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Thursday, August 13, 2015

Alliance, Faultline and d20 Modern

I want to talk about the Modern Magic Unearthed Arcana. I've got two projects that are based around modern times: Faultline and Alliance.  Faultline is going to be a sequel to overland set over 5,000 years into the future, so I'm not going to work on it until I get Overland finished. Alliance is a modern city being invaded by monsters, where an eccentric billionaire hires people to keep the magic away from the common public (and then other groups get involved and hijinks ensue).

Now, in the 3.5 days, Wizards released d20 Modern, using the D&D rules in a normal setting.  I loved the game and its "road to a hero" design.  Characters had to start with one of the basic classes, which are generic classes with talent trees.  They had to multiclass into Advanced Classes, which are more like the D&D classes. Alliance was built more from the d20 Modern idea of normal people slowly trying to understand the supernatural world around them.

The current d20 Modern articles we're getting for 5e is a "D&D in the present day" rules.  I like them, but I don't think I'll use the class options for Alliance.  Use the spells for Alliance, yes. Use the options for Faultline, yes. I can't see having a 1st level mage or warlock in Alliance.

I want to use the class options, but that's what Faultline is for.  With some of these articles, they could try to make a d20 Modern book for 5e D&D. If they do, I want them to have both the "D&D in the present" as much as "Normal world invaded by magic." I think they're going to need some more magic-less, psionic-less, classes to pull it off, though. On the other hand, I don't think they're going to make a d20 Modern book until they work out the kinks with psionics.

Then again, I could use the Steve Jobs method and wait until people start releasing their own modern ruleset and then see what I can use and what I can improve on.

Wednesday, August 5, 2015

My D&D Realm of Whatever...ish - Pain Domain

I've tried to go against type, but something doesn't sit right with me giving the Life domain to an evil deity. As much as the themes of Overland can make an evil god of life viable, the Life domain focuses on a lot of healing energy which never really has to be repaid. I took my try at making an "evil" version of the Life domain. Take a look and make a comment if you think I'm going in the right direction or not.

Pain Domain

The Life domain focuses on the vibrant positive energy that sustains all life. The pain domain is the dark side of that. Dominance over this domain grants the power to drive searing pain into creatures, or take it away from others.

Pain Domain Spells
Cleric Level      Spells
         1st             cure wounds, inflict wounds
         3rd            lesser restoration, spiritual weapon
         5th             elemental weapon, revivify
         7th             death ward, staggering smite
         9th             mass cure wounds, raise dead

Bonus Proficiency

When you choose this domain at 1st level, you gain proficiency with martial weapons.

Disciple of Pain

Also starting at 1st level, your healing spells take the pain they heal and channels it into revenge. Whenever you use a spell of 1st level or higher to restore hit points to a creature, the next time the creature hits with an attack before the end of your next turn, the creature deals extra damage with the attack equal to 2 + the spell’s level.

Channel Divinity: Relieve Pain

Starting at 2nd level, you can use your Channel Divinity to heal the badly injured.

As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke energy that can restore a number of hit points equal to five times your cleric level. Choose any creatures within 30 feet of you, and divide those hit points among them. This feature can restore a creature to no more than half of its hit point maximum. You can’t use this feature on an undead or a construct.

Channel Divinity: Wave of Pain

Starting at 6th level, you can use your Channel Divinity to create a wave of pain.

As an action, you present your holy symbol and evoke painful, debilitating energy. Each creature within a 30-foot cone from you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the target is incapacitated until the end of its next turn.

Divine Strike

At 8th level, you gain the ability to infuse your weapon strikes with either searing light, debilitating psychic pain, or the energy of decay. Once on each of your turns when you hit a creature with a weapon attack, you can cause the attack to deal an extra 1d8 radiant, psychic, or necrotic damage to the target. When you reach 14th level, the extra damage increases to 2d8.

Pain Mastery

Starting at 17th level, you have mastery over pain. When you cast a spell of 1st level or higher on a creature or creatures that restore their hit points, each creature affected is protected by a ward until the end of your next turn. While so warded, if that creature is reduced to 0 hit points but doesn't die, it is reduced to 1 hit point instead.