windstruck
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Post by windstruck on Jan 15, 2015 7:23:58 GMT
Hey guys! Not sure if I will truly get into this site, but might as well poke around for now! I just have a few questions, since either I'm dumb, blind, or... maybe the specific guidelines just aren't anywhere in an organized format...
so, this ia a 3.5 game. We'll start with characters with ECL 5, 9000 gp, and 48 point buy? Seemed like a lot... Just making absolutely sure.
Second, I had a specific request for a flaw. Meager fortitude is -3 to your fort saves. The logic you give for not allowing flaws is that they're always a good deal and a benefit to players. Surely, a flaw such as this wouldn't be considered as such? Would this one be alright?
Third, I had an idea for a homebrew feat for a pixie sorcerer character I wanted to play. By 'homebrew' I mean I'm engineering it and tweaking it myself. The idea is kind of like vow of poverty. Except it has nothing to do with being ascetic, holy, good, or charitable... it's more along the lines of a natural physiological reaction a supernatural creature such as a fey may have. The idea is thus:
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One with nature (sorcerer version): By being one with nature, your natural magic abilities are increased, but they are hindered by possessions.
Positive effects: All spell DCs +2. Known spells for each spell level is increased by 1. Spells per day for your 1st and 2nd highest spell slot increases by 1, and all lower spell slots get +2 spells per day.
Negative effects: For every 1 gp worth of possessions held/worn (except food with intention of eating it), gain 5% arcane spell failure for the next minute. This means 20 gp worth of stuff = 100% failure rate on spells with somatic components. Furthermore, every 1000 gp worth of magic items held/worn each round (rounded up) reduces effective caster level by 1 and decreases spell DCs by 2 cumulatively for the next 24 hours or until you rest.
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That's just a rough idea I have. It's kind of designed so you maybe CAN carry around and use some items, but you really shouldn't. You're meant to be freeeeeee! Any tweaks or adjustments requested are welcome.
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Post by Cendar on Jan 15, 2015 12:38:57 GMT
1) Yes, that is correct.
2) I'm inclined to say no on the flaw. No flaws that I have ever seen are balanced, as players take them in areas that don't hurt their character in order to gain a feat of great benefit to their character. For example, a warblade with access to Mind over Body has no need of a fortitude save. Neither does a wizard or sorcerer who has other ways of boosting the save. Or a melee type who already has a good fort save. So no, that flaw is not permitted.
3) Post the home brew request in the suggestion box. As an initial reaction, though, thos feat seems to have the same issues as VoP, though without all the drawbacks. I'd be hesitant on it.
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windstruck
Junior Member
Blossom is approved and ready to party!
Posts: 81
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Post by windstruck on Jan 15, 2015 13:22:26 GMT
Okay thanks for the response.
In regards to 2) I must point out that while I acknowledge everything you say is true, this is totally not what I am planning on doing. If you're afraid I might try to bypass ever needing a fortitude save (for instance, by that warblade quality or becoming a lich or something), then I would add the caveat that if such a situation were to ever occur, then the flaw is canceled and the latest feat gained via level progression is revoked.
For 3) would you care to elaborate a suggestion on how to fix it before I send it to the suggestion box? I find that people often whine that VoP makes a character extremely underpowered, which makes me ask is this the problem? Or do you feel that I'm getting too many benefits? Would removing the +2 to DCs suffice if that's the case?
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Post by NineOfSpades on Jan 15, 2015 13:49:19 GMT
I am not allowing flaws. Yes, there are some flaws that really do negatively impact a characters ability enough to justify a feat. But there are many ways to exploit them and gain considerable benefit for little to no consequence. Allowing one character to have a flaw would mean we would have to at least consider adding flaws to other characters, and lead to arguments over whether or not a given flaw for a given character is significant enough. On the whole, flaws are unbalanced, and we are not allowing them on this site.
I think your idea has some potential, and I really like the idea of items causing spell failure chances. The biggest issue I see, at least as is, would be that casters don't actually need much gear in order to be effective. About the only thing they really loose is access to spells with expensive material components, which still doesn't hurt you all that much. Removing the +2 to save DC would probably help.
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windstruck
Junior Member
Blossom is approved and ready to party!
Posts: 81
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Post by windstruck on Jan 15, 2015 15:39:24 GMT
Well at best, the feat helps you have a wider variety of spells and more castings that utilize your casting stat, and thus for a higher DC for them.
But you can't say 9000 GP and beyond for higher levels do not help a player significantly. For instance, there's potions. Probably need not say more about that. Then wands and scrolls, which greatly overshadow the variety of spells that can be cast. Only tradeoff here, like I mentioned before, is their DC will be lower.
And then after that there's armor, gear, and weapons which may also have great utility and provide valuable protection.
But yeah, if you agree, I'll remove the +2 DC thing.
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Reprint:
One with nature (sorcerer version): By being one with nature, your natural magic abilities are increased, but they are hindered by possessions.
Positive effects: Known spells for each spell level is increased by 1. Spells per day for your 1st and 2nd highest spell slot increases by 1, and all lower spell slots get +2 spells per day.
Negative effects: For every 1 gp worth of possessions held/worn (except food with intention of eating it), gain 5% arcane spell failure for the next minute. This means 20 gp worth of stuff = 100% failure rate on spells with somatic components. Furthermore, every 1000 gp (rounded up) worth of magic items held/worn each round reduces effective caster level by 1 and decreases spell DCs by 2 cumulatively for the next 24 hours or until you rest.
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Post by Cendar on Jan 15, 2015 16:04:11 GMT
Potions, wands, and scrolls all have their own significant limitations (not the lest of which that they are one-use or charged, which carries a host of problems).
I still think it's a bit more than I like. The negative effects can be circumvented, and then you're essentially gaining the benefit of a minimum of two feats per caster level (extra spell, extra slot). Nine, your thoughts?
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windstruck
Junior Member
Blossom is approved and ready to party!
Posts: 81
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Post by windstruck on Jan 15, 2015 16:29:06 GMT
Well I'm sorry. I'm not really the hardcore munchkin type that can think of every loophole, but... how can the negative effects be circumvented? There shouldn't be any way to get around the penalties except waiting them off. So the question really becomes: does carrying around/using an item outweigh the benefits of the spells I can already cast? The answer to this question is almost always going to be 'no'.
Now I was thinking... maybe it would be possible to carry around a sack with a bunch of mundane things like ropes, grappling hooks, marbles, tanglefoot bags? But you'd have to wait at least 10 rounds before being able to cast a spell with a somatomic spell, or else, I suppose, use the still spell feat. Is that the circumvention you were thinking of? But why drop marbles when you have grease? Why use a tanglefoot bag when you have web or entangle? Why use a rope to climb when you have the fly spell? Why use an acid flask when you have acid arrow?
(coincidentally, without doing such, you'd be totally screwed if you ever found yourself in an anti-magic chamber. xD )
Should it just be more strictly written that you can't own anything at all, or else you lose spell casting for the 24 hours or until you rest?
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Post by Cendar on Jan 15, 2015 16:40:00 GMT
Easiest way? You're a spellcaster. You don't need items to dominate the game already.
I am an optimizer (not a munchkin, and I don't like the term being applied to optimization). I might be inclined to allow this as a Type C homebrew. However, we have to consider this not just from a one-character perspective, but from a board-wide perspective. Let's say I want to play a druid and take this feat. Throw in natural spell, wild shape, etc.; what items do I really need?
Still waiting on Nine's thoughts on this.
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windstruck
Junior Member
Blossom is approved and ready to party!
Posts: 81
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Post by windstruck on Jan 15, 2015 16:48:44 GMT
Well, to be fair, the feat was specifically labeled as for only sorcerer. So if there was a version for druids, it would need to be better balanced.
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