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Post by EK - Shadow of Death on Jan 13, 2004 1:00:48 GMT -5
Alright, lets get down and right to the goods.
The Ability Scores:
Strength (Str), Dexterity (Dex), Constitution (Con), Intelligence (Int), Wisdom (Wis), Charisma (Cha).
These define a character's innate potential and outside of magical means, cannot be raised or lowered. They run from 3 to 18 and are determined by rolling a 3d6 once for each attribute (there are a few variations on ability score generation, but this is the most straightforward method). An average score is 10-12, with 18 being the pinnacle of society (think Olympics)
Strength: Raw power, be it in lifting up a heavy object or in an arm wrestling contest. If a strength score of 18 is rolled, then the character gets to roll a d100 in addition to determine "exceptional strength". Exceptional strength adds strength categories within the strength rating of 18, and these categories can vary greatly. For example, a person with 18/21 strength (18 strength, 21 exceptional strength) can bench press 280 lbs, while a person with 18/00 strength (18 strength, 100 exceptional strength can bench press 480 lbs. High strength not only increases the amount of weight a character can carry without penalty, but also adds damage to melee attacks and increases the chance for melee attacks to hit. This score is essential for fighters, rangers, and paladins
Dexterity: Nimbleness, quickfootedness, overall speed, and reaction rate. A high dexterity can reduce the chance of enemies hitting you (the character sidesteps the arrow, etc), can increase the probability that you can react faster than your opponent when you're both caught by surprise, and betters your aim with missile weapons. This score is essential for thieves.
Constitution: Your character's physique, health, fitness, and physical resistance to disease, poison, and other hardships. A high constitution adds bonus hit points for each level your character gains, and increases the chance that you avoid the ill effects of poison or disease. In addition there is a system shock score that accompanies each constitution score. This is a percentage that increases with your score and represents how well you can survive extreme trauma. Its usually rolled when you are polymorphed (changed by magic into another form) or suffer massive injury from one source (usually over 50 points of damage - something like a dragon's breath weapon). Failure usually means death. In addition there is a resurrectioni survival roll which is also a percentage, and is rolled whenever your character is trying to be brought back from the dead (by whatever means). Both of these percentage rolls are fairly easy to pass (a 10 constitution gets around a 70% pass rate on either, an 18 constitution gets a 99%). A high score in this is only essential for the paladin and ranger, but benefits all characters who engage in melee (those extra hit points help).
Intelligence: This is your character's memory, reasoning, and learning ability. It determines how many languages your character can ever learn in addition to granting you bonus nonweapon proficiency slots for each extra language beyond the first (more on that later). If your character is an arcane spell user (like a mage), then the level of their highest spell, their chance to be able to comprehend a new spell that they run across, and the maximum amount of spells they may ever have per spell level (more on this later) is also determined by this trait. Needless to say, a high score in this trait is essential for wizards.
Wisdom: This is a mix of a character's judgement, willpower, enlightenment, common sense, and intuitive sense. A high wisdom score increases a character's resistance to mind affecting spells (those that cause fear, instill emotion, or try to affect thoughts or perceptions). Additionally, a user of divine magic can gain bonus spells depending on their wisdom. Also, a charater's wisdom score represents how likely it is that a particular spell that they may cast will fail (though anyone with a wisdom over 13 has a spell failure chance of 0%). Naturally, wisdom is a necessity for all spell users, but in particular clerics.
Charisma: They say that this is the useless trait. How utterly wrong. Charisma is a character's guile, attractiveness, personal magnetism, and leadership ability roled into one. A powerful charisma increases the number of highly loyal followers (henchmen) a character can ever attract in addition to determining how loyal said henchmen will be. Additionally, a high (or low) charisma score can affect encounters (with humans, monsters, or others) by increasing (or decreasing) their friendliness with you. Though highly underrated, the charisma score has its place and is requisite to paladins, druids, and bards.
Next episode.... Character races!
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Post by EK - Shadow of Death on Jan 14, 2004 2:43:19 GMT -5
Standard Allowed Races
Human, Elf, Half-elf, Dwarf, Gnome, Halfling
Human: I shouldn't have to describe how these guys look... or act... or most things. They get standard ability scores, live around 70-80 years, reproduce like there's no tomorrow, and generally are more trouble than they're worth. But they have their... uses *evil laughter*. Humans can be any class without restriction as long as they meet the prerequisites for that class.
Elf: These guys are shorter and slimmer than normal humans. Their ears tend to taper to a point (though this is graceful and beautiful), they have high-cheekbones and more chiseled, graceful features. They may appear weak and fragile, but in fact their high bone and muscle density makes up for this (resulting in the utter humiliation of many human fighters who dared to wrestle elves thinking themselves the better). Elves are an enigma to most humans, being frivolous at times and serious at other times. They write poetry that has remained classic for millenia, research magic more powerful than human archmages can dream of, brew alcohol that has been known to put even dwarves in a stupor for weeks, and sing songs so beautiful that no known human lives through a performance - all have died of pleasure. There are 5 subraces of the elven race: aquatic, gray, high, wood, and dark. Aquatic elves are shy and tend to themselves, gray elves are elitist and are the nobles among elves, high elves are the fairest and most open-minded, wood elves are highly tribal and fierce, and dark elves are very evil, very powerful, and are shunned by others for most part. For this reason, it is recommended that an elven character is either a high or a grey elf, simply to facilitate role-playing. Though lifespan varies by subrace, elves generally live for many centuries and take their longlevity very proudly. As a result of not wanting to be cut down in such a petty thing as battle, elves have developed a special affinity with bows that allow them to kill enemies at a great range (this translates to a +1 to the THAC0 roll - more on this later). Additionally, due to elven thinness, all elves have a +1 to their Dexterity and a -1 to their Constitution. Elves also have a 90% resistance to sleep and all charm-related spells in addition to their normal saving throw (explained later). If the elf is not wearing metal armor, they can move so silently as to impose a -4 penalty on their opponent's surprise roll. An elf is also granted infravision up to 60 feet. Elves also have an innate mental sense that allows them to detect secret or concealed doors which translates into a 1 in 6 chance to notice a concealed door if the elf passes within 10 feet of it. If actively searching for such doors, an elf gets a 1 in 2 chance to find a concealed door and a 1 in 3 chance to find a secret door. Elves can be fighters, rangers, mages, clerics, or thieves.
Dwarves: They're short, stocky, and have insane amounts of body hair. They have ruddy faces, dark eyes, and dark hair. Average lifespan: 350 years. These guys are very hard-working and place great importance on clan, family, and tradition. They love strong alcohol, battle, and the chance to test their mettle. It is said that dwarves hate humor, but the fact is that they only like jokes that are long enough to be worth telling (these usually require patience that most humans don't have - the punch lines themselves can usually be a few paragraphs long). They are excellent miners, architects, craftsmen, and smiths and usually dwell in hilly or mountainous regions (usually underground). A dwarf gets a bonus saving throws against attacks from wands, staves, rods, and spells. This bonus is +1 for every 3 - ½ points of Constitution (explained later). This bonus also applies to saves made against poisons and exposure to toxicity, representing their hardiness. However, dwarves are very nonmagical, and as such, magical items not suited for dwarves (everything except weapons, shields, armor, gauntlets, and girdles) have a 20% chance to malfunction when used by a dwarf. In melee, dwarves add 1 to their to hit scores against goblinoids. When ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, or titans attack dwarves, they subtract 4 from their to hit rolls because of the dwarves' small size and combat skill against them. Dwarven infravision enables them to see up to 60 feet in the dark. Because of their experiences living underground, dwarves can also learn the following information instinctively whenever they choose.
Detect grade or slope in passage 1-5 on 1d6 Detect new tunnel/passage construction 1-5 on 1d6 Detect sliding/shifting walls or rooms 1-4 on 1d6 Detect stonework traps, pits, and deadfalls 1-3 on 1d6 Determine approximate depth underground 1-3 on 1d6
Because of their sturdiness, dwarves gain 1 point to their Constitutions and lose 1 point to their Charisma. Dwarves can be fighters, clerics, or thieves.
Next time... Halflings, gnomes, and half-elves!
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Post by EK - Shadow of Death on Jan 18, 2004 19:25:12 GMT -5
Races, cont.
Gnomes: These underground dwellers have short stature, long noses, and extremely kooky personalities. They are fans of practical jokes and the arts (especially jewelry and stonecraft). They are suspicious of taller beings, but have a slight affinity with dwarves, who are also short and live underground. A gnome has the same bonus to resist magical effects and the capability to cause a malfunction in a magical item as dwarves do. Their infravision allows them to see up to 60 feet. In addition, due to having spent many generations underground, all gnomes are able to do the following when concentrating upon it:
Detect grade or slope in passage 1-5 on 1d6 Detect unsafe walls, ceiling, and floors 1-7 on 1d10 Determine approximate depth underground 1-4 on 1d6 Determine approximate direction underground 1-3 on 1d6
Gnomes, despite their size are also fierce combatants, especially against the goblinoid races against whom they way constantly. In melee, a gnome adds 1 to their attack rolls to hit kobolds or goblins. When gnolls, bugbears, ogres, trolls, ogre magi, giants, or titans attack gnomes, these monsters must subtract 4 from their attack rolls because of the gnomes' small size and their combat skills against these much larger creatures. Gnomes may be fighters, thieves, priests, or illusionists. They gain a +1 bonus to their Intelligence, reflecting their inquisitive nature, but suffer a -1 penalty to their Wisdom because this inquisitiveness usually leads into danger.
Halflings: These short, plump people are very different from gnomes and must not be confused with them. Halflings have round, florid faces, heads full of curly hair, and hairy feet. They are highly social, amicable, and industrious, and prefer a quiet lifestyle to that of adventuring. Halflings do not hoarde wealth, but instead use whatever means they can to be as comfortable as possible. They are honest and hardworking, and rarely succumb to laziness when a job needs to be done. There are three halfling sub-races: Hairfeet, Tallfellow, and Stout. The hairfoot is the traditional halfling described above, and usually lives in burrows built into grassy or wooded hills. The stout, is about the same height of the hairfoot (approx. 3'), but weighs about 150% than that of their cousins (though this is commonly muscle - stout are known for their prowess at wrestling, etc). Stout tend to live amongst dwarves, sharing similar ideals, though making burrows in rock outcroppings or hills. The tallfellow is only an inch or two above 4' and are slender and light-boned. Tallfellows are fond of the fey, and many of their villages are near that of the sylvan folk. Unlike other halflings, tallfellows live in wooden houses built above ground, though an underground cellar usually serves as a living quarters as well. Halflings share the same resistance to magical effects based on Constitution as dwarves and gnomes do. In addition, this bonus also applies vs. poison. From a young age, halflings play games involving stealthiness and precision. This is reflected in a +1 bonus to hit with any slung or thrown weapon, and in a bonus to surprise opponents (to accomplish this, the halfling must be 90 feet away from the enemy, which results in a penalty of -4 to the enemy's surprise roll). Halflings can be fighters, priests, or thieves.
Half-elves: My personal favorite. A half-elf is anyone who has more (or equal) elven ancestors as human (if there are more human ancestors than elves, the person is human). They are handsome and have the best features of each of their individual races, mixing freely with both, but not fully accepted by either. A half elf usually has curiosity, ambition, and a love of nature, inherited from both sides of his family. A half-elf can be a cleric, druid, fighter, ranger, mage, specialist wizard, thief, or bard. Half-elves have a 30% resistance to sleep and all charm-related spells in addition to an infravision that enables them to see up to 60 feet. A half-elf that passes within 10 feet of a concealed door gives the half-elven character a one-in-six chance of spotting it. If the character is actively seeking to discover hidden doors, he has a one-in-three chance of spotting a secret door and a one-in-two chance of locating a concealed door instead.
Next time... Classes!
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Post by EK - Shadow of Death on Jan 22, 2004 23:21:12 GMT -5
There are 4 basic class divisions in 2nd edition, each further broken down into seperate classes. Warrior - The warrior class division is composed of guys who use brute strength and combat expertise, more than anything else, as their way of life. It includes bounty hunters, knights, pirates, samurai, archers, etc (though with expanded rules there are some exceptions). Warriors generally have high hit points, can wield almost any weapon/armor, and are able to roll for exceptional strength (which gives them a tremendous bonus to hit and to damage). - The warrior division is broken up into 3 playable classes: Fighter, Paladin, and Ranger. Wizard - The wizard class division is composed of people who use analysis and knowledge of the arcane as their way of life. It includes the good ol' fireball slinger, warrior wizards, infiltrators, researchers, alchemists, etc. Mages generally have a high intelligence which allows them to cast high level spells. Spells such as fireball allow a 5th level mage to devestate enemies that would stop a 5th level fighter in his tracks. A high-level mage is usually a force to be reckoned with for any class. However, to counter this, mages are generally weaker than their counterpart classes until around 7th level (when they gain access to 4th level spells), and all-around, have low hitpoints, a very limited weapon selection (dart, dagger, sling, and quarterstaff), and very limited physical combat ability. With the exception of the battlemage and a few multi-class kits (expanded rules), mages are not allowed to wear armor and cast spells. - The use of arcane magic is divided up into 9 types of magic called "schools". The 9 schools of magic are listed here along with their opposition schools. - More than the simple mage that everyone knows and loves, the wizard division is composed of specialists as well. The mage is a generalist, capable of casting every type of spell with equal chance off success. The specialist wizard, on the other hand, chooses a single school in which to specialize and gains enhancements on that school. The specialist wizard finds it easier to research spells from and understand spells in his school, as well as having their maximum amount of castable spells/day increase. However, their ability to cast spells from outside their school equivalently decreases, and they are completely incapable of casting spells from schools that oppose their specialty school (those opposite of their on the wheel listed in the link above). Priest - These people are another interesting type who complement mages by dealing with divine magic rather than arcane. Divine magic is divided up much like wizard schools. They are divided into 16 categories called spheres of influence (or simply spheres) which are as follows: All, Animal, Astral, Charm, Combat, Creation, Divination, Elemental, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Plant, Protection, Summoning, Sun, and Weather. All priests will either have minor or major access to a sphere: major means that a priest can eventually cast every spell in that sphere, while minor restricts a priest to casting 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level spells in that sphere (even if their level indicates that they could cast higher spells from that sphere). Players can either be general clerics or specialty priests (described below). A cleric is limited to wielding blunt weapons, but can wear all types of armor, has a decent fighting ability (2nd only to warriors), can turn undead, and has major access to all spheres. A specialty priest is much like the cleric, except their weapons, armor, spells, sphere access, and other special abilities are determined by the diety whom they worship. - Most campaign settings will provide a pantheon of deities to which the priest prays to and from which she derives her powers. In the absence of this, a general cleric class can be played which owes allegiance to a specific alignment or ethos and follows that without the restrictions or benefits of being in the priesthood. Specialty priests pray specifically to a single deity, and their information can be found with the full description of whatever deity they worship. Usually their tastes match the deity of their worship: Those who worship Loviatar (goddess of pain) generally carry scourges or whips; those who worship Mask (god of assassins and intrigue) are allowed daggers, etc. In addition to these, there is also the druid, who worships either a nature deity or nature itself. The druid is similar in function to the cleric, but practices in a different manner. Rogue - The sneaky bunch. They range from children who pickpocket whole crowds, to professionals who help set up security in a castle, to meathead thugs, to the bloodthirsty assassin. The rogue class generally does not have the same combat ability as the priest class, but has a larger weapon selection (again, this can greatly vary depending on expanded rules, etc). Players can choose to be either the thief, the bard, or the ninja (last one is in expanded rules - had to add it in because they rock ^_^). - The thief is motivated by the belief that the world owes them a living. They are granted with a multitude of skills in order to help them in manuevering (like climbing walls) and in delicate operations (like picking locks). The bard, on the other hand, is a jack of all trades, who, unlike the thief, travels out of wanderlust and curiosity, picking up miscellaneous traits. They combine traits of rogues, fighters, and mages along with their own special breed of musical weaponry. There is another class in here that doesn't get a mention in the players handbook, but still deserves to get a section to itself. Psionicist - The masters of the mind. Whereas psionic power cannot replace ability (which divine and arcane magic does), it does enhance ability, and psionicists are well-known to use their talent with their minds to enhance their fighting ability, their leadership ability, or any other thing conceivable. They have a whole set of rules to themselves to help them integrate into the game system, which this little tutorial won't attempt to cover in detail, but will give an intro to. - Psionics are also divided into sections, called disciplines. These are clairsentience, psychokinesis, psychometabolism, psychoportation, and telepathy (there used to be a division called metapsionics, but this was removed). Clairsentience is the discipline devoted to increasing the limits of one's perceptions and senses, such as allowing one to see in a room that one is not in, or empower an inanimate object to act as a sort of security camera (excellent in spy work). Psychokinesis deals with creating forces that don't exist - examples range from exciting molecules in a piece of paper that cause it to burst into flame, pick up and throw a rock without touching it, or levitating oneself. Psychometabolism deals with enhancing one's own body such as extending limbs, closing wounds, removing the need for food, or even causing a field to envelop yourself that kills everything in its effect. Psychoportation (my personal favorite) deals with transportation - it allows the psionicist to transport themselves across vast distances instantaneously, travel across planar boundaries, or even bring another being into the psionicist's presence (the possibilities for assassination, infiltration, and espionage are endless). Telepathy deals with... well... telepathy (j/k) - the discipline also allows one to probe another's mind, reprogram it via hypnosis, attack another's mind psychically (by destroying their mental makeup and doing other really nasty things), etc. - Psionicists fuel their disciplines via PSP (psionic strength points) that are determined by their mental ability scores (Wis, Int, Cha) and increase with level. They are replenished by resting or meditation. Next time... Detailed descriptions on warriors!
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Post by Exile, Bast Incarnate on Feb 18, 2004 22:21:26 GMT -5
You left me hanging, wanting more! Please continue!!!
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Post by EK - Shadow of Death on Feb 19, 2004 11:46:10 GMT -5
Oops. Totally forgot about this thread. I'll post again this weekend. Sorry about that.
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Post by EK - Shadow of Death on Feb 22, 2004 14:25:25 GMT -5
And now....
this unstoppable...
sword-wielding...
hell-screaming...
demon-killing....
WARRIORS
The warrior category is so large that I don't know how to explain them without generalizing, so I'll stick to the basics. You could say that the warrior is the "default" class - what you are if you don't want to choose anything else. You could also say that its the easiest class - not needing spell components or mindfulness, or intrigue to complete its job - just a hard weapon. You might also say that the warrior is "Joe Fighter" - the guy who you send in with the heaviest armor and the biggest sword to lay havoc to the dragon while your priests keep him alive. The fact is that while there are some truisms in those statments, the warrior is far more than any of them. It covers everything from swashbuckling pirates, to honorable samurai, to fleet-footed scouts, to tarzan-like savages.
Generally speaking, the warrior class is that which makes its way in life through weapons skill (be they swords, bola, axes, darts, etc). They're allowed to use any kind of weapon and wear any kind of armor. They roll a 1d10 for hit points and can gain a special Constitution bonus to this only for warriors (its the numbers in parentheses next to the bonus hit points on the Constitution table in the Players Handbook (PHB)).
To deal with warriors more specifically, lets break them down and deal with them by class.
Fighter Any playable race can be a fighter as long as they have at least 9 strength. A good dexterity (to better that armor class) and constitution (to up those hit points) is also desireable, but not necessary. They may also be of any alignment. They can't cast magic spells, per se, but can use many magical items including virtually all magical armor and wepaons. Additionally, fighters are allowed to specialize in specific weapons, to better their proficiency with them, by spending multiple proficiency slots on them (detailed later). At 9th level, if the fighter builds a stronghold, he will attract a group of followers who wish to gain glory through serving him. This is the extent of the description of fighters in the PHB. For more, I highly recommend reading the Complete Fighter's Handbook.
Paladin These guys are just plain cool. Whereas the standard fighter is pretty run of the mill without exceptional advantages or disadvantages, the paladin has a bit of both.
The paladin is the noble, highly chivalric warrior of yore. He is the physical representation of everything that is lawful and right in this world, and as such has a huge responsibility on his shoulders. Only a human may be a paladin, and that is only if they have a strength 12, constitution 9, wisdom 13, and charisma 17. The paladin's alignment must always be the purest of lawful good, such that even straying from that alignment in the least could cause paladinhood to be utterly and irreversibly revoked. Additionally, a paladin must uphold virtues perscribed by his faith (usually these are valor, honor, loyalty, generosity, courtesy, and honesty - all taken to fanatically extreme levels). The paladin may also never possess more than 10 magical items, must never retain an excessive amount of wealth (only enough to support him and a modest lifestyle), must tithe 10% of all income to his church, will not attract followers as the fighter, and may only employ lawful good henchmen.
After all this, you might be thinking, "why should I ever be a paladin? After all - they're burdened down by all these weakensses and, after all, are expected to fight every battle to the death all the time (valor). What's the point if he never lives to level 2?" Well, the paladin does have a few good perks that make him more attractive...
Firstly, the paladin can detect all evil intent at will within 60 feet by merely concentrating. He also gains a +2 bonus to all saving throws (detailed later). He is immune to all forms of disease (except magical ones, like lycanthropy). He can heal by "laying on hands" - basically touching his hands to another person's body and thereby healing 2 hit points per level of the paladin. He can cure diseases once per week per 5 experience levels. If holding a holy sword, he projects a 10 foot radius circle of power which dispels all hostile magic that's less than the paladin's experience level. He can turn undead and fiends as a priest starting 3rd level (though 2 levels weaker than a priest normally does - all of this is detailed later). Upon reaching 4th level, the paladin can call for his war horse - an exceptional (almost legendary) steed of extraordinary strength and intelligence that he usually finds as a result of a quest and who remains with the paladin throughout his career. Finally, from 9th level on, the paladin can cast priest spells as detailed in the PHB, though only of the combat, divination, healing, and protective spheres (detailed later).
Ranger
They're the guys guarding the national parks! (j/k). The ranger is an outdoorsman who lives by his sword and his wits. Robin Hood is the best example that comes to mind. Any human, elf, or half-elf can be a ranger so long as they have strength 13, constitution 14, dexterity 13, and wisdom 14. He can use any weapon or armor, but armors heavier than studded leather prevent him from using some of his special abilities. A ranger may be of any good alignment. The ranger is an outdoorsman, and as such, automatically gains the tracking proficiency (detailed later) with a terrain of their choice (their chosen terrian). Additionally, due to their contact with other races, rangers gain a special enmity towards a single race of their choice (the species enemy) towards which the ranger get a +4 to attack. The species enemy is usually chose because they maraud the ranger's chosen terrain. A ranger also has an unusual empathy with tamed and untamed creatures, allowing him to modify the creature's mood (through angering or pacification) as long as the creature is not outright hostile. The ranger also starts learning priest spells starting at level 7 (detailed in the PHB), but only that of the plant or animal spheres (detailed later). The ranger also attracts a small group of followers at level 10, though these followers do not necessarily arrive as a group, and may arrive every once in a while throughout a ranger's career. Finally, the ranger is also expected to follow a code of behavior similar to (but not as strict as) the paladin's code. Essentially, the ranger is prohibited from performing evil acts, with penalty being irrevocable loss of the ranger's status.
The ranger takes many lessons from nature and as such tends to work in solitude, preferring nature to the company of people. They also tend to be reserved and professional, knowing, from watching animals, that outbursts of emotion or a lack of vigilance can get you killed. Because of this, they are not allowed to hire henchmen, hirelings, or even servants until level 8. Additionally, because they are constantly on the move, rangers cannot carry excessive amounts of money(though this money can be converted to a more portable form, such as gems).
Next time.... the 'sorcery' part of "swords and sorcery".... WIZARDS!
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Post by EK - Shadow of Death on Mar 11, 2004 17:18:41 GMT -5
Maybe this thread should've been named "Rule-a-month" ^_^
This time... the people who give D&D such a bad image...
WIZARDS
The wizard category is a group of highly specialized men and women who have devoted their life to the study of the arcane. Their highly rigorous and demanding profession requires a great deal of focus and dedication, not leaving them time for many other pursuits, such as the finer aspects of weapon use, or physical training. As a result, all wizards roll for hit points using a 1d4. Additionally, with the exception of a few kits (not covered here), no wizard may wear armor and cast magic, primarily because mages have not spent time learning how to properly use armor and because armor usually restricts the odd movements and concentration required in spellcasting. For similar reasons, wizards are limited to using simple weapons that require little or no training for proficiency, such as daggers, quarterstaves, darts, slings, and knives. On the other hand, wizards are allowed to use many types of magical items, most of which are beyond the comprehension of other classes. Additionally, all wizards can create magical items and from 9th level on, can brew potions, provided access to a fully stocked alchemical lab.
A wizard's most valuable possession is his spellbook. The spellbook is a book that contains every spell that a wizard can potentially memorize. Spells are essentially long mathematical formulae, with increasing complexity as it goes up in spell level (e.g. a level 6 spell is not as complex as a level 3 spell). When a wizard encounters a new spell (either from another wizard's spellbook or an arcane scroll, etc.) he can attempt to copy that spell into his spellbook. If the wizard is able to cast spells from that level, he rolls percentile dice (d100) against his chance to learn spell (under the intelligence table in the PHB). If it is passed, the wizard understands the fundamental concept behind the spell and is able to copy it into this spellbook. If it fails, the wizard doesn't completely understand the spell equation and can't copy it into his spellbook until he gets to the next level. Whenever a wizard wishes to cast a spell, they must first memorize the spell by spending 1 hour for each spell level in study, attempting to memorize the equation. The study must be constant and uninterrupted, but at the end of it, the wizard has commited the equation to memory. After that, the wizard is able to unleash the power of the memorized spell by either speaking arcane words, throwing around magical components, or makiing funky gestures (as detailed under each spell description in the PHB). After the spell is cast, it is wiped clean from his memory and cannot be cast again unless it is memorized again. Keep in mind that the wizard can memorize two or more of a single spell provided he has enough free slots in his memory (defined by the wizard's level).
Mage Mages are the generalists amongst wizards. They're able to cast from each school of magic equally well. All mages must have at least an Int 9 and are limited to humans, elves, or half-elves.
Specialist wizard A specialist is a wizard who specializes in a single school of magic (obviously). Specialists have +15% to their chance to learn from magic of their school, have 1 additional spell slots per spell level which they can use to memorize a spell from their specialty school, can create new spells from their specialty schools as if they were one spell level less with regards to difficulty, have a +1 bonus to saving throws vs. spells cast from their specialty schools, and upon gaining a new level, can automatically choose a new spell to scribe into their spellbook without having to roll for the chance to learn. However, they are totally incapable of casting spells from a school that is in opposition to theirs (as shown in the school of magic wheel), have -15% penalty to learn from other schools that aren't their specialty school, and have higher ability score prerequisites. Caveat: not all specialists are suited for hardcore adventuring. An invoker or enchanter might be useful in battle, either shooting off fireballs or pumping up the other members of the party, but a diviner can be of little help.
Next time... prepare to be smitten ... or saved ... by PRIESTS
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agamoto
Soldier
Greetings and salutations one and all!!
Posts: 239
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Post by agamoto on Apr 11, 2004 12:15:20 GMT -5
The bonuses and penelties for Elementalists and Wild Mages is diferent from the other specialists.
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Post by EK - Shadow of Death on Apr 11, 2004 15:32:29 GMT -5
Thanks for mentioning that, agamoto.
Note: Wild mages and elementalists are expansion classes that can be found in the Complete Wizard's Handbook
Now....
PRIESTS
The priest is, simply put, one who is believer of a specific set of beliefs, and uses that set of beliefs to guide his goals. This may include spreading the faith, destroying (or converting) unbelievers, or other religious obligations. All priests have the ability to cast divine magic. They are also competent at fighting, though not as good as warriors. All priests use a d8 to determine hit points.
Priest spells are divided up into 16 spheres of influence, much as wizardly spells are divided up into schools of magic. Unlike mages, though, no priest can ever have access to all spheres. Spell spheres are granted by the priest's patron diety who reserves the right to revoke them if the priest does not use them to further the diety's cause. The priest will most likely have major access to some spheres (meaning he can eventually cast all the spells accorded to that sphere based on his level), and minor access to other spheres (meaning he can only cast 1st, 2nd, and 3rd level spells from that sphere). The 16 spheres are as follows: All, Animal, Astral, Charm, Combat, Creation, Divination, Elemental, Guardian, Healing, Necromantic, Plant, Protection, Summoning, Sun, and Weather.
The priest gains his spells much as the wizard does. The major difference is that instead of poring over a spellbook (which the priest is not required to have), the priest must pray, uninterrupted, to his diety for 1 hour per spell level requested, upon which point the diety will grant the spell (assuming that the priest has been faithful to the diety's cause).
Cleric A cleric is a general, run-of-the-mill priest, who can patronize any diety and hold any alignment allowed by that diety. Clerics must have a Wisdom of 9 or more. Clerics may use any type of armor or shield, but are limited to weapons that don't shed blood (bludgeoning weapons). They can also use a variety of magical items such as potions, rings, priest scrolls, and many others. A cleric has major access to every sphere except the plant, animal, weather, and elemental spheres. He has minor access to the elemental sphere, and no access to the others. The cleric is also granted the ability to "turn undead", which means that they are able to cause the undead to either drive them away or blast them out of existence (depending on the level of the cleric and the strength of the undead - see Table 61 in the PHB). Evil clerics are instead granted the ability to "command undead", which grants them mental control over the undead (see Table 61 in the PHB). Evil clerics may also turn paladins, but do so as if they were two levels weaker than their current level, based on the fact that the paladin's soul is still alive. Neutral clerics may choose to either command or turn undead. At any point after reaching 8th level, should the cleric build a place of worship, he will attract a small group of fanatically loyal followers (usually 0th level warriors).
Priests of specific mythoi Above and beyond clerics are those priests who have devoted themselves to a single diety and have adopted both the strengths and weaknesses of that deity. A Wisdom of 9 is still requisite, but other dieties may require other ability score minimums based on their portfolio. A god of war, for example, might ask for a strength of 12 and constitution of 13, while a god of art might require a charisma and wisdom of 16. The minimum scores will be set by the DM. Priests of specific mythoi will most likely get spell spheres different from that of clerics, again, based on their faith. Weapon selection might also vary (a god of battle might require its priests to carry swords, while a god of healing might limit his priests to mancatchers and quarterstaves). As an added benefit, priests of a specific mythoi might be granted special abilities unique to their faith, such as the ability to incite a berserker rage, the ability to soothe animals, or the ability to incite fear, etc. The DM will determine the exact strengths and weaknesses of each mythos.
Druid The AD&D druid is an example of a priest of specific mythoi, who acts as a priest and defender of nature and the wilderness. A druid must be either human or half-elven, and must have a Wis of at least 12, and a Cha of at least 15. Druids are only allowed to use "natural" armors, meaning padded, hide or leather armor, and wooden shields. His weapons are limited to club, sickle, dart, spear, dagger, scimitar, sling, and staff based on their religious significance. A druid must always maintain a true neutral alignment. Druids have major access to the spheres of all, animal, elemental, healing, plant, and weather, and have minor access to the divination sphere. Druids can use all magical items allowed to priests except those that are written (scrolls and books), and armor and weapons forbidden to druids. Druids gain a +2 on their saving throw vs. fire or electrical attacks. Druids are also able to speak a language that is only recognizable to other druids. This language is taught to all druids and is guarded jealously by them.
At 3rd level, the druid gets the following powers: the ability to identify plants, animals, and pure water with perfect accuracy. The ability to pass through overgrown areas at his normal movement rate without leaving a trail (great for spooking an avid tracker. "The trail just... disappeared") Can speak the language of any one woodland race. One race is chose at 3rd, and a new one is added every level beyond.
At 7th level, he gains the following powers: Immunity to charm spells cast by woodland creatures (this is very useful - they LOVE to charm) The ability to shapechange into a reptile, bird, and mammal three times a day. He can only shapechange into one of these three types once a day, and is limited in size from as small as a bullfrog to as large as a black bear.
Druids cannot turn undead (this sucks, but it only goes to show how much they don't want to deal with these abominations against nature - they hate undead more than just about anything).
Druids view life as cyclic: in a path of birth, life, death, and rebirth. They nurture the natural order as much as possible, expanding it when possible, and defending it when its under attack. They use subtle and devious ways of getting revenge against those who thoughtlessly destroy nature above and beyond their need for survival. Druids almost never dwell in towns, preferring cabins in the wilderness, or in their sacred groves.
Druids also maintain a complex worldwide organization. At 12th level, a druid gains the title "Druid" (all druids 11th level and below are considered "Initiates"). There may only be 9 12th level Druids in any given geographical region, and if there are already 9, the druid may not advance without challenging one of the existing Druids to a one-on-one duel. The loser (if still alive) drops to exactly the number of experience points required to be 11th level (200,000). Each Druid serves a 13th level archdruid, 3 of whom watch over a given geographical area. If a Druid wishes to advance to 13th level, he must take his place as an archdruid by challenging one of the existing archdruids. The archdruids are in turn watched over by a 14th level Great Druid, who is in charge of all druid activity within a large geographic region. The same dueling procedure must occur for an archdruid to attain 14th level and become a Great Druid. Above the Great Druid is the 15th level Grand Druid, who is the leader of all druids of the entire world. This position is appointed by the current Grand Druid upon his stepping down (which is done upon reaching 16th level). When the Grand Druid steps down, he immediately loses all of his experience points except one (he keeps his level and abilities, though). He is now independent of the druid political hierarchy, and is considered a heirophant druid, wielding immense power. These powers include total poison immunity, ability to travel to and survive in the elemental planes at will, vigorous health, long life, etc.
Next time...... ..... *hide in shadows!!*
ROGUES
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