Goromor, Crossroads of the Many Worlds (A new magic system and a setting to boot)

Wensleydale · July 24, 2006, 06:29:40 AM

SHP AND HP

Once a creature is reduced to -11shp, it instantly and automatically becomes a revenant. Once a creature is reduced to -11hp, he becomes a ghost. If both are reduced to -11, it is destroyed. Nothing short of a true resurrection spell can return a destroyed creature to life, whilst raise dead is enough to return a ghost to its body or a revenant to its soul.

The Revenant Template

Creating a Revenant

Revenant is an acquired template applied to a creature once its soul has been destroyed (-11 SHP.)

Size and Type Type changes to Undead. Size stays the same.

Hit Dice: All current and future hit dice become D12s.

Speed: The revenant retains any movement speeds it had before the template was applied.

Armor Class: Armour class doesn't change.

Attack: A revenant retains all the attacks of the base creature.

Full Attack: See attack.

Damage: A revenant uses the base creature's damage. It also gains several special attacks (see below.)

Special Attacks: A revenant retains all of the special attacks of the base creature, and also gains the following:

Corrupting Gaze (Su): A revenant can blast living beings with a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. Creatures that meet the revenantÃ¢,¬,,¢s gaze must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 2d10 points of damage and 1d4 points of Charisma damage.

Horrific Appearance (Su): Any living creature within 60 feet that views a revenant must succeed on a Fortitude save or immediately take 1d4 points of Strength damage, 1d4 points of Dexterity damage, and 1d4 points of Constitution damage. A creature that successfully saves against this effect cannot be affected by the same revenantÃ¢,¬,,¢s horrific appearance for 24 hours.

Soulless Touch (Su): A living creature hit by a touch attack from a revenant is dealt 1D8 SHP damage.

Special Qualities: A revenant retains all the special qualities of the base creature, and also gains the following:

Turn Resistance (Ex): A revenant has +4 turn resistance.

Soulless (Ex): A revenant has no soul, and therefore cannot be affected by SHP damaging effects.

Abilities: Same as the base creature, but a revenant has no constitution score and has an effective INT, CHA and WIS of 1.

Skills: Revenants effectively have no skills except for a +20 racial bonus to track.

Environment: Anywhere. Once a revenant is created, it shambles randomly, killing all in its path. It could wander thousands of miles away from its place of death.

Organization: Solitary.

Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.

Treasure: Half normal.

Alignment: Always neutral.

Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +3.

Wensleydale · July 24, 2006, 06:32:56 AM

:D I prefer the air mage, meself. Always fun to be able to implode people using the power of air. Fire mage is fun as well.

Now, I'm just making the table to upload through word.

Poseptune · July 24, 2006, 10:15:46 AM

5 mages stand to face their foe. In turn each shout their respective principles. Earth! Fire! Water! Air! Soul! A small beam shoots forth from their hands to summon the ultimate defender. "With your powers combined I am Captain Planet!"

Sorry, first thing that came to mind after reading the different principles. :)

I like this system. Very well thought out.

Couple of questions.
Does the soul mage get anything in place of immunity?
What do the other principles get from the imp aura ability?
How come you left barksin off the earth spell list? Acutally I don't see a lot of the buffing spells on any of the spell list. See suggestion 2 below.
How do magic items (potions specfically) work? Does healing (water) magic work the same on a fire mage as all the rest of the mages?

The following are just suggestions and nothing more:

You may want to think about giving them an Orb of principle type spell similar to the orb spells in Complete Arcane. This would give each of them a low level offensive spell. Poor water sits there with almost no offensive powers and I am guessing the mage will have a poor BAB. Water mages will be a walking band aid and not much more until they get access to 5th lvl spells.

What about a Body principle? One that controls the body and opposes Soul. Their spell list could contain alot of spells from the transmutaion school. Alter self, disguise self, blink, bear's endurance, cat's grace, iron body, polymorph, etc... This would be a good place to put alot of the buffing spells since they manipulate the body.

Wensleydale · July 24, 2006, 01:04:54 PM

Hmm, Mage has BAB/Saves of the cleric, and the same HD (revised version, in a word document).

You're right about the orb thing.

Body principle... great idea! *starts writing up a spell list*

Soul mage doesn't get anything, but the mages now also get vulnerability to their master principle.

Wensleydale · July 24, 2006, 03:30:42 PM

The Mage (with table).
File: 1153769442_112_FT9841_mage.zip

Poseptune · July 24, 2006, 03:46:00 PM

Is the spell table spells per day or spells known? I ask because if a mage has reached 17th level why would the table say he only gets 6 cantrips if he can cast them at will?

Can an 11th level air mage slow a thrown metal object? What metals are considered magnetic in D&D? Cold iron? Adamantine?

Wensleydale · July 24, 2006, 04:00:30 PM

Spells/Day. That's a remnant, ignore it :)

Wensleydale · July 24, 2006, 04:01:04 PM

Oh, and yes, cold iron is, and adamantine. And no, he can't slow them down.

Epic Meepo · July 24, 2006, 05:19:25 PM

I'm a bit confused about SHP. Does anything reduce SHP other than Soul magic? If not, won't everyone become a revenant or ghost when they die (since they will never have both HP and SHP reduced to -11 in one attack)?

Wensleydale · July 25, 2006, 06:02:32 AM

There are some spells that reduce both. Power word Pain, for instance, which I'm adding as a level 9 spell to the Body spell list.

Epic Meepo · July 25, 2006, 01:25:29 PM

But let's pretend that two barbarians are beating each other with greatclubs. If one barbarian kills the other, the loser must necessarily become a ghost, right?

In my experience, characters are more likely to die from an ordinary attack than from a spell. But it doesn't seem that there's any way to kill something with an ordinary attack and not have it turn into a ghost.

I might just be misunderstanding the system, but it seems to me that there shouldn't be a special effect like turning into a ghost attached to ordinary death by loss of HP.

Wensleydale · July 26, 2006, 04:37:40 AM

Oh? Why?

I see your point, however...

Wensleydale · July 26, 2006, 11:04:47 AM

Death

The outcome of a person's death depends on HD, type of death, and strength of will.

SHP Death: If a creature is reduced to -11shp, he, she or it instantly becomes a revenant, the soul being pulled into the void. Nothing short of a Raise Dead spell can return a revenant to life. A revenant is not pulled down into the void itself, like most undead, but instead remains permanently in existence until destroyed.

HP Death: If a creature is reduced to -11hp, he, she or it instantly becomes a ghost. The creature may take a DC25 Will Save to resist being pulled into the void, and if they succeed they are left existing, incorporeal and alone.

CREATING A GHOST
Ã¢,¬Å"GhostÃ¢,¬Â is an acquired template that can be added to any aberration, animal, dragon, giant, humanoid, magical beast, monstrous humanoid, or plant. The creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature) must have a Charisma score of at least 6.
A ghost uses all the base creatureÃ¢,¬,,¢s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creatureÃ¢,¬,,¢s type changes to undead. Do not recalculate the creatureÃ¢,¬,,¢s base attack bonus, saves, or skill points. It gains the incorporeal subtype. Size is unchanged.
Hit Dice: All current and future Hit Dice become d12s.
Speed: Ghosts have a fly speed of 30 feet, unless the base creature has a higher fly speed, with perfect maneuverability.
Armor Class: To corporeal creatures, a ghost has a natural armour bonus of +0 and a deflection bonus equal to its charisma modifier. To incorporeal creatures, it retains the armour bonus it had in life.
Attack: A ghost retains all the attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect creatures that are not ethereal.
Full Attack: A ghost retains all the attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect creatures that are not ethereal.
Damage: Against ethereal creatures, a ghost uses the base creatureÃ¢,¬,,¢s damage values. Against nonethereal creatures, the ghost usually cannot deal physical damage at all but can use its special attacks, if any, when it manifests (see below).
Special Attacks: A ghost retains all the special attacks of the base creature, although those relying on physical contact do not affect nonethereal creatures. The ghost also gains a manifestation ability plus one to three other special attacks as described below. The save DC against a special attack is equal to 10 + 1/2 ghostÃ¢,¬,,¢s HD + ghostÃ¢,¬,,¢s Cha modifier unless otherwise noted.
Corrupting Gaze (Su): A ghost can blast living beings with a glance, at a range of up to 30 feet. Creatures that meet the ghostÃ¢,¬,,¢s gaze must succeed on a Fortitude save or take 2d10 points of damage and 1d4 points of Charisma damage.
Corrupting Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack deals 1d6 points of damage. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack and damage rolls. Against nonethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.
Draining Touch (Su): A ghost that hits a living target with its incorporeal touch attack drains 1d4 points from any one ability score it selects. On each such successful attack, the ghost heals 5 points of damage to itself. Against ethereal opponents, it adds its Strength modifier to attack rolls only. Against nonethereal opponents, it adds its Dexterity modifier to attack rolls only.
Frightful Moan (Su): A ghost can emit a frightful moan as a standard action. All living creatures within a 30-foot spread must succeed on a Will save or become panicked for 2d4 rounds. This is a sonic necromantic mind-affecting fear effect. A creature that successfully saves against the moan cannot be affected by the same ghostÃ¢,¬,,¢s moan for 24 hours.
Telekinesis (Su): A ghost can use telekinesis as a standard action (caster level 12th or equal to the ghostÃ¢,¬,,¢s HD, whichever is higher). When a ghost uses this power, it must wait 1d4 rounds before using it again.
Special Qualities: A ghost has all the special qualities of the base creature as well as those described below.
Rejuvenation (Su): If reduced to -11 SHP, the ghost must take another Will Save, increasing in DC by 2 from the original that was taken to see if the ghost would survive. If the ghost succeeds again, their SHP slowly regenerates and 1D6 days later they reincarnate fully with full SHP, appearing at the location of their death. If again reduced to -11 SHP, the DC again goes up by 2, and so on.
Turn Resistance (Ex): A ghost has +4 turn resistance.
HP Immunity (Ex): A Ghost has no physical body, and therefore is immune to HP damage. Only SHP damage can harm it, or damage inflicted by ethereal opponents.
Abilities: Same as the base creature, except that the ghost has no Constitution score, and its Charisma score increases by +4.
Skills: Ghosts have a +8 racial bonus on Hide, Listen, Search, and Spot checks. Otherwise same as the base creature.
Environment: Any, often as base creature.
Organization: Solitary, gang (2Ã¢,¬'4), or mob (7Ã¢,¬'12).
Challenge Rating: Same as the base creature +2.
Treasure: None.
Alignment: Any.
Level Adjustment: Same as the base creature +5.

Oblivion

Oblivion is the term used to describe total annihilation, when HP & SHP are both reduced to -11 at the same time. Nothing short of a true resurrection spell can return a creature who died from oblivion to life.

Wensleydale · July 26, 2006, 11:16:56 AM

And two new weapons properties...

Soulstealing
A Soulstealing weapon behaves normally except for one small change, it deals no physical damage. Instead, it damages SHP. This ability may be suppressed at will.
Moderate soul; CL 8th; Craft Magic Arms and Armor, Energy Missile (Soul), Price +1 bonus.

Greater Soulstealing
A Greater Soulstealing weapon behaves as a Soulstealing one, except for that it may deal the soul damage as extra, doubling the amount of damage usually done and dealing half of it as SHP.
Greater Soul; CL 12th, Craft Magic Arms and Armour, Energy Missile (Soul), Price +2 bonus.

Wensleydale · July 26, 2006, 11:32:43 AM

Energy Missile
(See Text)
Level: Mage 2
Components: S.
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./ level)
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex, Fortitude or Will half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

This spell has different effects depending upon what principle you have chosen. When you cast it, a ray of your principle damage streams out and hits the target. You gain 1 ray per 2 caster levels, each ray dealing 1D6 damage. You can hit up to five targets with this spell, and

Water: A missile of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die. The saving throw to reduce damage from a water missile is a Fortitude save instead of a Reflex save.
Air: A missile of this energy type provides a +2 bonus to the save DC and a +2 bonus on caster level checks for the purpose of overcoming spell resistance.
Fire: A missile of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die.
Earth A missile of this energy type ignores an objectÃ¢,¬,,¢s hardness.
Soul: A missile of this energy type deals SHP damage. The saving throw to reduce damage from a soul missile is a Will Save.

This spell's type is the same as your Principle.

Energy Bolt
[See Text]
Level: Mage 3
Components: V, S.
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 120 ft.
Area: 120-ft. line
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Reflex, Fortitude or Will half; see text
Spell Resistance: Yes

The effects of this spell depend on your chosen principle. When you cast it, you release a powerful stroke of energy of your Principle's type that deals 1D6 points of damage/level to every creature or object within the area. The beam begins at your fingertips.
Water:A bolt of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die. The saving throw to reduce damage from a cold bolt is a Fortitude save instead of a Reflex save.
Air: A bolt of this energy type provides a +2 bonus to the save DC and a +2 bonus on manifester level checks for the purpose of overcoming spell resistance.
Fire: A bolt of this energy type deals +1 point of damage per die.
Earth: A bolt of this energy type deals Ã¢,¬'1 point of damage per die and ignores an objectÃ¢,¬,,¢s hardness.
Soul: A bolt of this energy type deals SHP damage. The saving throw to reduce damage from a Soul Bolt is a Will save instead of a Reflex save.

This spellÃ¢,¬,,¢s type is the same as your Principle.

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