Character and Rules Guidelines

[Umiushi]

Like the other power-source books, its mechanics are available to anyone with access to it.

As I mentioned when discussing Divine Power, please take the background information concerning the history and relationship between the primal spirits and the gods with a salt lick when it comes to applying that information to Aucothia or Istao. Also, a lot of the tribal-based cultural information on the behavior of primal classes is not relevant to either setting. Primal characters' traditions have more to do with their in-campaign background than some shared meta-cultural bond.

[Umiushi]

Although I have gathered Arcane, Divine, Martial and Primal Power, I am not at all certain I wish to continue on and obtain, say, Martial Power 2. I'm really not interested in providing an endless list of powers and options for the various classes in my campaigns. If I don't obtain it, I won't be using it, so please keep that in mind.

[Umiushi]

While I'm not sure about the use of further Power rulebooks, I have come to a firm conclusion about the Player's Handbook Races series, which will begin with Dragonborn next year: they will not be used. I do not want to deal with an entire book's worth of material for every one of up to the dozen-odd races presented in the first two Player's Handbooks, nor do I wish to go "in-depth" for any subset of those races.

[Umiushi]

New updates to most of the existing rulebooks were published earlier this month and can be found here: http://www.wizards.com/dnd/Article.aspx?x=dnd/updates

I have not read through every entry, but upon skimming the document it doesn't look like there are any major changes on the same order as the revised Stealth rules from one of the earliest updates.

These updates are technically effective immediately in both games, but in practice it will probably take some time for me to notice specific relevant updates for powers, items, and so forth.

[Umiushi]

Nature of Ritual Components
At this point in both The Unquiet Lands and Romance of a Fallen Country campaigns, rituals are receiving a certain amount of attention. I may have made some contradictory statements regarding the use of components in the past, so I would like to set the record straight and clarify how they will be dealt with from now on.

General Ritual Components
These are the components listed on page 300 of the Player's Handbook: Alchemical Reagents, Mystic Salves, Rare Herbs, and Sanctified Incense. They are good for any ritual that uses the appropriate key skill. This supersedes any previous rulings I have made that ritual components must be targeted to a specific ritual.

When ritual components are part of a character's starting equipment, they are of this sort. Components that are purchased or acquired in-game may or may not be of this type, but that will be clarified. As a rule of thumb, general ritual components are more readily available from suppliers in Aucothia than on Istao.

Alternative General Ritual Components
Sometimes characters will find components described in other ways, such as dried berries, candles, or bits of parchment. These function as general ritual components, above, and the types of rituals they can be used for will be stated at the time of acquisition, unless the components are truly esoteric.

Targeted Ritual Components
At various times, characters will encounter sets of components that were specially gathered for exactly one ritual. While these components might be plundered for general ritual components, it is extremely inefficient to do so. Targeted ritual components only fully count towards the ritual they were originally intended for.

Specific Ritual Components
Rarely, a party may find one or two named components, such as small pyrite stones or mandragora roots. These can be applied to certain rituals, or certain types of rituals, reducing the overall cost of such rituals by a certain percentage.


Upcoming Player's Handbook 3
Continuing my recent trend of limiting the expansion of this setting's rules set, I'd like to issue a caution that I may not be utilizing Player's Handbook 3 when it comes out. I want to temper the amount of disappointment for anyone who might be anticipating this book's incorporation into the setting by stating this right now.

While I like to avoid spoilers in general, some of the official preview information for the book has come my way. I do not see a fit in either campaign for a large percentage of the new classes, races, and rules being introduced.

[Umiushi]

While I think it obvious, it just occurred to me to elaborate on this topic sooner rather than later.

It may come to pass that the party will choose to delegate either current or future quests to NPCs. That is acceptable, if it can be done. However, as the success or failure of the quest is no longer in the PCs' hands at that point, neither is the potential for gaining experience points. The PCs may certainly indirectly gain the rewards of a quest's success, or suffer the penalties of its failure, but XP can only be earned through direct participation.

I do not wish this to be taken as an outright discouragement against such behavior. Indeed, delegation may be beneficial in the long run, possibly allowing the party to gain the benefits of the successful completion of more tasks than they could accomplish by themselves. At that same time, please also understand that while the possibility exists for me to give the party a choice of more quests than can be managed all at once, I will never assign to the party any single quest that they cannot hope to accomplish given the proper circumstances.

[Umiushi]

Steps I to IV may be followed immediately.
I. Increase the following statistics by one:

• Ability Check bonuses (this is not the same as ability score modifiers)
• Attack bonuses (that is, chances to hit; not damage)
• Defenses: AC, Fortitude, Reflexes, Will
• Initiative bonus
• Skill Check bonuses

II. Increase hit points.

III. Select a new Feat that you meet the qualifications for.

IV. Choose a Utility Power that you meet the qualifications for.

Notes
I. Do not add to bonuses and then recalculate them using your ability check bonuses instead of your ability score modifiers.
For example, a 1st level character with a Dexterity of 12 has a Dexterity Check bonus of +1, Dexterity Modifier of +1, and Initiative Bonus of +1. At 2nd level, the same character has a Dexterity Check bonus of +2, a Dexterity Modifier of +1, and an Initiative Bonus of +2.
No total bonus should wind up being more than one higher than it was before, at the end of step I.

III and IV. You may defer these steps until after you Retrain (see below) in order to qualify for a Feat or Power that you are interested in.


After an Extended Rest, you may move on to the final step.
V. Retraining. If desired, replace one Feat, Power, or Trained Skill with another one of the same category that you are qualified for.
Do not replace a Feat, Power, or Skill that is in itself a requirement for any of your Feats, Powers, Trained Skills, or Class Features. Do not replace a Feat, Power, or Trained Skill that is automatically granted by your Class, Class Features, or other Feats.

[yukonhorror]

oh retraining happens after an extended rest? Ok, will keep in mind just in case we can't get one in before the next encounter.

[Umiushi]

After a fair amount of deliberation, I decided to go along with it. This does not mean that I will automatically use the other "Power 2" rulebooks to "balance" this out. Each one will be considered individually.

As usual, the introduction of new options means they can be employed going forward but not retroactively, unless I specifically list an exception. There is an exception for this case, and it is detailed in OOC Post #102.

[yukonhorror]

not that I need it, but what about the PH3. I know you said psionics don't fit in well with the world's concept. Just curious. Not pushing it or anything.

[Umiushi]

not that I need it, but what about the PH3. I know you said psionics don't fit in well with the world's concept. Just curious. Not pushing it or anything.

I'm still thinking about the PH3, but leaning more towards not using it. There are around six pages of rules that I really like, and everything else I've looked it is either neutral or negative. I'll probably consider it for a few more weeks, but if I made the decision today I'd say we won't be using it.

[Umiushi]

The May 2010 rules update is now in effect. These include some of the most significant changes to the original Player's Handbook rules in a long time. As usual, while the rules we play by are considered to be affected by the update, in practice some may slip my attention, especially at first. However, if you notice this happening, please let me know.

If a rule update directly contradicts a ruling I have made in the past, the past event is unchanged, but I will make an explicit statement as to whether we will abide by the updated rule or my personal ruling on the matter going forward.

I can't enumerate all the notable updates here, but some that drew my attention were a change to Healer's Lore that might affect Yrisz, and general changes to the Aid Another and Charge actions.

[Umiushi]

The July 2010 rules update is now in effect. The most significant change, in my opinion, is the new limitation on Free Actions.

One update will be subject to a house rule for all Unquiet Lands games: Magic Missile. Wizards with Magic Missile will be allowed to stay with the original version if they wish, or convert to the updated version. If I don't like how the updated version plays out, I will post here and revert the spell back to the original. Out of all the updates I have read, this one alone gave no reason other than a desire to return Magic Missile to its classical form, a form I have to admit I don't miss. In other words, according to the rules update, there is no issue with the original Magic Missile. Naturally, magical items that influence Magic Missile will be changed or not changed accordingly.

[Palpatim]

Do I read that correctly--Magic Missile now always hits? It seems like that's going to make minions less useful for DMs to use as an encounter element.

[yukonhorror]

Yes. It does 2+int+enhancement bonus force dam. 3 at lvl 11 and 5 at lvl 5. I'll have to check out the free action update. Saw it, but payed no attention to it.