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by jeffrobot494 » 06 Jan 2015 20:14
by jeffrobot494 » 06 Jan 2015 22:30
The Complete Wizard's Handbook wrote:Because spells from the school of illusion are mainly concerned with the creation of images and are of limited use on the battlefield, many feel that illusionists are the weakest of all the specialists. In a broad sense, however, no school provides a wizard with more options, since in most cases, illusion spells are limited only by the caster's imagination. For instance, consider the 1st-level illusion spell phantasmal force. A dull-witted wizard might consider this a useless spell; after all, its illusions have only visual components. A silent monster might scare away a nervous bandit, but what else can you do with it? Plenty, answers the creative illusionist, and the effects aren't confined to the battlefield. Here are some examples:
· The party is being pursued by a hoard of orcs. The wizard uses phantasmal force to
create the illusion of a wall of bramble bushes behind the party to slow down the
pursuers. Alternately, he creates a swarm of wasps, a cloud of ominous green gas, or a
pool of quicksand to slow them down.
· The hungry party wants to catch some fish for the evening meal. They have lines and
hooks, but no bait. The wizard uses phantasmal force to create a colorful, sparkling
lure.
· The party wishes to lure an enemy into a cave for an ambush. The wizard uses
phantasmal force to create the illusion of great treasure just inside the cave and -- in
goes the greedy enemy.
· The wizard has met a beautiful damsel whom he wishes to impress. He takes her to a
secluded woodland and uses phantasmal force to create the illusion of a patch of
beautiful wild flowers.
by jeffrobot494 » 07 Jan 2015 19:43
The Complete Wizard's Handbook wrote:Patrician
Description: The Patrician is a wizard of noble birth, a member of his culture's aristocracy. Born into a life of wealth and privilege, the Patrician considers himself an arbiter of good taste and a connoisseur of the finer things in life. He looks down his nose at working men and women, as well as all others he considers to be inconsequential rabble. If anything, his mastery of magic makes him even more arrogant than other members of the ruling class, since he sees his talent as clear proof of his superiority over common folk.
The Patrician may join an adventuring party out of a sense of duty to his country or to promote the common good-- in spite of their snobbery, good-aligned Patricians have strong moral codes. A Patrician might have grown weary of his pampered life and sought an adventuring party to add a touch of excitement to his otherwise dreary existence. Alternately, his parents might have ordered him to join a party to teach him humility.
There are no special requirements to be a Patrician. The majority are male, but noblewomen are also included in this category (although such a character would more correctly be called a Noblewoman or Aristocrat).
To abandon this kit, the Patrician must renounce his birthright. He will forever after be ostracized by all the nobility from his homeland and may even be disowned and disinherited by his family.
Preferred Schools: The Patrician can specialize in any school, but prefers those that he perceives as most powerful, such as conjuration/summoning, alteration, and invocation/evocation.
Barred Schools: The Patrician will not specialize in necromancy, a school he considers disgusting and repulsive.
Role: The Patrician prefers the company of nobles and other members of the upper class. Most Patricians are wealthy and have no need to earn money, but many still serve their societies as administrators, counselors, and ambassadors. Since they have access to the the finest teachers and universities, Patricians are extremely well-educated and expert in a variety of areas.
Fellow player characters will rightfully perceive the Patrician to be an arrogant, condescending snob. On the positive side, the Patrician is also well-mannered and courteous, even to those he considers to be his social inferiors. Male Patricians can be extremely chivalrous to members of the opposite sex, regardless of whether they like it or not. The Patrician is generally cooperative with the party, though he will balk at any suggestion that compromises his sense of dignity (for instance, he will never enter a filthy cavern or search the bodies of slain enemies without squawking). His first-rate education and extensive travels make him an excellent source of information.
Secondary Skills: Required (the player must choose one of the following): Bowyer, Gambler, Groom, Jeweler, Limner/Painter, Scribe.
Weapon Proficiency: Required (the player must choose one of the following): dagger, knife.
Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: (General) Etiquette, Heraldry, Riding (Land-based). Recommended: (General) Dancing, Languages (Modern), Riding (Land-based), Singing; (Wizard) Ancient History, Languages (Ancient), Reading/Writing, Religion; (Rogue, double slots) Ancient History, Appraising, Gaming, Local History, Musical Instrument; (Priest, double slots) Languages (Ancient).
Equipment: A beginning Patrician must buy all of the following items: horse (must be at least a riding horse), riding saddle, bit and bridle, horseshoes and shoeing, halter, and saddle blanket. He can spend the rest of his money as he wishes.
Special Benefits: The Patrician begins with more starting money than other wizards (see the Wealth Options entry below). Additionally, he receives a +3 reaction modifier from any noble from his own culture, and a +2 reaction modifier from nobles from other cultures. When traveling, a Patrician can demand shelter from any fellow noblemen from his own culture. Such shelter is offered free of charge and is made available for the Patrician and up to two persons per experience level of the Patrician (for instance, a 3rd-level Patrician can demand shelter for himself and six others).
Special Hindrances: When making purchases, the Patrician accepts nothing but the best, whether it be a meal, a room for the night, a weapon, or even a chest to carry his possessions.
Any time he buys any item, the Patrician must pay 10 to 100 percent more than the listed price in the Player's Handbook. The DM will decide the price paid by the Patrician, which may vary from item to item, depending on the quality of merchandise in a particular locale. For instance, the best meal in Village A might sell for 7 sp, while the best meal in Village B might sell for 10 sp. In all cases, the Patrician will settle for no less than the most expensive item available; he always pays at least 10 percent more than the listed price.
If a Patrician lacks the funds to buy high-quality items, he can settle for cheaper goods, but he no longer receives his reaction bonus in that particular encounter or community; NPCs simply do not believe that he is a noble. For instance, if a Patrician settles for a standard 5 sp meal at an inn, all of the NPCs in the inn react to him normally, ignoring his insistence that he's a nobleman. Word will quickly spread throughout the community that an amusing fellow is pretending to be a nobleman, and soon all of the NPCs in the community will react to him normally. If a Patrician settles for shabby accoutrements, such as a normal sword or average saddle, all NPCs will react to him normally until he replaces them with more expensive items.
Just as the Patrician can demand shelter from other noblemen, so can they demand shelter from him. Note that this can get to be an expensive proposition if the NPC noblemen stay for any length of time.
Wealth Options: The Patrician receives an extra 150 gp in addition to the standard (1d4 + 1) x 10 gp.
Races: No restrictions. However, if a particular race doesn't recognize or allow socio-economic stratifications in the DM's campaign world, that race will not have Patricians
by jeffrobot494 » 07 Jan 2015 20:22
The Complete Wizard's Handbook wrote:Nonweapon Proficiencies: Bonus: (General) Etiquette, Heraldry, Riding (Land-based). Recommended: (General) Dancing, Languages (Modern), Riding (Land-based), Singing; (Wizard) Ancient History, Languages (Ancient), Reading/Writing, Religion; (Rogue, double slots) Ancient History, Appraising, Gaming, Local History, Musical Instrument; (Priest, double slots) Languages (Ancient).
by icycalm » 07 Jan 2015 21:03
by jeffrobot494 » 08 Jan 2015 20:52
by jeffrobot494 » 08 Jan 2015 22:37
by jeffrobot494 » 09 Jan 2015 02:25
by jeffrobot494 » 09 Jan 2015 19:51
by jeffrobot494 » 10 Jan 2015 09:13
The Player's Handbook wrote:Illusions are spells of trickery and deceit, not damage and destruction. Thus, illusions cannot be used to cause real damage. When a creature is caught in the blast of an illusionary fireball or struck by the claws of an illusionary troll, he thinks he takes damage. The DM should record the illusionary damage (but tell the player his character has taken real damage). If the character takes enough damage to "die," he collapses in a faint. A system shock roll should be made for the character. (His mind, believing the damage to be real, may cause his body to cease functioning!) If the character survives, he regains consciousness after 1d3 turns with his illusionary damage healed. In most cases, the character quickly realizes that it was all an illusion.
When an illusion creates a situation of inescapable death, such as a giant block dropping from the ceiling, all those believing the illusion must roll for system shock. If they fail, they die--killed by the sheer terror of the situation. If they pass, they are allowed a new saving throw with a +4 bonus. Those who pass recognize the illusion for what it is. Those who fail faint for 1d3 turns.
The Player's Handbook wrote:System Shock states the percentage chance a character has to survive magical effects that reshape or age his body: petrification (and reversing petrification), poly- morph, magical aging, etc. It can also be used to see if the character retains consciousness in particularly difficult situations. For example, an evil mage polymorphs his dim-witted hireling into a crow. The hireling, whose Constitution score is 13,has an 85percent chance to survive the change. Assuming he survives, he must successfully roll for system shock again when he is changed back to his original form or else he will die.