Spellbound Rules Updates
New Rules
These rules are effective starting session 10 of the Spellbound campaign, to take place on 4/7/2007.
- It is now possible to cast a spell while threatened without provoking attacks of opportunity by rolling a Concentration check, DC 15 + twice the spell's level. On a failed check, the spell is lost, but no attack of opportunity is provoked. The official rules reflect this change.
- The Combat Casting feat has also been updated. Anyone with this feat may choose whether to keep this feat or take a new one, prior to the beginning of Session 10.
- Spell power is now as the SRD; it provides a bonus to caster level, including level-dependent effects and caster level checks such as spell penetration. This affects the spell power abilities of the Archmage and Red Wizard.
- Weapon Finesse no longer grants Dex to damage; instead, it grants Dex to hit with all finesse weapons, as 3.5. Rogues now get Weapon Finesse (SRD) and this ability for free. Bards may get this later (TBD).
Rule Clarifications
These rules are already in place, but should be clarified.
- Creatures summoned through the Astral Construct psionic powers are considered summoned creatures, and subject to all effects which would affect summoned creatures.
- However, these creatures are still constructs, and thus have no special vulnerabilities that an outsider would normally have.
- The Unholy Aura] spell provides affected creatures with immunity to physical contact with summoned creatures, just like Protection from Evil].
Rules to Discuss
'''These rules are not in effect, and there is no current plan to put them into effect. Discussion is needed before the implementation of these new rules can be finalized.
Knowledge changes
- In the Forgotten Realms, the following Knowledge skills should not exist:
- Knowledge (Geography)
- Knowledge (History)
- Knowledge (Nobility and Royalty)
- These skills would be replaced with Knowledge (Local).
- The reason for this change is this: the Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting of extensive and rich detail, with a fully-developed system of regions. It is unlikely a scholar would know equally about the history of every nation in the world, yet know nothing of their geography. Learning about new places is part of the fun of the game; wizards should not have as excessively high skill in the history and geography of the world as they often do. Only those who have dedicated themselves to a cross-cultural study (many Knowledge (Local) skills) should have such knowledge--that, and bards, with their (now useful) bardic knowledge.
- This rule change would greatly expand the usability of Knowledge (Local), which would be a boon to rogues. It would also greatly reduce the knowledge of history, geography, and nobility/royalty of the nations of the Realms by everyone, giving bards an advantage.
- Perhaps the Loremaster prestige class would gain a class level bonus to all Knowledge checks, chipping away at the lameness that is that class.
Resurrection XP costs
- All spells which raise the dead should put the burden of XP loss on the caster of the spell, not the one who is raised.
- This would likely prove a far greater inhibitor of resurrection. Ordinarily, the person shouldering the cost (the resurrectee) has nothing to lose, and high interest in the resurrection. In this case, the cost-bearer has much to lose, and less interest.
- This would explain why resurrections do not occur frequently. No longer will priests who refuse to raise someone be simply stingy. They aren't about to give up precious XP for someone they don't even know, or someone who is not going to help their church.
- The explanation for this is that, in order to raise someone from the dead, one must grant that person a fraction of the energy of one's mortal soul. Coming back from the dead is an ordeal, yes, but like all other ordeals possibly suffered in the wide spectrum of mortal existence, it does not cause level loss merely because it's rough.
- A PC who raises another PC would find themselves owed a great debt of gratitude, rather than getting a pat on the shoulder (even that is rare enough) and being reimbursed for their 5,000 gp.
- The XP costs would be as follows:
- Revivify: 100 XP per round spent dead.
- Raise Dead: 1,000 XP.
- Resurrection: 3,000 XP.
- True Resurrection: 5,000 XP.
- Clearly, these XP costs are much less than those incurred by level loss, and yet the author surmises that their impact will be far greater.