Monday, June 29, 2009

Please Fill Out This Important Survey!

A fellow RPG blogger and I are working on a series of PDFs inspired by the D&D 3.0 book Savage Species. In these PDFs we will have the monsters from the 4e monster manuals as playable races. It would help us greatly if you would fill out this survey to help us get an idea of how we should do things.


Click here for the survey!


Thank you for your time, and watch for our products!

Fear the Iron Boot!

Friday, June 26, 2009

4e Hybrid Classes: Alternate Armor Proficiency System

With the update for the hybrid classes, they changed the way that classes got their armor proficiencies, making it so that hybrid classes may be nerfed in the armor department. I thought this was a little disappointing, so I created my own system for determining a hybrid character's armor proficiency. The way it currently works is that you use whatever both classes have, unless you spend a feat that could be used to get another class feature. The way this sytem works, you could end up with a Fighter/wizard that can only use cloth. I think it could be better.

The basic premise is: If they simply cut starting HP, leveling HP, and number of healing surges in half, why not do it for armor proficiency? Each armor type is given a number, and whatever the highest available to the base class, you half that number and add it to the other base class (round down, if necessary) , giving you the hybrid class's proficiency.

1- Cloth armor (half: .5)
2- Leather armor (half: 1)
3- Hide armor (half: 1.5)
4- Chainmail armor (half: 2)
5- Scale armor (half: 2.5)
6- Plate armor (half: 3)


With this system, a paladin/fighter hybrid would have the same proficiencies as the regular system, but a paladin/wizard would have up to hide armor instead of just cloth. A fighter/ranger would have chainmail instead of just hide.

This system could also work with shields:

0- No shield (half: 0)
1- Light shield (half: .5)
2- Heavy shield (half: 1)


This way, if you have a class that normally has a heavy shield then you still are able to use light shields. Other than that, it doesn't have much of an effect.


Well, it's a slight improvement from the current system... Right? leave a comment if you like this idea, if you see some sort of flaw in it, or if you just have something to say about it.

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

4e Monster Movement: Why Running Away Wont Help

When I started this idea to write about monster vision and movement it seemed like an easy idea. It was, at first. Until I started working on the movement part. There is a lot of it, so we should get started.

For simplicity's sake, I am going to skip running, shifting, crawling, and squeezing. Those should be in the PHB, go look it up if you like.


Walk (0-10, 12, none)
Normal movement speed.

Fly (3-10, 12, 14)
The monster takes flight and must move at least two squares each round to remain airborne, and is unable to shift or make opportunity attacks. If knocked prone, the monster crashes.

Clumsy (walk 1, 2, Fly 3-8, 10, 12)
While using a clumsy movement mode, a creature is -4 to attack rolls and all defenses.
Overland flight

Hover (fly 3, 4, 6-9, 10, 12, 14)
If a Monster can hover, it can fly without moving on its turn, as well as shift and make opportunity attacks while airborne.

Max altitude (1,2)
If a monster with an altitude limit flies too high, it crashes at the end of its next turn.

Overland flight (10, 12, 15, 18)
An overland flight speed works like a Fly speed except that it can only be used when only move actions and free actions on that round.

Swim (4-10, 12, 16)
A swim speed allows a monster to move through water without an athletics check.

Teleport (2-8, 10)
When a monster teleports, it moves instantaneously to a place within range and line of sight. The monster doesn't provoke opportunity attacks, and is able to go past obstacles and terain, as long as it does not hinder line of sight. Immobilized or restrained monsters can still teleport, if it is in a physical retraint, another creature's grasp, or an immobilizing effect located in a specific place, then it is no longer immobilized or restrained Otherwise, they are still are immobilized or restrained.

Burrow (2-4, 6, 8)
A monster that can burrow moves through Loose soil at their burrow speed, or through solid stone at half speed. Monsters cannot shift or charge while burrowing.

Tunneling (2-4, 6)
Monsters that tunnel while they burrow leave a tunnel behind them. This creature or creatures smaller than it can use these tunnels without penalty, while creatures of the same size have to squeeze, and larger creatures can't make it through at all.

Climb (2-8, 12)
Climb up a vertical surface without a athletics check, ignores difficult terrain and does not grant combat advantage from climbing.

Spider climb (2-6, 8, 12)
Allows monsters to climb on horizontal surfaces (such as a ceiling)

Terrain walk (Earth 4, 6, Forest 4-6, 8, Ice 6-9, Swamp 4-8)
Ignore certain types of difficult terrain, according to the type of terrain walk they have:
Earth - Rubble, uneven stone, or an earthen construction.
Forest - Part of a tree, underbrush, or some other forest growth.
Ice - Ice or snow.
Swamp - Mud or shallow water.

Phase

Monster Ignores difficult terrain, can move through obstacles and other creatures, but must end its movement in an unoccupied square.

Cannot Shift
Some creatures just can't shift.


Phew, finally got through it. Hope you find it helpful!

If you like this post, leave a comment and I'll be more likely to do some more like it!

Monday, June 22, 2009

4e Monster Vision: Why The Monsters Will See You First.

4th Edition may be a year old, but people may still not know everything there is about the monsters. For this reason, I am writing this post to help people with small things to help them in case they run into something they might not have come across before. I hope you enjoy.


Monsters are able, in many cases to see better than the player races, but that doesn't mean they all do, so I shall start with the vision that even player races have.


Normal Vision
Normal vision is, as the name implies, nothing special. In dim light, any creatures in the area have concealment against you, putting you at a disadvantage. You cannot see at all in complete darkness.

Low-Light Vision
This level of vision is basically the same as normal vision, but without the penalty in dim light, but you still can't see in complete darkness.

Darkvision
It is unexplained how, exactly, darkvision works. It allows the charcter to see in dim light and complete darkness without any penalty.


Well, that covers the playable race's visions, but we are just getting started with the monster's vision types.

Blind
well, its more of a monster type, but still, I think it fits in this post. Blind creatures cannot see, they rely on special senses (below) to detect things within their range. Anything beyond that range is invisible to them.The book even goes on to specify that they not only can't be blinded (as the status effect), but they are also immune to gaze attacks and other effects that rely on sight.

Blindsight (Ranges 6, 8, 10, 12, 20)
Monsters with blindsight are able to see anything within range and line of effect, even if they are invisible or obscured. Beyond their range, the monster must rely on their normal vision.

Tremorsence (Ranges 5, 10, 20)
Monsters with tremorsence can see things within range even if they are obscured, invisible, or out of line of effect, but the creature must be on the ground or touching the same surface (water or a web). If out of range (or not touching ground or same surface) monster relies on his normal vision.

Truesight (Ranges 6, 10, 20)
Monsters with true sight can see things that are invisible, as long as it is in line of sight.

All-Around Vision
Monsters that can see in all directions at once have all-around vision, keeping them from granting a bonus to flankers.



Well, there you have it. You can run, but you cant hide.
Actually, you can't even run! Check back on Wednesday to see why...
Questions, comments, etc. are always gladly accepted

Friday, June 19, 2009

Five Bullywugs Named Steve: Steve

Many bullywugs were experimented on in the sorcerer's tower, but this is not one of them.

there is a little known line of bullywugs that has fey blood in them, though nobody knows how this happened. A drunken nymph, a hopped-up satyr, or even a disturbingly curious elf, nobody knows, but there is no denying their greater agility (and intelligence, they claim) and different temperament than most other bullywugs. Yes, this tale is about one of them.

Steve was born a normal bullywug, was unremarkable as a tadpole, but really grew into his own as he started growing legs. He graduated at the top of his class in bullywug school*, and was voted most likely to join a rag-tag group of crime fighters. By coincidence, this is exactly what he did.
Some years after he began a successful mud business, making and selling mud, Steve was kidnapped by several sorcerers who had not only tried to magically alter bullywugs, but lost them and thought Steve was one of them. Luckily for Steve, four of the escapees ambushed the sorcerers and helped him escape.

The escaped bullywugs had only recently banded together, and were still bickering amongst themselves about how they should handle things and what they would be called. Steve told them that they must stand together to take advantage of their full potential, since there is power in numbers. Then he mentioned that five was greater than four, saying that he wished to add his own strength to theirs.

Once they agreed to let him join, Steve suggested that for their name, they use their number, to show their power, and add what they have in common, that they were bullywugs and happened to all have the name Steve.

Thus, they became The Five Bullywugs Named Steve.


While Steve finds his new career to be more rewarding, He has yet to find that his evil twin-half brother Stave (don't ask) took over his mud business, and is forcing his workers to work more for less and is slowly destroying his people's way of life. Will Steve Return to his old life to help his people, or will he stay with his new comrades and fight injustice?



*Bullywug school involves learning how to make mud, though nobody knows why bullywugs find mud to be so important.

Wednesday, June 17, 2009

Monster Manual Races That Should Have Been

I've had this post in the works for a while, but never finished it. Aaron from Allgeektout is doing a series of posts updating the old 3.x book 'Savage Species' to 4e, and that has inspired me to finish this post and make plans to convert some of them into playable races. So, here it is: Monster manual races that should have been.


Races they should have had playable in the MM2
Archon- Different options, possibly overpowered, but I think its doable.
Azer- Dwarves, on fire. 'Nuff said.
Banshrae- Buglike fey. Fast, but would totally work. (look for my version of them soon)
Cambion- Even more badass versions of tieflings.
Dryad- I really don't see why these plant people would not be playable.
Harpies- They gave these grumpy bird women arms and clothes in this edition, why not a race?
Kuo-Toa- Frog (or in this editon, fish) people.
Lizardfolk- Just as the name implies, these are lizard people.
Sahuagin- Shark-like fish people, Go into a frenzy when they smell blood. >: D
Satyr- I think these guys really should have been a race, they must have lost a bet with the gnomes...
Troglodyte- Cave dwellers, other than being evil I see no reason to not make them into a race.


Races they could have had playable in the MM2

Choker- The natural weapons of their 'tentacle claw' probably scared away WotC from making this a race.
Chuul- I'm not even sure that these are intelligent, but they'd be fun to play!
Galeb duhr- Living rocks, probably not playable because of their burrow speed.
Gargoyle- Made of stone, and they fly. Riiiiiiiight.
Grimlock- They are blind... just a challenge to a good roleplayer.
Mindflayers- Brain-eating, squid faced 'humanoids,' if one swore to never eat a brain again, I don't see why they can't be a race.
Rakshasa- Backwards handed, immortal, cat people. Notoriously evil.
Slaad- Creatures of Pure chaos. Has a lot of potential as a very veritable race.
Sorrowsworn- Monstrous shadow humanoids tasked with hunting down powerful mortals that escaped death.
Swordwing- armored, armed, and winged, what more could you want? Obsessive collecting? Got that too!
Yuan-ti- Snake people, could be a race, but I think that their cultists would be more interesting.


Races I would have liked in the MM2, but I'll let slide this time...
Angel- Too overpowered...
Beholder- Floating eyeball of death, too overpowered...
Berbalang- Kinda creepy... and the duplicates thing makes it over powered.
Gibbering beasts- He he he...
Lycanthropes- Too overpowered.
Marut- Flying, teleporting immortals, Yeah, I can see why they didn't make these into a race. But it would still be cool.
Medusa- The females are too over powered with their petrification, but the males would be perfectly playable.
Owlbear- Not intelligent creatures, but would be fun to play as anyway.
Quickling- With a speed 12, its way too fast for a PC, would be very fun though. Like a halfling on crack.


Did I get everything? Do you disagree with my opinion? Post a comment!

Monday, June 15, 2009

D&D Insider Exclusive Race: Revenant

But I mostly just wanted to boost my hits.

The revenant is 4e's first undead playable race, but instead of being a race of their own, they are simply a soul stuffed back into a body by the Raven Queen. This can cause a revenant to 'be' any other race, allowing them access to that race's feats, paragon paths, or epic destinies that their previous race had access to. In additon, there is a lot of 'previous race' related feats to help your revenant recover some of his previous identity. I intend to make a formerly half-elf revenant and make him take the revenant feats for half-elf as well as elf and human. No wait, nevermind... its a racial feature, that might not work...but why not try?

Saturday, June 13, 2009

A Short Break

I appologize, even though there is nothing that binds me to post, I still feel bad for not posting. I just have not been in the mood lately. So, I figure I should at least give you something to pass the time while I am AFK.


Cave Story
Cave story is a free independent game that I really enjoy.
Someone even made 4e races for it: here


Spelunky
Another fun indy game here


Savage Species
Aaron from Allgeektout is working on a 4e version of the 3.0 book "savage species" and I may help him with it, so expect some here sometime soon.

Tuesday, June 9, 2009

APSC: Martial Barbarian, The Way its Meant to Be

Well, after quite a while of posting at least every other day (about a month!), sickness, adjusting to a new computer, and laziness caught up with me and I've missed several days that I should have been posting.

So, to make it up to you I present: Martial Barbarian!
The way it's meant to be!


First the crunch, then the fluffs.

Mechanical changes:

I... I honestly can't find anything that needs to be changed. So, onto the...


Fluff:
When civilization (towns and cities) is described points of light in a dark world, barbarians are those who live in the darkness. These uncivilized people battle for food, territory, and their tribe's right to live. Considered to be almost monsters, a theory encouraged by their powerful rages, where they devastate their opponents with increased strength and agility powered by their blood being forged through generations of survivors in a hellish landscape.

Though the spirits may watch over them, these barbarians are not powered by them. Untold eons of the strongest surviving and the weak falling has built people the perfect martial machine. This added to their unsurpassed rage makes any foe think twice about fighting them.



Well, its not a lot, but its more than I've been doing lately.
Any thoughts on the fluff?

Friday, June 5, 2009

Hybrid Classes and Other Character Ideas

Well, when they released that they were going to include hybrid classes on the charcter builder with the next update, I was excited with all the possibilities! A barbarian/paladin! A druid/wizard! Even a sorcerer/avenger! I was all ready to create some new characters and write a post about them.

But no.

They only included the classes from the PHB1 and the FRPG.


None the less, I have some more characters to present to you today that I whipped up:

Thia: leader multiclass
Thia Starts with the Bard class, and then uses the Multiclass Versitility class feature to get multiclass feats for all of the other classes, getting the feats that give additional healing abilities. May get an update when more multiclass options come up.

Kris: Hybrid/multiclass striker
Kris is a hybrid ranger/rogue with multiclassing into barbarian as far as the paragon multiclassing.

MacGuffin: this blog's writer's interpretation of himself in D&D (with a Hybrid class)
Yours truely, stated out ass a dual-weilding paladin. Yeah, I'm kinda awesome.

Wednesday, June 3, 2009

Story Time: Untitled Story Project

For some time I have been working on several story ideas for the Ages of Avion setting. Though it may ultimately not be in that setting, I finally started writing recently. Here is the unedited first draft of what I have written so far.


Ebberhard wished that he had a better form of transportation. His legs were hurting, but he refused to believe it was because he was getting old.

"pick up the pace, Eb. Are you getting old or something?" Jenoa said, snapping him out of his thoughts.

"I'm not getting old, I've just been walking a very long time." Ebberhard replied, trying to convince himself as much as the ghost. "And if you had legs, Mr. incorporeal, you would be tired and in pain as well.

The "Mr." was Ebberhard's best guess, as even when taking energy from ebberhard to create a humanoid form, Jenoa's spirit was dificult to tell the sex from. It was common trait among elves to have gender neutral spirits and this one that had been bound to him from childhood was no different.

"Well," Jenoa started, in that tone of voice that let Ebberhard know Jenoa was going to talk about the elves, "If I still had my elf body, it still would not getting old for a while..."

"Well," Ebberhard started back, mimicing Jenoa's tone, " Perhaps that was one of my parent's aims in their experament. Sometimes I wish they hadn't given me my magical sences, so that I didn't have to hear you talk about the elves all the time.

"oh, Eb..." The ghost sighed, "You know I don't like when you talk about your parents... How can you talk about them after all they did to you?"

"That was a long time ago," Eb scowled, "And you know as well as I htat they have paid for their crimes, and for all we know they still are paying for it. The judiciary system is tough on people who do illegal magical experaments, especially those on children."

"Uggh..." Jenoa was clearly irritated, "Thats so like you... And we've been on this road so long! Are we there yet?"

"yes, actually. We're almost to the address."

Jenoa was suddenly in a much better mood, "Oh! I wonder what kind of house fiestly ol' Lil has?" They walked up to a plane looking house, which surprised jenoa, causing her to blurt out, "I thought it's be more extravagant..."

"People don't always do what you expect. Now shush, I have living people to talk to."




Its not a lot, but thats all I have so far.


What do you think of it?

Monday, June 1, 2009

New News about the D&D Insider

I'd put a real post, but I'm sick and it was just my birthday (yes, I'm pulling the birthday card).

But I will tell you that they are planning a lot of things for the D&D Insider.

Previews way before they come out in books, and even some exclusive info.



Next Post: some writing of mine (fiction) or something else I've been meaning to do.