10/25
2009

Old School Style in the New Schoolhouse

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I keep thinking that my next 4e D&D game should allow only these classes:

  • Fighter
  • Paladin
  • Ranger
  • Cleric
  • Druid
  • Wizard
  • Rogue
  • Assassin
  • Monk
  • Bard (via multiclass feats only)

And these races:

  • Dwarf
  • Elf
  • Gnome
  • Half-Elf
  • Halfling
  • Half-Orc
  • Human

None of these “dragonborn” or “eladrin;” no “sorcerers” or “avengers!”

Of course, your race determines which classes are open to you:

  • Dwarf: Fighter, Rogue, Assassin
  • Elf: Fighter, Wizard, Rogue, Assassin
  • Gnome: Fighter, Wizard (illusionist build only), Rogue, Assassin
  • Half-Elf: Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger, Wizard, Rogue, Assassin
  • Halfling: Fighter, Rogue
  • Half-Orc: Cleric, Fighter, Rogue, Assassin
  • Human: Any single class

A few hybrid classes would be allowed — based on your race, of course:

  • Dwarf: Fighter|Rogue
  • Elf: Fighter|Wizard, Fighter|Rogue, Rogue|Wizard
  • Gnome: Fighter|Wizard (illusionist build only), Fighter|Rogue, Rogue|Wizard (illusionist build only)
  • Half-Elf: Cleric|Fighter, Cleric|Ranger, Cleric|Wizard, Fighter|Wizard, Fighter|Rogue, Rogue|Wizard
  • Halfling: Fighter|Rogue
  • Half-Orc: Cleric|Fighter, Cleric|Rogue, Cleric|Assassin, Fighter|Rogue, Fighter|Assassin
  • Human: no hybrid classes

…but maybe this is getting a little too silly.

(Oh, and also, I’d only use monsters that appear in the 1e Monster Manual.)

10/13
2009

The Tide of Summer: background, and backgrounds

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For those of you who are interested, here’s the campaign background information on the countries in my current D&D campaign, The Tide of Summer. We game weekly at my place in Tucson.

The backstory that isn’t in this document: About 17 years ago, there was a world-wide event known as the Feystorm, in which the Feywild and the Natural world basically crashed into each other. The fey (eladrin, gnomes, elves, and others) are the bad guys of this campaign [1], and are part of Summer Queen Tiandra’s army, the Tide of Summer.

[1] or at least, so they appear to the player characters

10/13
2009

Do they just not know what “martial” means?

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I read the Ampersand column today where martial practices are previewed — rituals, but using martial power and not magic. Okay, cool concept.

But the examples given utterly fail to convince me, because they’re not martial. They’re just…skills. Martial means used in war, not “disguises” or “non-verbal communication” or “forgery.”

I can’t figure out why forging a document would cost you a healing surge, honestly. Or why only martial characters can learn how to communicate without words. (Take that, bards, and your arcane power source!)

When I was reading through the description, before I got to the examples, I thought of martial “rituals” more like this:

Let Me Show You How To Hold That

Your buddy may be good with spells, but he’s got a lot to learn about weaponry.

Component Cost: 1 healing surge and 25 gp

Time: 1 hour

Duration: 24 hours

Skill: Athletics (no check)

Choose one simple or military weapon with which you are proficient. A willing ally (who must be present for the entire practice) also spends a healing surge, and gains proficiency with that weapon for the duration of the effect.

 

Ah, A Chance To Use This Freshly Sharpened Blade

It’s important to take good care of your weapons before an important battle.

Component Cost: 1 healing surge and 50 gp

Time: 10 minutes

Duration: 1 hour

Skill: Thievery (no check)

Choose one of your weapons. On the next critical hit you roll using an attack with that weapon, add an additional 1d6 damage.

 

No Plan Survives Contact with the Enemy

You’ve got it all planned out in your head before the fight even starts.

Component Cost: 1 healing surge and 100 gp

Time: 1 hour

Duration: Special

Skill: History (no check)

You and all allies within 10 squares receive a +2 bonus on initiative checks. On the first round of combat, you and your allies can shift one square as a minor action. These effects last until you take a short or extended rest.

 

 

10/13
2009

Broken Backgrounds are Broken

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I’m tired of so many backgrounds, like those found in Forgotten Realms (where all divine folks come from Impiltur and all wizards/swordmages from Thay), Scales of War, Eberron, and so on. Many of these are backdoor “feats” which are unbalanced and campaign-distorting.

In my campaign (which isn’t set in any published world), I’m just going to stick with the first three options for backgrounds (and call these the “standard benefits”):

  • Gain a +2 bonus with an associated skill, OR
  • Add an associated skill to your list of class skills, OR
  • Learn one associated language.

Any backgrounds which don’t meet that will not be available to players for free. If they want a specific non-standard benefit, they’re welcome to use a feat slot to get it:

Advantageous Background

Heroic Tier Feat

Benefit: Choose one of your backgrounds. You gain the non-standard benefit listed for that background, or your choice of one of the standard benefits.

You can take this feat only once.

Note: This actually allows someone to gain benefits from two backgrounds. That’s okay, I don’t mind that — for the cost of a feat.

Otherwise, I fear out-of-control background creep. It already seems to be happening, and that’s not cool by me. This way I don’t have to check over each background individually as written and approve or disapprove it arbitrarily; it’s just a set template. Does it fit the above list of standard benefits? Then take it. If not, then don’t.