[Mechanics] The Perimeter - Game Rules

[Birched]

Guidelines for Posting

• Your first post: please take some time on your first post, and be sure that it indicates not only your character's first actions, but also your character's feelings about your environment and about his or her situation in general
• You must be able to post at least once per two days, and preferably more.
• Post in the third person, in the present tense.
• Double check the grammar and spelling in your posts. If you have trouble with this for whatever reason (US schools , second language, whatever...), please write your posts in an editor with a spell checker then paste them into the game once they've been checked.
• Posts must be at least four lines long. I will encourage thoughtful and descriptive posting through rpxp and character experience on a per post basis. Note that very long posts tend to be difficult to absorb. A decent length is good, but longer is not always better.
• speech in bold, thoughts in italics, ooc comments bracketed in an obvious way e.g. [OOC is Birched ever going to post?]
• I will warn you if there is a problem with your posting.
• If you will not be able to post for some time, please let me know and I will either NPC or 'freeze' your character at my discretion and with preference for the latter if reasonable in the context of the game.
• Not following the posting guidelines is grounds for dismissal from the game. This will be done in an IC and permanent fashion with respect to your character.

Guidelines for Die Rolls

• Die rolls should be included in the game thread. You may make your own rolls (except for initiative and others mentioned below.) You may also use the dice rolling thread and link to your rolls (this is a little more work, but makes editing posts easier and keeps the whole thing looking cleaner.)
• Die rolls where the outcome of the roll does not have an immediate effect in the game but knowing whether the roll was high or low might affect your gameplay should not be made by you. This includes things like spot, listen, bluff, and sense motive checks, and doesn't include things like saving throws and attack rolls. Instead, please put the modifiers for any rolls you are interested in making into your post.
• Please avoid editing posts with rolls in them. I'm not going to go ballistic if it happens now and again though.

Guidelines for Combat

In order to keep combat from dragging on, I am using the following system:

• I will roll initiative for all combatants.
• Combat declarations will be made without regard for order of initiative. Once all the declarations are in, the events of the round will be posted. I realise that this leads to some uncertainty, but I have not found it to be a significant problem.
• Each player should maintain information at the top of the notes section of their character sheet containing some default combat actions for the case that they fall behind and combat must proceed.
• If a player has not posted for over a day and is in a group combat situation where others posted promptly and are waiting for him/her to post, I will NPC them for the round, using their default actions if appropriate.
• If a massive or extremely long battle breaks out, I reserve the right to fast forward it through whatever means seems appropriate.

Experience Points and Gaining Levels

• Combat experience will be as per standard rules.
• Role play experience will be on a simple quality indexed per post system. You will get 0 to 20 points per post. 0 points for a post of less than 4 lines, with exceptionally poor grammar, or that displays ignorance of recent events in the game. 5 points for a post that meets the minimum standards of length, spelling, and grammar. 10 points for a good post. 15 points for a really good post. 20 points for an exceptional post that is incredibly well written, wonderfully descriptive, intricately detailed, really funny, or otherwise just very enjoyable to read. At 'experience time', your character will get points x character level in experience points. I may adjust this amount as play progresses.
• Experience will be awarded at suitable breaks during game play. You can level up 'in the field', but it requires whatever entails a full night's rest for you.
• Max hit points up to and including level 3. After that, you roll d(die/2)+(die/2). So d4, d6, d8, d10, and d12 become d2+2, d3+3, d4+4, d5+5, and d6+6 respectively. This makes for pretty meaty tanks and wizards with a little more staying power.
• You are encouraged to use fractional BAB and saves if you are multiclassing (this can only benefit your PC.) This means that you figure out the BAB and saves for each of your classes without dropping fractions, then add them all together. Only at the end do you drop the fractions.
  Saves: Good saves are level/2+2, Poor saves are level/3
  BAB: Fighter-like is +level, Cleric-like is +level*3/4, Mage-like is +level/2
  So if you are a ranger 2/fighter 1, you have a BAB of +3.0->+3, and saves of F+5.5 R+3.3 W+1.0 -> F+5 R+3 W+1. Gain a level of fighter and that changes to BAB +4.0->+4 and saves of F+6.0 R+3.6 W+1.3 -> F+6 R+3 W+1.

Dying

Here's how we'll handle deaths:

1. After dying, it will be possible to re-enter the game with a new character, subject to the initial character creation rules.
2. After dying, a two week cooling off period applies before a new character can be rolled up and submitted.
3. At this stage of the game, new characters will be quickly added to the group thread, subject to #2 (i.e. no 8 month solo escapade)
4. Any knowledge garnered by a previous PC cannot be used in the gameplay of a new PC

[Birched]

Survival Skill: Long-term Foraging
DC 10: Move up to one-half your overland speed while hunting and foraging (no food or water supplies needed). You can provide food and water for one other person for every 2 points by which your check result exceeds 10.

The above is the SRD rule for survival. Over the long-term, I am not going to have you move at half speed for the entire trip if you have a modifier of +2 or higher. What I'll do is take 10 for you, then see how many people you can feed through a check. If you have a +0 modifier, you can feed only yourself, and must move only at half speed to forage while you travel.
If you have a higher modifier, it will cut down the amount of time you spend moving more slowly. For example, if you have a modifier of +8 and you are feeding one person, you will be able to feed 5 people for each day equivalent spent foraging, and on average will be able to move at full speed for the other four days. So your movement rate will be 90% of max if you are feeding only yourself (1/2 for one day equivalent, and full for 4 day equivalents).
If you have a lower modifier, you will need to eat 1 day's rations for each 5 days of travel for every increment of -2 (i.e. -1 or -2 eats 1 day's rations, -3 or -4 eats 2 days' rations, etc.)

Note that this skill does not include trapping for food overnight. That would be a separate skill, such as profession(trapper), although some luck with a few different skill checks might land you dinner with craft(trapmaker).

[Birched]

Note: This class came out of a discussion with a player who decided thereafter not to use it. Any one who wanted to use it would have to have another discussion about it with me about its current appropriateness.

Requires:

• feat: shot on the run (and the prerequisites)
• 8 ranks in sense motive, 8 ranks in balance
• minimum +1d6 skirmish, +1 AC skirmish

BAB: level x 3/4 (rogue progression)
Good save: Ref
Poor saves: Fort, Will

Class skills and skill points per level: same as scout

1 - Flawless stride
2 - Ranged skirmish (+1d6)
3 - Point Blank Shot (+10')
4 - Ranged skirmish (+1 AC)
5 - Fast movement +5, bonus feat: manyshot
6 - Ranged skirmish (+2d6)
7 - Point Blank Shot (+10')
8 - Ranged skirmish (+2 AC)
9 - Fast movement +5, bonus feat: improved precise shot
10 - Ranged skirmish (+3d6)

Ranged skirmish: stacks with general skirmish modifiers from other classes, but applies only to ranged weapons; similarly, AC modifiers apply only against ranged attackers
Fast movement: stacks with previous fast movement (e.g. barbarian, skirmisher)
Point Blank Shot: increases the effective range of point blank shot, including skirmishing attacks (and sneak attacks if the character has that skill)
Bonus feats: other archery related feats may be substituted if the character already has the feat listed (DM discretion)

[Birched]

Players are expected to keep track of their own ammunition.

If a PC takes time to look after a fight, then he or she can recover ammunition as per the standard rule:
[A piece of ammunition] that hits its target is destroyed; one that misses has a 50% chance of being destroyed or lost.

If a PC does not or cannot search after a fight, it's all lost.

Drop fractions, as usual (no half arrows .)

[Birched]

Magic Item Creation
When crafting magic items or transcribing spells, make an appropriate craft check (untrained is allowed) to reduce the crafting time. You may take 10 on this check.
DC 20 -- 4 hours; DC 25 -- 2 hours; DC 30 -- 1 hour

potions -- craft(alchemy)
scrolls -- spellcraft

(other skills to be determined as the need arises)

Mundane Item Creation

For every 5 points by which you exceed the craft DC you halve the crafting time.

[Birched]

I'm borrowing/adapting a spell research rule from another game I'm in (but I'm not going to be quite as generous.) Thanks to AbuDhabi (this is mostly stolen directly from his great 'Commoner's Quest' game.)

To research a spell, you need both time and skill.

Research points required to research a spell:
Spell_Level * Spell_Level * 500

Spell's are researched by day.
You make a Spellcraft check each day, with a DC of 20 + Spell_Level. You may take 10 on this check.

Subtract (Your_Roll * DC_Of_Research) from the research points needed to research the spell. Repeat this until the number of Research points reaches 0 or less.

You may only research spells of a level you are capable of casting.

Upon completing research on a spell, a wizard needs to write it down in his spellbook. This follows the normal rules for writing a new spell into a spellbook.

These rules pertain to spells on your spell list and also 'new' spells that are similar to spells on your list.

In the interest of actually making progress in a pbp game, spell research is assumed to be going on continuously.

Example: Aquilus has a spellcraft modifier of +11 (because he didn't forget the synergy bonus from knowledge(arcana)). For him to research a first level spell, he can take 10 each day for a result of 21, which matches the spell DC. For higher level spells, he'd have to actually roll each day (or we could work out a percentage loss scheme.)

Each day, he completes 21 (his roll) * 21 (the DC) = 441 points of research on the spell towards the 500 points required to research the spell. He could therefore research a previously unknown first level spell in 2 days.

For second level spells (cost = 2*2*500=2000), it would take him approximately 5 days.

He cannot research third level spells or higher, as he has no knowledge of them yet.

[Birched]

DC 20 Craft(trapmaking) check

Time: 10 minutes

Materials Required: trapmaking kit (100 gp, 5 uses) OR 1 hour gathering (DC 25 survival (outdoors) or search check with +2 synergy from 5 ranks in craft(trapmaking))

Failed Checks: Failure by up to 4 is just wasted time, failure by 5 or more results in the materials being wasted and the trap going off in the trap setter's face.

You may make any 0 CR, 0 gp value trap you can come up with using the tables here: SRD

All of these traps must be touch or location activated, no reset traps.

'Trip' or 'entangle' effect is equal to 1000 gp cost.

Trap Examples:
Tripwire - Search DC 15, Disable DC 15, +11 to hit, touch attack, trip (str 16)
Arrow Trap / Spiked Branch Trap - Search DC 20, Disable DC 15, +14 to hit, d6+2 damage
Snare - Search DC 20, Disable DC 15, +12 to hit, touch attack, if tied to a tree can prevent movement OR can be made to reduce movement rate to 1/2 (until destroyed, as rope hardness 0 hp 2 break DC 23)

Advanced Trapsetting!

For every +10 DC, you can add 1 to the CR of the Simple Trap you are allowed to
make.


All traps are subject to DM approval!

More complex traps can be made as usual, using the normal craft rules and the accelerated crafting time house rule.

[Birched]

The oath:
"I will strive to ensure that no entity enters the tower. If an entity enters the tower, I will work tirelessly to oppose it if it visits destruction on the land or on the civilized peoples."

Adherence to the words and even to some extent the spirit of the oath is maintained by warnings (a 'twingy' feeling) followed by sickness and even death if a warder significantly contravenes the oath for an extended period of time.

Warders of the Tower who have taken the oath on an oath orb can add the following abilities as they advance in level. All effects are supernatural and, unless otherwise indicated, operate at CL 15. The oath orbs are carefully kept by the warders (there are four of them in existence.) It is generally considered to be a good idea to keep a careful eye on new inductees to watch for signs that they have taken the oath in bad faith.

1 - +1 resistance bonus to all saves
4 - low-light vision (if character already has it, vision is boosted from 2x to 3x)
8 - 1/day shield other on another warder
12 - status spell effect for all other warders that you have ever touched (warders that achieve this level of power have an increased responsibility to look out for the others)
16 - 1/day word of recall back to your safehouse of residence
20 - 1/day teleport (no error) back to the original location of the word of recall ability

[Birched]

Identifying Magic Items Using Spellcraft

We'll now use the Pathfinder rule for this.

 

Using Spellcraft, a character can identify a scroll in 1 round or any other item in 1 minute.

The prerequisite level for the relevant item is based on the item creation feat. Potions (based on Brew Potion, minimum caster level 3rd) are DC 25 and scrolls (based on Scribe Scroll, minimum caster level 1st) begin at DC 20. Arms and armor and wands (minimum caster level 5th) are be DC 30, rods (minimum caster level 9th) are DC 35, and rings and staffs (minimum caster level 12th) are DC 40. Wondrous items (minimum caster level 3rd) are treated a little differently: DC 25 for minor wondrous items, 30 for medium items, and 40 for major items.

Identify gives a +20 bonus on one check, and analyze dweomer gives a +20 bonus on every check made for the duration of the spell. Identify now requires either the pearl or a 500 gp lens similar to that used for analyze dweomer (but less expensive.)

Characters with the relevant item creation feat get a +2 circumstance bonus on checks to identify magic.

based on: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/sg/20051125a

[Birched]

Gods Amongst Us [Blane (Varil) and Marcus (Garat)]

This functions as a template applied to certain PCs and NPCs in the game.

level	Varil powers	Garat powers	Divine Aura Radius	Divine Aura Strength
1
2			5'	1
3
4			10'	1
5
6	speed +5	aspect of the wolf (scent)	10'	2
7
8			15'	3
9	speed +5	aspect of the wolf (bite attack d6)
10			20'	4
11
12	speed +5	aspect of the wolf (perception +4)	40'	5
13
14			60'	6
15	speed +5	aspect of the wolf (trip with bite, as wolf)
16			80'	7
17
18	?	?	?	?

Items in the table stack (so at level 9, Blane has +10 speed)

Aspect of the Wolf (Su): As a standard action, your head transforms into that of a wolf (or back from that state). You may speak as normal while your head is transformed, though speech is likely affected in non-game mechanics terms by the change (tone, enunciation, etc). While transformed, you gain the use of additional level-dependent abilities (e.g. scent, bite attack, trip).

Divine Aura (Su): An aura surrounds these individuals that feels to clerics of Varil or Garat as if their god is present, and restores their ability to cast divine spells and use their channel power. Further, the cleric may cast any spell on his or her list spontaneously while within the radius (or prepare them for use anywhere later).

There may be other effects unknown to you at this time. (For example, Blane was 'seen' with horns by Nia in her dreams, and attacked by a cleric of Varil who thought he was a 'demon' -- whether any of that has anything to do with the transformation here is unclear.)

[Birched]

Poisons

In general, we will use the rules here: https://sites.google.com/site/pathfi...ictions/poison


Exception:

We will not use this rule: "If you are exposed to more of the same poison at any point while you are poisoned, you need to make a new initial save at +2 DC."

Instead, all initial saves are made against the stated DC of the poison.


Reasoning:

The +2 to DC per dose (and related rules) is a rule made to simplify things by requiring only 1 save vs each type of poison, instead of having to track multiple doses. Because an initial contact is done on a per dose basis (you save vs. EACH poison attempt) and not vs. the aggregate, initial saves should be vs. the original DC.