Campaign set-up and Custom Rules | Page 1 | Campaign: Shattered Mirror | Guild Forums

Operation Shoestring
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Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 12:46 am

This thread is about the mechanics and grind of this campaign. Character creation guidelines, House Rules and other stuff here. POSTING RESTRICTED TO DM.

Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 1:08 am

CHARACTER CREATION

This campaign will be a modified gestalt

The original gestalt rules may be found here.

The gestalt variant used in this campaign will be a bit different, as follows.

Gestalt Ruleset

You will have a A Side and a B side to your character. Multiclassing penalties and favored classes are NOT in effect in either side.

You start with 6 levels in your A side. You gain feats at 1, 3, and 6 as normal. You may multiclass or take a prestige class as normal.

You will, over the course of the campaign, gain levels on your B side. You may multiclass or take a prestige class as normal on your B side, but you may NOT take a prestige class prior to level 6 on your B side, or have levels in a prestige class at the same level on both sides. You gain feats as normal on your B side. (This effectively means you gain the feats at 1, 3, and 6 twice)

Your BAB and Base Saves are the better of your A side or your B side over the first 6 levels So you will either use the stats from your B side, or if better, use the stats on your A side for the first 6 levels and add the stats gained from higher levels from your B side. This comparison is made individually for BAB, and each save.

Your HP and skillpoints use the higher total of each side at each individual level. When you gain a level on side B, if this would entitle you to gain more skill points, you receive them, otherwise your skill points remain as they were.. You can retrain your skill points for free every time you gain a level.

Casting, Manifesting, Meldshaping, Binding, and other similar effects can be progressed by a prestige class on the B side for a base class on the A side. Initiator Level, however, is based solely on your B side.

Available Sources

Online SRD
PHB & PHBII (Player's Handbook)
DMG & DMGII (Dungeon Master's Guide)
Completes (Complete Adventurer, Complete Magem, etc)
Races (Races of Stone, Races of the Wild, etc)
ECS (Eberron Campaign Setting)
XPH (Expanded Psionics Handbook)
TOB (Tome of Battle: Book of Nine Swords)
TOM (Tome of Magic)
MOI (Magic of Incarnum)
DOTU (Drow of the Underdark)

Limited material from other sources (Heroes of Battle, Heroes of Horror, Miniatures handbook, Frostburn, Draconomicon, Dragon Magic, Oriental Adventures, etc)

Races and Templates

The races permitted are all races and racial variants listed in the SRD, ECS, and Races books. Kobolds, Goblins, Assimar and Tieflings are also allowed. Drow are allowed under a custom ruleset at request. Other races may be allowed at request.

Templates may be permitted on a case by case basis. Discuss with the DM.

Classes

For reasons of both plot and mechanics not all classes are available on both sides. Prestige classes are generally all allowed, as are Racial Paragon classes.

Classes Available on both sides:
Monk
Swashbuckler

Side A classes:

PHB base classes (all 11 original classes)**
Knight
Duskblade
Hexblade
Favored Soul
Warlock
Marshal
Wilder*

Side B classes:
(Alternate skill-focused classes smile
Ninja
Scout
Factotum

(Psionic Classes smile
Psion
Psychic Warrior
Lurk*
Ardent
Divine Mind

(School-based casting smile
Beguiler
Warmage
Dread Necromancer*
Healer

(Tome of Battle smile
Swordsage
Crusader
Warblade

(Magic of Incarnum smile
Totemist
Incarnate
Soulborn*

(Tome of Magic smile
Binder
Shadowcaster
Truenamer*

(Draconic smile
Dragon Shaman
Dragonfire Adept

Classes that do not exist (just so no one asks):
For being too useless: Samurai, Soulknife
Because they require too much house-ruling: Erudite, Archivist, Artificer, Shugenja

Classes that exist but are not available to PC's:
(Spirit Guide smile
Wu Jen
Spirit Shaman

*you are advised NOT to take this class unless you really, really know what you are doing.

** Clerics must use the Cloistered Cleric variant from the SRD. Druids must use the Shapeshift variant from the PHBII. If you want Wildshape, use the Wildshape Ranger from the SRD.

Attribute Generation

I will use a Point Buy for your Attributes. You can find the rules for a point buy in the SRD. You will receive AT LEAST a 32 point buy. I may choose to give a higher buy. (For comparison, the KOTOR games give you a 30 point buy)

Flaws and Traits

You may take at least 1 flaw and 1 trait. A second trait or flaw may be allowed depending on circumstances.

Starting Wealth

Your starting Wealth will be slightly higher than the standard Wealth by level for level 6, (which is 13,000 gold). You will start with 15,000 gold, and may purchase magic items of up to 12,000 gold in value. (Using more than 2/3 of your gold on 1 item is not recommended). You may not purchase Psionic, Incarnum or Initiator items at character creation.

Experience Points

You start with -125 XP (yes, negative experience points -deal). When you reach 0 XP, you gain your first level on side B. Thereafter you have normal XP for your level on side B (XP is calculated based on your side B level, so expect to level quickly over your first 5 levels)

Crafting

If you take Item Creation feats on your A side, you may start the game with custom crafted Magic Items. Subtract the gold cost from your starting gold, and add the XP cost as negative XP to your starting XP. You may NOT gain more than 500 negative XP in this fashion.

If you have a Item Creation feat on either side, you may craft custom Magic or Psionic items during "downtime" between campaign events. You expend gold and XP as normal.

Skill Points

Once a class skill, always a class skill. This cuts down on so many headaches I have with cross class skills.

Your character has max ranks in one Knowledge skill and one Craft or Profession skill for free. Choose wisely.

Operation Shoestring
Captain

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Operation Shoestring
Captain

Offline

Posted: Thu Feb 12, 2009 11:13 am

HOUSE RULES

Classes are written in this format:
A side class/Second A side class//B side class/Second B side class

Classes and Class features

The "Dead Level" abilities found online may be used.

Evasion always functions in light armor, even if you gain it from a class that does not give you proficiency in light armor. Likewise, bonuses to your speed from class features also always function in light armor.

Classes that grant +1 dodge bonus every 5 levels (Monk, Ninja, Swashbuckler) grant that bonus against all foes, not just 1 foe. The bonus starts at +1 at level 1, and increases by 1 at level 5 and every 5 levels thereafter to a maximum of +5 at level 20 (Pre-epic, anyway).

Domain Granted Powers are based on Character level, not Cleric level. (Turning is still based on Cleric level, but any prestige classes that advances turning stacks with your Cleric level)

The Countersong Bardic Music ability is a standard action to activate and lasts until the start of the bard's next turn. Instead of an alternate save, the Bard's perform check acts as Spell resistance against spells and effects that have the [sonic] type, are Language Dependent, or which are "Word" spells (Power Word spells, Holy Word/Word of Chaos/Dictum/Blasphemy, etc )

The Prestige Variants of Ranger, Paladin and Bard are available (on the B side), but you may not have levels in both a base class and it's prestige variant.

Crusaders gain the class feature Standing Stalwart (Immunity to deaths effects, including death from massive damage) as their level 20 Capstone.

Healers are now a spontaneously casting class. Healers add Panacea and Healer's Vision to their spell list.

Paladins, Rangers and other "half casting" classes now have Caster level equal to their class level, not half their class level.

The Ranger's animal companion is at Ranger level - 3, not half Ranger level. Rangers add half their favored enemy bonus to attack rolls against favored enemies. Rangers add Fairie Fire and Listening Lorecall to their spell list.

Beguilers add Grease and Glitterdust to their spell list.

Rogues gain a free language or skill trick at level 6 and every 6 levels thereafter.

Swashbucklers gain Listen and Intimidate as class skills, and Acrobatic Skill Mastery covers Swim and Climb as well as Jump and Tumble.

Monks gain Use Rope and Iaijutsu Focus as class skills.

Warblades gain Perform: Weapon Drill as a class skill.

Fighters gain Spot and Perform: Weapon Drill as class skills.

Feats

Feats that stack two classes for the purpose of class features do stack across the sides. A character that has Rogue4/Barbarian2//Swashbuckler3 with the Daring Outlaw feat stacks his Rogue and Swashbuckler levels, for an effective level of 7 for determining Grace, AC bonus, and Sneak Attack. He would gain +1 AC and +2 SA from the feat.

Since there are no Multiclassing penalties, the Monastic Training and Knight Training feats do not exist. Tashalatora does not have a feat prerequisite.

The Research feat does not exist. Anyone with an Intelligence score of 7 or higher can do research. No need for a feat.

The Track, Urban Tracking, and Investigate feats allow you to do the skill checks they are associated with against DCs above 20. You can still track or investigate without these feats if the task is not too difficult.

Skills

Synergies:

5 ranks in Use Rope gives +2 to Profession (Sailor) checks made involving the use of rope.

5 ranks in Profession (Sailor) gives +2 to Knowledge (Geography) checks made to navigate on water.

Skill tricks:

Able Seaman
(Prereq; Profession (Sailor) 4 ranks)
You may add INT as well as WIS to Profession (Sailor) checks.

Distinguish Counterfeits
(Prereq: Forgery 1 rank, Search or Decipher Script 8 ranks)
You may use Search or Decipher Script instead of Forgery to detect forgeries. 5 ranks in Forgery gives you a +2 bonus to your check.

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