opponent's Reflex defense. If you succeed, you both are considered grappled.

Escaping a grapple is a move action that requires either a bull rush (to push the target away) or an Escape Artist check against an attack roll made by the enemy. You can attempt to escape multiple grapples with the same move action.

Grappled: You are immobilized, and take -2 to attacks against creatures who you are not grappling. You also can only attack with light weapons.

Improved Grapple: You get a +2 bonus to your attack roll to start the grapple.

Overrun (and Underrun)

Make an attack roll using Strength against the opponent's Fortitude defense (if they attempt to block you) or Reflex defense (if they attempt to avoid). If you succeed, you deal unarmed damage against the opponent (or the damage of your shield bash or natural weapon damage, whichever is best) and you are able to move through your opponent's square. If the opponent attempted to avoid, you can automatically move through their square, but they get to make an attack of opportunity as you pass by if you fail to beat their Reflex defense. Otherwise, if the opponent opted to block, you are knocked prone if you fail to beat their Fortitude defense.

You can totally use this ability against a creature of any size (you may not be trampling the creature, but instead pushing through its legs or something).

Improved Overrun: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity and are not knocked prone with a failed overrun.

See Also: Bull Rush

Parry

As a readied attack roll against an opponent's attack roll, you can attempt to parry an opponent's attacks. If your attack roll beats their attack roll, the attack is parried (it has no effect). If the opponent uses multiple attacks, compare your attack roll against each of the attacks (possibly parrying all of them). If you do parry at least 1 attack, your opponent is treated as flat-footed against you for your next attack.

Improved Parry: 1/encounter, you can parry as an immediate action.

Sunder

As an attack action, make an attack roll at a -6 penalty against an opponent's Fortitude defense. If your attack roll is higher, you sunder his weapon, rendering it unusable for the remainder of combat.

Note: You can sunder a spellcaster's implement.

Against creatures that only have natural weapons, making a successful sunder attempt severs their natural weapon.

Improved Sunder: 1/encounter, you can sunder with a -3 penalty instead.

Trip

As an attack action, make an attack roll at a -2 penalty to hit against your opponent's Reflex defense. If you hit, you deal half damage (apply before DR), but your opponent is knocked prone.

A particularly sturdy creature (4 or more legs, or "really heavy" as defined by the DM) can use its Fortitude defense +2 instead of Reflex.

Improved Trip: Your trip attacks deal full damage.

Skills

Skill checks are much more simplified now. You have a base bonus of 3/4 your character level. Instead of gaining skill points every level, you start with a number of trained skills equal to your classes skill points per level + 2 (note: Intelligence does not factor into this calculation). Skills are either trained or untrained (they don't have ranks). At 4th and 8th levels you gain an additional trained skill.

Trained skills give you a +3 bonus on your skill check. Trained class skills give you a +5 bonus on your skill check.

Basically, a skill check is:

1d20 + 3/4 character level + ability modifier + 3 (if trained) + 2 (if trained and a class skill)

Skills kinda represent a creative side to D&D and I want that to be made all the more accessible. If some task seems related to a skill you have and I give a "Disable Device" DC, you might be able to convince me that your "Profession: Taxidermist" skill would have given you enough knowledge of this task that you could attempt it using that skill. For this reason, I have also tried to group similar skills together because you'd probably be suggesting to use them in that way anyhow.

Synergy bonuses now fall into the "creative" side of things. If two skills seem to have synergy, you can ask for a synergy bonus to a skill check. The skill you want to use as synergy must be a trained skill. A synergy bonus is a flat +2 to the skill check.

I'm doing away with any miscellaneous bonuses to skills (I might allow the odd magic item that gives a +1), so I can set some standard DCs for each level and skill rolls will remain relevant (with a chance of failure always being possible for an equal-level skill challenge). Instead of miscellaneous bonuses, for every +3 of bonuses you would have gained, you instead get a reroll of the skill 1/day. Temporary bonuses do give extra rerolls, but the number of rerolls you have used is "remembered" so you can't cast a spell, get a +3 to jump checks (1 reroll), use the reroll, dismiss the spell, cast it again, and gain a new reroll.

So, for example: A level 4 monk with a +3 dex modifier that is trained in stealth would have a +3 (level) +3 trained +2 (class) + 3 (dex) = +11 stealth check. If the same monk was sneaking past a guard rotation, perception would probably be useful to spot guards and follow their patterns, so the monk could use perception as a synergy on the stealth check (gaining another +2 if perception is a trained skill).

One major difference with skills in this system is that (for the most part) they are all active. This means that instead of the DM calling on you to make a sense motive check or diplomacy check, you tell the DM that you want to make the check. This puts the game more in control of the players than the DM. My thoughts are that a DM should be a facilitator, not a ruler. Having the DM tell you when you get to make a diplomacy check is a bad form of railroading, I think.

So what checks will I still call on you to make? Perception. Spot and listen are a reactive skills and can't work any other way. Every other skill can be used in an active context. A consequence of this is that if an NPC mentions "The Grim Statue", you might have to say "I'll use Knowledge: History to see if I recall any factoids about said Grim Statue". You might even need to interact with the NPC a little more to see if you can use other knowledge skills (maybe it is a religious statue). And I think that is a GOOD thing for the game!

List of Skills

Acrobatics

Acrobatics was previously the Balance skill and Tumble skill. It represents your ability to do acrobatic things like flips, rolling, and balancing. It is pretty straightforward, and definitely useful.

To tumble by an opponent they can make their Attack of Opportunity as normal, but you can replace your AC with a tumble check (taking the new result even if it is lower). To tumble through an opponent's space, you take a -4 penalty to the check.

Athletics

Athletics was previously the Climb, Jump, and Swim skills. It represents your ability to do non-acrobatic things that athletes do.

If you are trained in Athletics, you can increase your base land speed, climb speed, or swim speed by 5ft. 1/encounter per 2 HD for one round as a free action (this means you can use it multiple times in the same round).

Diplomacy

Diplomacy covers a bit more than standard 3.5e diplomacy in that it now also functions for bluffing. A smooth talker is a smooth talker and that's what diplomacy is all about. On the other hand, it doesn't work like regular 3.5e rules in that there are no "levels of hostility" or opposed rolls when you make a check.

Generally, for social encounters, I am going to be free-forming things. So every player can participate and they don't need to worry about me calling on them to make a bluff/diplomacy check. Instead, when a player wants to retry an argument on an NPC that didn't work or maybe mislead a suspicious NPC when the player is not doing a very good job at hiding intentions, they can elect to make a diplomacy check against a DC set by the DM (this will be a fairly generic DC so focused diplomats can make use of their better odds of success). If they succeed at the check, the NPC will have their attitude changed for that single point (but that may not be enough to necessarily change their attitude for everything).

So, basically, I will never say "make a diplomacy check". Instead, you can say "I want to make a diplomacy check to push that point". Which I think is a difference that will make the game a bit more interactive and put the players in control of the game a little more.

Failure will indicate that the NPC might be less receptive to new ideas you have or some such thing. Generally, I just suggest that it would be a bad thing to try to use diplomacy after every sentence you say to a NPC. Instead, you should use it to try to push a point that you know has merit, but the NPC isn't very receptive to.

And, since a chance of failure is always possible, even a diplomancer can't go around completely controlling every social interaction. A diplomancer can certainly improve things in their favor, but they cannot always have things their way. Which is the way it should be.

Disable Device (trained only)

Disable Device now covers Open Lock, Disable Device, and (some of) Search. Basically anything to do with actively finding and disabling traps and locks is covered by this skill now. Other search checks such as finding a hidden gem in a pile of dung or noticing the trip line in the hallway is covered by perception.

There is no longer a "Trapfinding" class feature. If you make a good enough check, you can find and disarm the trap. Having training in this skill means you are trained in trapfinding.

Escape Artist

Escape Artist now is the skill that opposes most special attacks. In place of your Fortitude or Reflex defense against tripping, bull rushing, disarming, sundering, and grappling, you can use an Escape Artist check.

Intimidate

Somewhat like the base rules, intimidate is a less used tactic in social situations I find, so demoralize is made a little better and kept as an added perk for investing in this skill.

Having intimidate as a trained skill can allow you to demoralize with move actions or swift actions:

• 1 HD: move action 1/encounter
• 4 HD: move action 2/encounter or swift action 1/encounter
• 8 HD: move action 3/encounter or swift action 1/encounter and move action 1/encounter

Intrigue

Intrigue is the art of the spy (Disguise, Gather Information). Investing in this skill allows you to be good at finding out information as well as deceiving others by hiding your own identity.

Knowledge: Arcana

This skill gives you information about everything magical (including what spellcraft used to do).

Either this skill or Knowledge: Religion can be used for what 3.5e had as concentration checks. Basically you learn techniques for inner focus from an arcane or divine source.

This skill allows you to identify constructs, dragons, and magical beasts.

Knowledge: Dungeoneering

This skill gives you information about underground environments (including geography), but not specific survival skills like tracking and hunting (although knowing that a certain moss is edible can be useful to survival).

This skill allows you to identify aberrations, oozes, and underground animals, plants, vermin, and fey.

Knowledge: History

This skill gives you information about the history of civilized creatures. This includes humanoids, giants, and monstrous humanoids and it covers everything from local legends (previously Knowledge: Local) to the social structure of a given state (previously Knowledge: Nobility and Royalty).

This skill allows you to identify humanoids, giants, and monstrous humanoids.

Knowledge: Nature

This skill gives you information about above ground environments (including geography), but not specific survival skills like tracking and hunting (although knowing that a certain berry is edible can be useful to survival).

This skill allows you to identify above ground animals, plants, vermin, and fey.

Knowledge: Religion

This skill covers everything related to religion.

Either this skill or Knowledge: Arcana can be used for what 3.5e had as concentration checks. Basically you learn techniques for inner focus from an arcane or divine source.

This skill allows you to identify undead, although a character familiar with specific deities could certainly use it to identify outsiders like Archons, Angels, Demons, and Devils.

Knowledge: The Planes

This skill covers everything related to planar cosmology. This campaign setting allows planar travel from level 1, so it could be useful even at low levels (depending on what you want your group to do).

This skill allows you to identify outsiders and elementals.

Linguistics

TODO: Consider removing this skill. Decipher script can be redundant with Knowledge skills. Forgery could be a craft skill.

(Forgery, Decipher Script)

Perception

(Listen, Search, Spot)

Profession

TODO -- consider getting rid of this skill seeing as it was supposed to be the skill that let you do stuff "untrained". Now that I have made it more like 4e for skills, there is little point to this skill.

This skill replaces a bunch of other skills from standard 3.5e and allows a lot of creativity. Here is a quick list of skills it replaces, with an appropriate profession:

• Craft (blacksmith, alchemist, etc.)
• Perform (musician, actor, storyteller)
• Handle Animal (animal tamer)
• Sleight of Hand (thief)
• Heal (doctor/apothecary)

One advantage to doing this is that I can say that all professions make the same amount of money for PCs based on the number of ranks they have. NPCs don't use the PC system for character creation, so this is a moot point for them.

Also, for each profession skill you invest ranks into, you can choose two related fields that are treated as having half the ranks. So if you choose profession: doctor and have 4 ranks, you can also be treated as having 2 ranks in profession: alchemist (because you are working with healing potions and different salves), and 2 ranks in profession: seamstress (because your surgery skills help you know how to sew stuff together). As long as you can give a good logical reason, you can improve your abilities in extra professions in this way.

Profession lumps most things that would actually be a profession together and they allow a PC to do the normal (or exceptional) things that people of that profession do.

Profession: cook might allow you to detect if certain foods are poisonous (in place of survival) or even extract safe things to eat from an otherwise poisonous creature.

In general, if you can justify it, you can use your profession ranks to get synergy bonuses to skills or use them in place of skills you don't have ranks in! If you do use it in place of what another skill should do, you take a -3 penalty to the skill check (so having ranks in other skills is still better than having the broad strokes of the profession skill).

Ride

As the base rules (with adjusted DCs).

Sense Motive

Besides opposing feints (which are now more useful), sense motive can be used in social situations to be very useful. In general, a successful check will tell a PC how the NPC feels about a particular topic. The better the success, the more information will be given about that feeling.

I won't seed false information on a failure, so PCs don't need to worry about metagaming a poor roll or mistrusting their skill check results (otherwise, what's the point in using it!).

Stealth

(hide and move silently)

Survival

(Use Rope, Survival)

Trading

Formerly Profession: Trader and Appraise, this skill represents your ability to trade stuff for other stuff. Opposed trade checks will net you better or worse deals and as you become more experienced, you are just assumed to buy stuff below a certain gp value without a price adjustment (the standard cost of items is what the item is worth if you get a good deal).

As much as diplomacy would make sense for this skill, training in trading is about negotiating exchange of goods, which is significant enough to warrant its own skill.

You also learn the values of objects with this skill (because you need to know that to trade). In that respect, this skill works just like the 3.5e Appraise skill.

Here is a list of the items you can buy and sell at standard cost without having to negotiate based on your HD:

• 0 HD: Buy/Sell items 50 gp and below at standard cost.
• 1 HD: Buy/Sell items 100 gp and below at standard cost.
• 2 HD: Buy/Sell items 500 gp and below at standard cost.
• 3 HD: Buy/Sell items 1,000 gp and below at standard cost.
• 4 HD: Buy/Sell items 2,000 gp and below at standard cost.
• 5 HD: Buy/Sell items 3,000 gp and below at standard cost.
• 6 HD: Buy/Sell items 4,000 gp and below at standard cost.
• 7 HD: Buy/Sell items 6,000 gp and below at standard cost.
• 8 HD: Buy/Sell items 9,000 gp and below at standard cost.

A character that is untrained in trading is treated as 1 HD lower with respect to the list above.

Some consequences

An character will have a 22 or 24 for their high ability score. This means the max bonus they can have against an equal BAB character is +6/+7. But that character will also have a 22/24, which they can apply half of the score to it making the difference +3/+4.

3/4 BAB characters only lag behind the martial characters by 2 points, which is fine because they will have some new tricks instead.

Skills, saves, AC, and attack rolls are all on the same RNG. That means we can do weird things like Diplomacy vs. AC or Acrobatics vs. Will.