XP Correction

At Session 19 on 1/18/2015 we discovered that there were XP discrepancies between my records and what each player had recorded. Deciding to be magnanimous, I chose to adjust my records upward. Each player received 200 XP (in my records) on 1/24/2015 (Session 20) to reflect this.

Custom Character Creation

Rolling Method

We will try something different this time. You will roll 5D6+4 and total the results for a number 9-34. You will do this twice and pick the higher number. Each stat has a base score of 8. You will then divide your generated number up among the stats, adding to the "8"s (or subtracting). No stat may be higher than an 18 (before racial adjust.). Lowest possible set is 10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 9 if all ones are rolled. Highest possible set is 14, 14, 14, 14, 13, 13 (or 18, 18, 16, 10, 10, 10) if all sixes are rolled. The statistical average set is 12, 12, 11, 11, 11, 11 on an even spread or 18, 10, 10, 10, 10, 10 with a high score and no negative modifiers.

Race

All the standard player character races are available.  Humans do not get the bonus feat and skill points until they reach 1st level.

Age

You will begin the game between the ages of 16 and 20 or the equivalent thereof if demi human.

Hit Points

Your character starts with 4 hit points, modified by Con.  Negative Con modifiers will not apply at this time.

Base Attack and Saves

Your starting base attack and base saves are +0.

Proficiencies

You may choose 3 simple weapons to be proficient in. Additionally, most of the villagers have family weapons or shields that have been passed down and taught to their descendents. You may choose one of the following to be proficient in:

                Small and Large Shields                                                 Halberd                                                                Battleaxe

                Ranseur                                                               Guisarme                                            Kukri

                Heavy Pick                                                          Light Pick                                             Glaive                                                                   Handaxe                                                              Greatclub                                            Short sword

Languages

You character knows Valecommon.  If your character has a high enough intelligence to grant bonus languages, you must choose from the following list: Gnome, Elven, Dwarven, Feyspeak, Sylvan

Feats

Your character begins with no feats.

Starting Gold/Equipment

Will be irrelevant, but 5 + 1d10 gold cause why not?

Skills

You start with 2 ranks in any 3 of the following skills (you must take at least 1 craft, profession, or knowledge skill reflecting your background, or perhaps survival if a woodsman of some sort):

Appraise                                                                                              Move Silently

Balance                                                                                                Perform (appropriate to area - no harpsichord, etc...)

Bluff                                                                                                      Profession (appropriate to background)

Climb                                                                                                     Ride

Craft (appropriate to background)                                          Search

Diplomacy                                                                                           Sense Motive

Handle Animal                                                                                  Sleight of Hand

Hide                                                                                                       Spot

Intimidate                                                                                           Survival (if appropriate to community role)

Jump                                                                                                     Swim

Knowledge (appropriate to background)                              Use Rope

Listen

Second Level Advancement Handout

You are free to choose any class in the book from here on out. There will be no penalties or restrictions on multiclassing; all may multiclass freely including Paladins and Monks. Alignment restrictions remain. You may change your alignment before picking your second level class if you wish. This will reflect a mental change in response to your studies.

You level up normally from first to second level with the following exceptions:

*You receive 4 ability points to assign where you choose. No more than 2 in one ability.

*You receive the STARTING skill points (as per 1^st level) for the class you choose as 2^nd level

*If you deferred your human bonus feat you must select it now

Homebrewed First Level

When the Player Characters have hit the appropriate story development, they will advance to first level. This will be announced by the DM.

 XP

The PCs have collected experience points while zero level. Before becoming 1^st level, the characters must trade in all collected XP thus far, resetting their total to zero, and thus allowing advancement to occur per book from here on out. Collected XP may be turned in for:

50 XP – 1 Skill Point: this must be in a skill they have used during game play or that they reasonably could have learned. No retconning of downtime will be allowed to justify this (i.e. “Oh my character has been studying how to pick locks around the camp fire each night;” such a thing must have been identified during game play and before leveling up). These purchases cannot elevate a skill above maximum ranks (4/2).

250 XP – 1 Feat: all prerequisites for the feat must be met first, and only one feat may be purchased. The feat must make sense with gameplay or character background. Subject to DM approval.

50 XP – 1 Hit Point: for every 50 XP spent this way the character permanently gains 1 hit point.

100 XP – 1 Ability Point: only one point per stat (cannot raise CHA by 2 for example; but CHA +1 and WIS +1 is cool).

Any unspent XP is lost. Anything purchased this way must be noted on character sheet to help reconstruct advancement if necessary.

Conversion to First Level

*the PC selects his class from the following:

            Fighter

            Sorcerer (may not summon familiar until 2^nd level)

*the Character becomes level one

*the Character gains one ability point (in addition to any purchase with XP above)

*the Character gains additional hit points as follows:

            Fighter      7

            Sorcerer    1

*base Attack Bonus and base Saving Throws become as per first level for your new class

*the Character gains all special abilities of the new class as per first level

*Class and cross class skills are assigned as per class

*the Character does not gain starting skill points as normal for a first level character of that class, but gets the skill points they would receive in that class on level 2+. Thus you will get 2+ Intelligence Modifier (plus an additional 1 if you are human). You may spend them only on skills that they have used or have been demonstrated for them or in front of them.  All skill points must be spent, none may be saved for later.

*the Character must choose feats that learning can be justified by gameplay. Humans have the option of taking the bonus human starting feat at 2^nd level instead of now.

Initial House Rules

These were the house rules established at the beginning of the game.

Resurrection

The character brought back by a Raise Dead, Resurrection, or any clerical magic requiring any part of a body permanently lose 1 point Con (cumulative),  and incurs a permanent cumulative -2 on all social skills (Bluff, Diplomacy, Gather Information, Sense Motive, but no penalty for Intimidate). Firstborn cannot be resurrected or raised.

New Characters

Should the player decide to not have his character raised and instead opt for a new one, the new character begins at 3 levels less than the lowest level party member, minimum level 1 (after the party has achieved level 1).

Reincarnation

The reincarnated character has a 10% chance to return as an awakened animal. The character incurs a -1 permanent Cha loss and must re-roll Str, Dex, and Con, in order (3d6+1 each) to reflect their new body. Any race can be reincarnated, but if a Firstborn comes back as a human they still cannot be resurrected.

Vorpal

The Vorpal ability will now be called “Beheading”. Vorpal now means a confirmed critical on a natural 20 ONLY, and will allow for specific weapon qualities to work. The only DMG weapon quality that has been changed is the newly named Beheading, which now only beheads on a Vorpal strike.

Deciphering Spells

 You can copy any arcane writing into a spell book, but can only memorize it once it has been deciphered – by rolling a Spellcraft check DC 10 + three times the level of spell. If you fail you cannot try again for that specific spell until you either find a different copy of the spell or you have gained at least ½ a rank in Spellcraft. 10 ranks in Knowledge Arcana provides a +2 synergy bonus to this check. Once a spell has been deciphered it can be memorized by the character provided he can cast spells of that level, and the caster can use the scribe scroll feat to create scrolls of the spell. Deciphering takes 1 hour per spell level, but can be hurried to 1 minute per spell level with a -5 penalty on the decipher check. Found scrolls can be cast with a successful read magic spell (must be cast only once per scroll per caster) provided the caster is of sufficient level, but this does not equate deciphering; the spell must still be copied into the spell book and deciphered as detailed above. Spell book pages may not be torn out for scroll use in this game. Rogues can read scrolls without a read magic spell with a successful Decipher Script check DC 14+spell level.

Deciphering Prayers

Deciphering prayers works as above except it is a Knowledge Religion check instead of a Spellcraft check; and Spellcraft provides the synergy bonus instead of Knowledge Arcana. Furthermore if the spell is a domain spell the cleric gains a +5 bonus to the decipher check. Paladins and rangers, because their prayers are so specific to their beliefs and abilities, follow the same process but gain a +10 bonus to the decipher check.

Learning Found Spontaneous Spells

Spontaneous casters upon finding a description or indication of a new spell, may make a check of caster level + Cha modifier against a DC of 10 + twice spell level. If they succeed, then at next leveling up they can substitute the learned spell for any spell they already know permanently OR choose it as the newly learned spell. This replaces the book rules for spell substitution.

Diagonal Movement

We will not use the every other 5 foot square is double rule. Jake finds it confusing.

Death, Dying, and Negative Hit Points

Death now occurs at negative [your Con score] instead of -10. If you take damage that would send you to exactly [negative your Con score] or over you are dead but can be revived for one round by normal means. Any surplus damage is not recorded past [negative your Con score]. If a single source would place you at or over [double negative your Con score] you are instantaneously dead.

Charm Person

Can now be used in combat more effectively and can target a hostile creature al-la-video games, but the duration is now 2 rounds/level. Outside of combat the spell functions normally.

D20 Rolls

A roll of 1 is always -10 to the roll instead of an automatic miss, and a 20 is always +10. This applies on all d20 rolls except damage.

Bennies

Nope.