http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/ RecentChanges for jackalmage http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/feedlogo.gif http://pbwiki.com/ PBwiki 3.7 support@pbwiki.com http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/SkillRanks email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited SkillRanks You gain a flat bonus to all skills equal to half your level.
Background Training
level. You You may place these ranks in any skill, and place any number of ranks in a single skill. The The effect of ranks is described below.
Specific and Ongoing Expertise
ranks). You You may place this rank in any of your class skills, and there is no limit to how many ranks a single skill may hold. If If your class would normally gain 4sp or more per level, you also gain a rank at 2nd level and every three levels thereafter. If If your class would normally gain 6sp or more per level, you also gain a rank at 3rd level and every three levels thereafter. If If your class would normally gain 8sp or more per level, you gain two ranks at 1st level and every level thereafter. This This pattern continues for variant classes with even higher skillpoint gai]]> Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:07:35 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/SkillRanks email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited SkillRanks You gain a flat bonus to all skills equal to half your level.
Background Training
level, choose you gain a number of skills ranks equal to 8 + Int bonus. You gain a +2 bonus with your normal amount of skills per level. You may place these skills. If ranks in any skill, and place any number of ranks in a chosen skill single skill. The effect of ranks is Trained Only, you count as Trained. described below.
Specific and Ongoing Expertise
At levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, 1st level, and 19, choose a single skill that every 3 levels thereafter, gain an additional rank (this is or has been a class skill for you in addition to become a Practiced skill. Whenever you use this skill, you the Background Training ranks). You may roll two d20s place this rank in any of your cla]]> Sat, 07 Jun 2008 16:04:11 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/Conduit email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM added Conduit ! Conduit

Many people experience the divine in their lives. Some see it in their study of nature, in the orderliness of the world and the heavens. Others feel it more directly, through meditation and prayer. Some even wield the power of the divine directly, bolstering themselves against enemies by their faith. A rare few, though, have that divine connection inborn, and channel the power of heaven as easily as other breath. These people, known as \'\'Conduits\'\', are often driven by the divine spark embedded within them to right the wrongs of the world, and become adventurers.

!! Class Powers
**Eldritch Blast:** Becomes **Holy Light**. Conduits open up their souls and project the power within them in a raw, directed burst of might.

**Deceive Item:** Becomes **Bond with Item**. Conduits are naturally empathic, and can project great sincerity and passion in their efforts to activate a magic item not meant for them.

**Fiendish Resilience:** Becomes **Celestial Resilience**.

!! Least Inv]]> Thu, 07 Feb 2008 15:27:28 +0000 add http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/Alternate+Warlocks email.hidden@example.com (cjm) cjm added Alternate Warlocks [Conduit] - A celestial warlock, who channels the power of the divine through his soul.

[Gearhead] - A steampunk warlock, who uses quasi-magical technological devices.

[Speaker] - A truespeech warlock, who rewrites reality with his words.

[Arcanist] - An arcane warlock, who masters dependable magic rather than the unstable bursts of magic that wizards wield.
]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:53:49 +0000 add http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/Classes email.hidden@example.com (cjm) cjm edited Classes Celestial Disciple - The Half-Celestial template, turned into a class. Accommodates Aasimar characters as well.
MellowshipSlinky'sArmiger - External link to Google Docs! Mellowship has come up with the Armiger token mechanic to end all Armiger token mechanics, imo. It simultaneously rewards armor *and* shield-focused Armigers, while fixing the "But why don't I just ignore the armored dude and kill the barbarian in the loincloth?" problem in a class-based way, rather than just saying, "Take Power Attack and flank."
Alternate Warlocks - I really like the Warlock class for some reason. The problem is that it's flavor implies that they're evil. People who can't think beyond the book, then, tend to ban it automatically "because they dont' want demons in their game." Here are several reflavorings of the Warlock, removing the evil trappings without changing the mechanics at all.
]]> Sat, 02 Feb 2008 19:40:06 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/PowerAttack email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited PowerAttack (-4)
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]]> Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:57:06 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/PowerAttack email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited PowerAttack The Justification
Power Attack is a bit weird. It's both too weak and too strong in many common situations. This stems from the fact that you're losing a percentage of your (average) damage and only gaining a flat bonus. So, PA becomes worse and worse as your average damage rises, because the penalty just keeps getting bigger. What's more, every point of PA you add actually reduces the value of the previous points! This means that PA is self-capping, or that it has a maximum useful value where your average damage output is highest.
multipliers), you your damage quickly come comes close or even pass surpasses the boundary point where PA becomes harmful, making it more-or-less useless.
In those 'degenerate cases', though, is where PA is broken. If you can get a very large difference between your attack bonus and the enemy's AC, then it's advantageous to PA for a lot. If your attack bonus is high enough that you only mi]]> Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:54:06 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/Resilient+Endurance email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited Resilient Endurance Expanded Mastery 10:
You can hang onto the very precipice of death itself, refusing to stop even when dealt mortal wounds. When you are hit by an attack that would reduce you to 0 or fewer hit points, you can make a base attack check (DC equal to the damage dealt). If your check succeeds, you take no damage from the attack — your instincts allow you to turn the blow aside at the last minute. You can use this feat once per encounter. You can only use this feat to evade the damage from a weapon or other blow, not a spell or special ability. You cannot use this feat if you are stunned or helpless.
''ThanksThanks to Monte Cook for writing the Oathsworn, from which I blatantly stole several abilities, and to HongOoi, from who's Champion of Battle mastery I stole EM10.
Conversion Notes
To convert IH masteries to D&D feats, simply find some level-based progression to hook them off of. Then, assign prereqs such that a specialized character could meet them at a level of (2 * M]]> Sat, 22 Dec 2007 12:39:09 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/IHDifferences email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited IHDifferences Saves
Rolling a 1 on a save is *not* automatic failure. Rolling a 20 is still auto-success, and rolling a natural 1 or 20 on an attack works as normal. This is a blanket change, and applies to both monsters and PCs.
Many negative statuses have been changed to be temporary, since magical curing is not generally available.
Reach
If a creature is being threatened by two or more creatures with Reach, each of the threatening creatures takes a -2 penalty to their attack.
Incorporeality
Iron Heroes have only a 50% miss chance when using normal weapons against incorporeal and ethereal creatures (rather than 100% as in D&D). Magic weapons must be Ghost Touch to avoid the miss chance entirely, just as in normal D&D.
Harmful Permanent Status Effects
Permanent status effects such as petrification that are intended to be cured magically (and thus are incurable in IH) are instead changed to be temporary.
In progress
''Thanks to Raleel for the Feat Mastery and T]]> Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:49:31 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/IHDifferences email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited IHDifferences If a creature is being threatened by two or more creatures with Reach, each of the threatening creatures takes a -2 penalty to their attack.
Due to the changes in AoOs, Reach as defined in the book (identically to D&D) is almost completely unable to trigger a movement-based AoO. Some houserules recommend that Reach be changed to simply double your normal threatened range, with no missing area. Crowroadaw, owner of Iron Heroes, recommends changing Reach to exclude only areas less than 1/2 of the creature's normal reach. On a normal Medium creature, this would allow him to threaten areas out to 10', but not areas less than 2.5' (rounded to the nearest square, this is areas at 0'; that is, he doesn't threaten his own square).
Incorporeality
Iron Heroes have only a 50% miss chance when using normal weapons against incorporeal and ethereal creatures (rather than 100% as in D&D). Magic weapons must be Ghost Touch to avoid the miss chance entirely, just as in normal D&D.
In pro]]> Mon, 12 Nov 2007 11:00:30 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/DeathAndDying email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM added DeathAndDying D&D players lie in a weird place. We like realism, but when it comes down to it, reality really sucks sometimes. It\'s then that you have to just spit in reality\'s face and get down with the **real** life of the party, heroic realism. You know, the sort of thing that goes in stories, the telling of which is half the reason we play. In this specific case, we\'re talking about death. Heroic realism dictates that no one ever dies unless they accomplish something important with it. This is supported over and over again in literature. Characters are beaten unconscious, left for dead, and tortured, but if a character dies it\'s only because his death allowed the captives to escape the portal before it closed while he held off the last of the lizardmen. These rules model that in D&D rules, plus a bit more.

!Life
* Characters heal 1 HP per minute while resting. Resting includes what it sounds like - combat, marching, and hard work don\'t count. We\'re talking about breathers, naps, that sort of thing. ]]> Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:58:03 +0000 add http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/HouseRules email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited HouseRules PowerAttack - PA is a bit broken. It's never advantageous to PA for more than a couple of points unless you have a massive advantage somehow, in which you're exploiting the system. As well, it gets worse and worse at higher levels as average damage rises. This fixes both of those problems at once.
SkillRanks - I've been unhappy with the results of D&D's skill system. This is a tweak to simplify and strengthen it. No major changes to DCs or uses or anything, just a change in how skill levels are determined and handled.
DeathAndDying - You're playing a game, not watching a historical sim. This is heroic realism we're talking about here. Since when did a heroic character die from a crit without accomplishing something important first?
]]> Thu, 25 Oct 2007 21:35:01 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/Dedicated+Sneak+Attacker email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited Dedicated Sneak Attacker +2
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Your levels in DSA stack with your rogue levels for determining your Sneak Attack damage.
the Formless Formless (Su)
You may choose to give up +2d6 of your Sneak Attack damage on any attack in order to Sneak Attack a creature that is normally not subject to Sneak Attack. If the creature is also immune to criticals, you may critical hit them with this attack if your attack roll would normally indicate a critical hit.
Sneak Attack Attack (Su)
Choose one creature type from the Ranger's Favored Enemy list that is normally immune to Sneak Attack. You may use your Strike the Formless ability on creatures of that type without sacrificing any Sneak Attack damage. You may also ignore any critical hit immunity that the creature type has on any attack, not just attacks that you use your Strike the Formless ability on.
]]> Thu, 18 Oct 2007 11:36:32 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/SideBar email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited SideBar Characters
Randomness
Blog
]]> Tue, 09 Oct 2007 22:08:02 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/SkillRanks email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited SkillRanks Specific and Ongoing Expertise
At levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19, choose a single skill that is or has been a class skill for you to become a Practiced skill. Whenever you use this skill, you may roll two d20s and take the highest result. If a skill is Trained Only, making it Practiced counts as Trained. You may choose a skill more than once; if you do, simply add an additional die. For example, if you choose Ride three times, you may roll 4d20 and take the highest result whenever you use the Ride skill. (It is recommended that you keep track of additional dice by dotting the skill, or otherwise marking it. For example, selecting Ride three times would be represented as Ride+++ or Ride3.)
at class levels 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 20. Classes with 6 sp per level gain an additional Practiced skill at class levels 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, and 20. Classes with 8sp per level gain an additional Practiced skill at every class level.
Feat Changes<]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:43:49 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/SkillRanks email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited SkillRanks The Rules
First, all extant rules about advancing skills are abolished. Instead, skill training comes in several distinct pieces
Heroic Knowledge: Knowledge
You gain a flat bonus to all skills equal to half your level.
Background Training: Training
At first level, choose a number of skills equal to 8 + Int bonus. You gain a +2 bonus with these skills. If a chosen skill is Trained Only, you count as Trained.
Ongoing Expertise: Expertise
At levels 1, 4, 7, 10, 13, 16, and 19, choose a single skill that is or has been a class skill for you to become a Practiced skill. Whenever you use this skill, you may roll two d20s and take the highest result. If a skill is Trained Only, making it Practiced counts as Trained. You may choose a skill more than once; if you do, simply add an additional die. For example, if you choose Ride three times, you may roll 4d20 and take the highest result whenever you use the Ride skill. (It ]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:38:01 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/SkillRanks email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited SkillRanks At first level, choose a number of skills equal to 8 + Int bonus. You gain a +2 bonus with these skills. If a chosen skill is Trained Only, you count as Trained.
Specific and Ongoing Expertise:
would give you be represented as Ride+++ or Ride3.)
Higher skill classes gain even more Practiced skills. Classes with 4sp per level gain an additional Practiced skill at levels 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 20. Classes with 6 sp per level gain an additional Practiced skill at levels 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, and 20. Classes with 8sp per level gain an additional Practiced skill at every level.
Feat Changes
]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:35:18 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/SkillRanks email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited SkillRanks At first level, choose a number of skills equal to 8 + Int bonus. You gain a +2 bonus with these skills. If a chosen skill is Trained Only, you count as Trained.
Specific and Ongoing Expertise:
result. If a skill is Trained Only, making it Practiced counts as Trained. You may choose a skill more than once; if you do, simply add an additional die. For example, if you choose Ride three times, you may roll 4d20 and take the highest result whenever you use the Ride skill. (It is recommended that you keep track of additional dice by dotting the skill, or otherwise marking it. For example, selecting Ride three times would give you Ride+++ or Ride3.) If a skill is Trained Only, making it Practiced counts as Trained. Ride3.)]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:34:53 +0000 mod http://jackalmage.pbwiki.com/SkillRanks email.hidden@example.com (CJM) CJM edited SkillRanks At first level, choose a number of skills equal to 8 + Int bonus. You gain a +2 bonus with these skills. If a chosen skill is Trained Only, you count as Trained.
Specific and Ongoing Expertise:
skill. ''(It (It is recommended that you keep track of additional dice by dotting the skill, or otherwise marking it. For example, selecting Ride three times would give you Ride+++ or Ride3.) If a skill is Trained Only, making it Practiced counts as Trained.
Higher skill classes gain even more Practiced skills. Classes with 4sp per level gain an additional Practiced skill at levels 2, 5, 8, 11, 14, 17, and 20. Classes with 6 sp per level gain an additional Practiced skill at levels 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12, 14, 15, 17, 18, and 20. Classes with 8sp per level gain an additional Practiced skill at every level.
Feat Changes
Practiced Skills are where it gets interesting. Bonuses to a skill don't represent experience, they represent knowledge. Anytime I increase my bonus, I'm]]> Wed, 19 Sep 2007 10:34:22 +0000 mod