Philosopher's Stone War 3.5 & Changes Discussion thread.

[Aura Guardian]

(Lightwolf gave this a go)

Ok, it's late at night here, but I promised to get this up tonight...

We are testing the revamped Berserker, the modified Sage, and the very new Monster (Monk is not getting a test, as it is returning rather than being introduced or revamped entirely). To check Berserker, Knight is included, and to check Monster. Monk needs some testing for his return, so Monk is champion 5.

1) I will start taking signups for the second playtest of PSW

2) Some class stuff has not been 100% finished yet, but will be before we start

3) There are three settlements in the map, separated by a lake. In between the settlements are a plain with a road (1 day of travel at base speed 30, no shortcuts), a mountain path (2 days of travel on the path, climb checks to take shortcuts up to half of a day), and a forest (1.5 days of travel on the path, survival checks to find shortcuts to cut up to half a day from your travel)

4) There will be a map posted when the playtest of 5 begins

5) There are five leylines. I will not say what they do exactly, but they power up rituals.

6) Here is the document with magic reworking: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1...jBXXHGsi0/edit
I will edit this with spells/day when I talk with von about the exact balance, since I've forgotten what I agreed on with him already.

7) I will post the champion powers after people sign up, because there is some last minute editing I need to do.

8) Feel free to post with recommendations for changes, regardless of if you are signing up or not

9) The playtest is to determine balance issues, not to win. There is no losing the playtest, except by nonparticipation.

10) I WILL make modifications to the playtest as needed, including these rules.

11) This will begin a week or two from now, though I will work somewhat on champion power selection, etc.

12) All champions for the playtest must be much more modern than those that would be allowed, or maybe just completely made up (examples: Veigar, The Frost King).

13) Some stuff, like the exact map, and leylines, will be decided AFTER some level of character creation to improve balance on everything but champion vs champion (which is being tested).

14) Everyone starts with one usable order spell. Mana is still to be determined, but think ~200 range, probably

(all champions, including the 5 not in the playtest, are: Knight, Berserker, Rider, Monk, Sage, Caster, Savior, Assassin, Archer, and Monster)

Signups begin, you may request a champion while signing up:

[Rodan]

ME

berserker or SAGE would be a o k with me

[LightWolf]

In to create a Monster. I have called monster months ago. MONTHS

[Agape]

I am interested in this interesting new game! I think Sage needs some testing and I'm willing to apply for it.

[Phoenix512]

I'm willing to do either Monk or Knight for this.

[ginganinja]

Will to do any of monk, beserker, sage xD

[Temperantia]

I would like to be a part of this and am willing to go with any class. (Even Sage, lol.)

[Aura Guardian]

Due to the recent sign-up, this will instead have 6 players. Temp gets Archer.
　
Ok, ground stuff:
Spells are here
Summary: Spell slots equal to INT + INT modifier. INT modifier spell slots can only be used on your specialization's school spells. Opposition spells cost two spell slots to prepare, as do Standard spells. Opposition Standard spells cost three slots to prepare. Everyone gains two Ritual slots and two Defense slots, which use a modification of the opposition spells take extra slots rule (they cost one of your main spell slots, used for Utility and Standard, rather than an extra slot of their type). One Ritual and one Defense must be of your school, but the other spell in each slot can be of any school. Opposition Research is allowed.
Note: You are required to choose a school and one opposition. You gain no bonuses from the school, though, only by in-game stuff (rituals, extra spell slots).

EDIT: Rituals take 1/2 hour to cast, and Defensives can only be cast if your master is attacked by an enemy champion (or maybe Sage's Minion, depending). Rituals can be cast once each per day for more effects, but only Teleport can be cast from any ritual spot, and then, it only goes to another one of your rituals.
___________________________
For the purposes of the playtest, I am modifying the base game as follows:
-Only 6 champions
-Everyone starts with three rituals already up of their choice, though one must be from their school.
-Base map is completely changed
-Everyone starts with only two order spells instead of three.
-I will, for the playtest, post the champion class of each player.
Note for the order spells:
-Cannot be used as a spare life. You have to restore to full HP before I roll damage. I will prompt you when you are at medium-low HP, though.
____________________
Mana:
-Cap 1000/day allowed
-rituals give 100/day, before other modifiers
-Matching a ritual to a leyline can give bonuses
-Mana from rituals is a pool of mana per day, not mana generation, so not using it means it is wasted.
________________________________
Master class is now:
level 11 Master.
15 point buy for stats, Human
7 feats (one per odd level, then one at level 1) + Scribe Scroll
Two other feats (Metamagic, Arcane Discovery, or Item Creation)
[note: you may not have more than 3 magic items at a time. This excludes ones your champion came with. However, this includes ones that you made that are not on your person unless they were stolen from you. This can be subjective, as per host rulings]
Champions are level 20 and have 25 point buy. They get +2 to one stat of their choice but NOT a bonus feat at level 1.

Champion abilities

---

Knight:
Knight's Defense: Knight gains DR 5/- and SR 26.
Knights Protection: Knight's master gains SR 21 and takes 1/4 damage from all physical attacks and 1/2 damage from a champion's magic-only attacks
Knight's Power: Knight gains 5 bonus combat feats.
----------------------------
Berserker:
Berserker’s Revelry: Berserker is permanently under Mad Enhancement. Calming down takes 1 hour OR 200 mana, and leaves Berserker fatigued for 1 hour UNLESS the master spends 100 mana to end it early. Berserker may NOT increase rage level when fatigued, but may decrease it. This has three levels.
Level 1: +4 to STR and CON, +2 to WILL saves (all morale), -2 penalty to AC. -4 penalty to all CHA, INT, and DEX based skills other than Intimidate, Acrobatics, Fly, and Ride. Under this, Berserker *can* function in society relatively normally.
Level 2: +6 to STR and CON, +3 to WILL saves, -2 penalty to AC. Cannot use CHA, INT, or DEX based skills other than Intimidate, Acrobatics, Fly, and Ride at all. Automatically attacks enemies, but is controllable for 50 mana per hour (can prevent attacking), and honors alliances his master makes while controlled. Automatically uses Power attack if he has it, but can be ordered not to for 50 mana/round.
Level 3: +8 to STR and CON, +4 to WILL saves, -2 penalty to AC. Cannot use CHA, INT, or DEX based skills other than Intimidate (Demoralize only), Acrobatics (jumping only), Fly, and Ride. Automatically attacks anyone present other than his master (prioritizing the nearest target first), though a Master may give reprioritization (attack the enemy, not the ally, or attack a different enemy) or combat orders (Prevent escape, etc.) for 50 mana per round applicable, and retreat orders for 100 mana (no timer). Berserker cannot use any hero-unique powers (such as PSW III's Loki's shapechanging) other than passives (such as PSW III's Guan Yu's bonus HP/AC/Attack+damage rolls when outnumbered), and passives on weaponry. Berserker automatically uses Demoralize as part of a move action or charge.
Berserker’s Rage: Berserker gains 5 Rage Powers, as a Barbarian. Level requirements are ignored.
----------------------------
Sage
Theurgy: Sage gains two spell lists, one arcane and one divine, that may be cast each day.
Choice of Powers: Sage may cast spells as a Sorcerer/Cleric, Wizard/Cleric, or Wizard/Oracle for mental stats. Sorcerers and Oracles gain power from Charisma, Wizards from Intelligence, and Clerics from Wisdom. Sorcerer/Oracle is forbidden.
Leader: Sage gains access to three or four minions. If Sage chooses four minions, each minion is level 14. If Sage chooses three minions, each is level 15. Minios will be balanced competitively according to Sage's decision. If a minion is killed, Sage may resurrect the minion for 200 mana after 24 hours have elapsed. In the event Sage had a horde of minions in the legends, then this may be changed. Sage knows where his minions are at all times, and may observe through one of their eyes for 10 rounds/day for free, and 50 mana/round for future rounds.
----------------------------
Monster:
Monster’s Base: Monster and her master begin the conflict in a base in the wilderness. While within a mile of this base, Monster cannot become fatigued, exhausted, or staggered. Fatigue and exhaustion have the caveat of lack of sleep working normally.
Pass for Human: Monster may suppress her powers (other than Monster’s Base and Monstrous Magic), and appear as a human, taking 20 to disguise herself as a human. In this form, Monster may not use ANY powers other than skill ranks. This disguise may be shed as a move action, but takes 10 minutes to apply. Dropping this triggers a surprise round (so turn not wasted), but under other circumstances, Monster may spend 100 mana to make dropping the disguise a swift action.
Monstrous Magic: Monster gains Spell Combat, a select list of combat spells, and automatically takes 10 on concentration to cast defensively or while grappled (may spend 50 mana for a +4 bonus). Medium armor and shields do not affect spell failure chance.
Monster’s Nature: When Monster is in her true form, she gains an aura radius 30 feet that gives all enemies a morale penalty of -2 on all attack rolls, skill checks, and saving throws.
----------------------------
Monk
Monk’s Vision: For 25 mana, Monk may identify all beneficial spells in effect on one target as a swift action. By changing this to a move action, he may identify all buffs on 2 targets, but this costs 50 mana. Regardless of actions remaining, Monk can only use this once/round.
Monk’s Powers: Monk gains AC Bonus (adds Wisdom modifier to AC and CMD) and Improved Unarmed Strike.
Counterattack: Once per round, when the opponent misses an attack against the Monk she may make one attack against the opponent.
Combo: If the Monk successfully hit an opponent on her last round, her attacks do 2d10 damage until she goes a round without landing a hit. On her third round of attacking successfully, she may add any combat maneuver to her attack as a free action.
----------------------------
Archer
Archer’s Sight: Archer has Darkvision 200 feet, and may confer this to her master 1/day for 4 hours, but limited to 100 feet. Archer may gain See Invisibility up to 100 feet for 10 rounds/day. Using this See Invisibility, or suppressing it, is a free action. These rounds need not be consecutive. Archer may spot any opponent not using stealth from double the distance anyone else would. In practice, this means that Archer doubles her perception roll against opponents not using stealth, and thus sees opponents at double the range.
Archer’s Skill: Archer receives +4 on all Attack, Damage, Bluff, Knowledge, Perception, Sense Motive, and Survival checks made against Champions.
Archer’s Terrain: Archer begins character creation with a list of 8 terrains appearing in the game, as well as approximations of which is most plentiful. Archer then chooses four terrains and applies bonuses to them as if she were a Level 20 Ranger.

----------------------------------------------
Lightwolf - Monster
Rodan - Berserker
Agape - Sage
ginganinja - Monk
Pheonix512 - Knight
Temperantia - Archer
--------------------------------------------------
I will post the map later. You should send me which beings you want as your characters now.

[Agape]

Originally Posted by Fat Aura Guardian

Defensives can only be cast if your master is attacked by an enemy champion (or maybe Sage's Minion, depending).

I see what you did there.

I can assure you all that Sage's Minions are Mostly Harmless (tm).

[Aura Guardian]

Status update.

2 champions (Sage and Monster) have their frameworks pretty much done.

Metamagic now works as follows:
Any single +1 effect costs no spell slots. Spell SLOTS up to your INT modifier may have a single +1 metamagic applied, but further applications cost more spell slots
A total bonus of +2 to a single spell costs one spell slot.
+3 costs 2 slots, and +4 cost 3 slots, etc.
No more than one +3/+4 effect (other than Heighten Spell) may be applied to any one spell. So no quickened Maximized Fireball.

Spells are cast by masters at caster level [7 9 10 11 13], though some spell list [6 8 10 12 14]. Base CL is 7, with some effects increase a caster level. These include rituals in the correct locations and arcane school, which does NOT give any bonuses from the school, but only requires one opposition school.

[Aura Guardian]

Just posting with an update. Five champions have their tentative powers made so far. I am going to have a round of modifications to their overpowered abilities, however, so we are not quite ready yet. However, I have hopes of starting this proper in about 3 weeks or so. My apologies for all the delays, but I have to balance this with schoolwork.

[Aura Guardian]

Hi, everyone. Sorry for the long delay. I've got all champions with tentative powers made so far, and one is nearly final. Also, here's some more of the system for caster level, mana, spells per day, and HP:

Everyone has five caster level options: 7, 9, 10, 11, and 13. Everyone starts at caster level 7.
Everyone MUST choose one Specialization and one opposition school. Your caster level in your specialization school increases by one level. Opposition school simply costs an extra spell slot to prepare a Utility spell and two spell slots to prepare a Standard spell.
Having a Mana Fount of a school increases your caster level of that school by one rank (applies only once per school).
Having a Mana Fount on a leyline of a school increases your caster level of that school by one rank (applies only once per school).
Having a Mana Fount of a a school on a leyline of that school counts as both of the previous and increases your caster level by another rank (+3 total), but this only applies once per school. This also gives secret bonuses.

Rituals take 15 minutes to perform, 15 minutes to destroy.
Each ritual gives you 100 Normal Mana to use, to a cap of 800, which replenishes to full every day. Destroying a ritual gives you 100 Envy Mana that does not replenish, but also never expires, to a cap of 300. There is also Wrath Mana for fighting, which is detailed later.
Each ritual lasts until another destroys it.
Monk can sense rituals at double distance. An area with rituals can be sensed from one mile away per ritual in it. An area is never more than a 1 mile by 1 mile square, but can be less, as reasonable (this is a host call).
There is a cap of 800 mana that you can have each day. Be warned, though, as if your maximum mana is decreased, you will lose mana.

Wrath Mana:
May NOT be spent on mana/round effects.
Cap 300 Wrath Mana.
Gain 1 for killing a civilian.
Gain 50 for an opponent successfully flees from you after a bona fide fight of at least 5 turns each (surprise rounds count half).
Gain 100 for claiming an order spell
Gain 150 for killing an enemy Master
Gain 250 for killing an enemy Champion
Gain 50 for every five rounds in combat

_______________________

Everyone has spells per day equal to their Intelligence Score. Standard spells cost double to prepare, as do opposition spells. This is multiplicative, so Standard Opposition costs 4 slots to prepare. Metamagic costs 1 spell slot for +1, 2 slots for +2, 4 slots for +3, and 8 slots for +4. No one may increase a spell to above +4 metamagic, and the cost in slots is for the total increase in spell level, not per metamagic.

Everyone has spell slots for their specialization school equal to their intelligence bonus. Standard spells may be prepared in these by spending one normal spell slot.

Everyone has 2 ritual slots and 2 defense slots, one each of which must be spent on their specialization. Master of Caster gets three rituals instead of two.

______________________

Character | Base HP | Notes (unless otherwise specified, they have 20HD)
Master | 41 | 11 HD, and HP is doubled after normal calculation
Caster | 100
Sage | 120
Assassin | 120
Savior | 120
Monk | 120
Archer | 120
Monster | 120
Rider | 120
Knight | 140
Berserker | 160

Masters are Humans, Champions are Humanoid (Legendary)

Everyone restores 25% max HP upon 8 hours of rest, doubled with the relevant Heal check. For resting a further 16 hours (Masters may study spells while doing the 16 hour rest), a person restores 50% of their maximum HP. Savior and his master restore to full overnight, though given Savior's magical healing, this is less-than-relevant. Assassin's Mark disrupts all healing as the power specifies.

______________________________

The overworld map is done, but specific maps are not. After I finish finalizing champion powers, I will ask for everyone to build their characters, and after that and maps are done, we can finally get this started.

This will start sometime after my final exams are over, which is a couple weeks from now.

[Aura Guardian]

I'm about to send champion powers out. I will need from you the following:

Ability Scores (Master 15 point buy with two +1s, Champion 25 point buy with 5 +1s), both get a +2 to any one stat of their choice

Feats (Masters get a bonus feat for Human, Scribe Scroll, and Wizard bonus feats at 5 and 10), Masters treated as level 11 and Champions as level 20 (Champions only get bonus feats as described in their powers)

Skill Ranks (Everyone gets Favored Class, I'll tell you how many base ranks you get per level in your message)

Alignments, name of Master

Master specialization school and one opposition school (Opposition Research negates). You only get the spells from this, not the powers, and Universalist is not allowed.

________________________________________

I have sent relevant info to everyone, aside from class powers, which are public and in post #8. Keep these public powers in mind, as they affect many builds, such as Berserker's Rage Powers, Archer has to select terrains, etc.