New Spell - Empowered Turning

Empowered Turning
Cleric 2
Range: Self
Duration: 48 turns (8 hours)

Upon casting this spell, the Cleric infuses more holy power into his Turning attempts. For the spell's duration, the character's Turn Undead checks gains a bonus equal to half the character's Cleric level (to a maximum of +4) and the number Hit Dice affected increases by +50%.

More simple Critical Hits

We've been playing with critical hits for a long time now, my group used the 'score a natural 20 and roll your damage twice, totalling them together' kind of rule for critical hits. I see critical hits as a way to do extra damage in whats an already abstract combat system, not a chance to do extra damage. The chance comes from the attack roll to me. The problem arises when the player, through the good fortune to roll that 20, rolls minimum or near minumum on his damage roll (same goes for my monsters, while not out to kill my player's characters on a malicious whim, I get a bit excited too when I roll that 20 and deflated that it does 2 or 3 points of damage).

 

We started playing with a new rule and its been working well thus far on both sides of the table:

 

Critical Hits are scored on a natural 20. The character inflicts his normal damage with all attendant adjustments, plus additional damage equal to half his Strength score (for melee attacks), his Dexterity score (for missile attacks) or his Charisma (for spell attacks, after any saving throws to reduce damage are made).

 

The simplest rationale for melee and missile attacks are that those 2 ability scores affect those forms of combat already, so we keep them in-house, so to speak. The choice of Charisma is that while Intelligence and Wisdom give you the ability to cast Arcane and Divine magic, the caster's force of will to bend the supernatural to his desires is an aspect of Charisma (how many people have you heard about that don't seem exceptionally beautiful or even good-looking, but you just feel they have some kind of presence). That's my rationale and its worked good so far.

 

For monsters, I use average stats:

• Smaller than Man-size - Strength 6, Dexterity 14, Charisma 10
• Man-size - Strength 10, Dexterity 10, Charisma 10
• Larger than Man-size - Strength 14, Dexterity 8, Charisma 10
• Giant-size - Strength 18, Dexterity 6, Charisma 10

In the case of giants hurling boulders, those are more like catapults firing at hobbits - here isn't a whole lot of careful aiming to do when hurling a rock larger than your target, your lobbing it in the general vicinity. Charisma is considered average unless you want to roll 3d6 for each spellcaster.

Onn Revised Core Rules: Bard

The Bard (Fighting-man Subclass)

Hit Dice Type:	d6.
Armor/Shield Permitted:	Light armor; Light and Medium shields.
Weapons Permitted:	Any 1-handed melee weapon; Light Crossbow, Dart, Firearm (Pistol), Short Bow, Sling.
Prime Attribute	Strength and Charisma.
Starting Gold:	3d6x10gp.

Bards are collectors of lore and knowledge, travelling minstrels who hire for entertainment for their supper, explorers of far off lands and more. Bards travel far and wide, carrying with them the knowledge they glean from the places they visit and spread word of events great and small from town to town. Most of the tales a Bard shares with the populace at large is of the common variety, stories of great battles, or a masterful hunt by some petty lord, gossip of the court ladies and the like. Adventurers however, can learn some interesting facts about creatures, lore of a local dungeon or rumors of adventures to be had in nearby towns. On occasion, a Bard will offer to accompany, or allow himself to be hired to a band of adventures in order to create a new tale and gain more knowledge he can use.

The Bard is generally a charismatic individual and must possess at least a 10 Strength and 12 Dexterity and Charisma. As Bards progress in experience, they gain several abilities and are able to produce magical effects through their music, song and tales.

Bard Class Abilities

Bard’s Ear (1st level): Bards are attuned to sounds and noises and the tuning/playing of musical instruments. Whenever a Bard is the subject of discerning noises or performing, they gain a +2 bonus to any die rolls.

Disarming Charm (1st level): Bards are personable and gain a +2 bonus to any die rolls involving influencing the reactions of others.

Fighting-man Combat Options (1st Level): Bards have one combat option at 1st level, gaining another at 5th level and every 5 levels thereafter. See the Fighting-man Class for details.

Haphazard Lore (1st level): The Bard is a repository of various tidbits of knowledge and lore from his wanderer lifestyle and can attempt to glean information from examining an item, creature, object or writing. The Bard generally has a +1 bonus to any die rolls to glean information. At 4th level and greater this becomes a +2 bonus and at 9th level and greater he possesses a +3 bonus.

Heroic Performance (1st level): Bards have the ability to cause almost magical-like effects through the use of music, song, recitation, dance, brazenly combating foes with panache and the like that affect allies or enemies (depending on the effect generated). Heroic Performance can be used 3 times per day, plus the Bard’s Charisma adjustment. Unless noted otherwise effects last until the Bard ceases performing (maximum of 1 round per level, plus the Bard’s Charisma adjustment).

·          Captivate: The Bard can capture and hold the attention of 1d6 enemies plus his Charisma adjustment in a 30 ft radius, beginning with the closest to the farthest. If the monsters fail Ego saving throws they cease attacking but will still defend themselves until the effect ends.

·          Countersong: The Bard can suppress the effects of other creatures’ sound-based mind effects, such as a harpy’s charm, in a 30 ft radius around himself. If the creator of the sound-effect is within 30 ft of the Bard and fails an Ego saving throw, the effect is broken and cannot be reestablished until the Bard stops performing. Requires a sound-based type of performance.

·          Hero’s Luck: Allies within a 30 ft radius that can see and hear the Bard are affected, gaining a +1 bonus to saving throws and ‘to hit’ rolls. At 6th and higher levels this becomes a +2 bonus.

·          Hindering Magic: All spell casters within 30 ft of the Bard attempting to cast spells must succeed at an Ego saving throw with the Bard’s Charisma adjustment applied as a penalty. Failure means the spell is lost with no effect.

·          Rally: Companions of the Bard fighting within 30 ft of him gain a +2 bonus to morale and reroll any failed morale checks while under this effect. At 7th and higher levels this bonus becomes +4.

·          Song Spell: At 1st level the Bard can emulate any Healing, non-combat Illusion or Charm spell of 1st level with a use of Heroic Performance. Every 4 levels beyond 1st level (5th, 9th, etc) an additional spell level may be emulated.

·          Wayland’s Tune: If the Bard performs at least half the day while travelling, his group travels 50% farther than normal. One use of Heroic Performance will suffice to cover the day of travel.

Magic Item Enhancement (1st level): Bards playing any magical instrument gain a 50% greater result and can activate it an additional time if it has limited uses per day or week, with no penalty.

Weapon Mastery (1st level): At 1st level the Bard begins with 4 weapon slots, gaining additional slots at 4th level and every 3 levels thereafter. See the Fighting-man class for details.

Bonus Languages (3rd level): Because of their knack for picking up sounds and widely traveled lifestyles, Bards are also masters of linguistics. Bards may add an additional Language to their Languages list at every 3rd level (3rd, 6th, 9th, etc).

Decipher Writing (4th level): Bards can determine the contents of written messages, and have a +2 bonus to any die rolls to decipher any written non-magical language they encounter. They may read all spell scrolls, but suffer a 10% chance per spell level of a backfire or miscast. The exact effects are determined by the Referee.

Establish a Stronghold (9th level): A Bard can establish a stronghold in the same way as a Fighting-man. This will more resemble a college, academy, museum or library since it will be more of a center of learning than a fortified keep (although centers of learning in the wilderness can be actual keeps or fortresses for protective purposes). Followers numbering 3-36 will be attracted to the school as well as prospective Bards and sages wishing to learn from the character.

Level	Title	Experience	Hit Dice
1	Wanderer	0	1
2	Rhymer	1,625	2
3	Sonneteer	3,250	3
4	Lyrist	7,500	4
5	Skald	15,000	5
6	Troubadour	30,000	6
7	Minstrel	60,000	7
8	Muse	90,000	8
9	Bard	120,000	9
10	Bard	240,000	-
11	Bard	360,000	10
12	Bard	480,000	-
13	Bard	600,000	11
14	Bard	720,000	-
15	Master Bard	840,000	12
16	Master Bard	960,000	-
17	Master Bard	1,080,000	13
18	Master Bard	1,200,000	-
19	Master Bard	1,320,000	14
20	Master Bard	1,440,000	-

Another monent in Gaming Infamy

This little wonderment of mishap occurred not long after a few 3.5e players got together when I offered to run them through some old-school-cool game: Swords & Wizardry. As I recall, we never got to the actual adventure that night and there were a bunch of characters lost, lol! I used the 'beta' of Michael Curtis' Stonehell Dungeon when he was posting it in sections on his excellent blog and added some flavor to the surface in the form of a small military fort on a desert borderland called Fort Sarwidge. Lots of fun times!

Character Attack Ranks in Onn

Attack Ranks

All characters attack at Attack Rank A (1 attack per round). Bards, the Fighting-men classes and Shao Disciples have the ability to make more than 1 attack per round against monsters of 1 Hit Dice or greater when they reach higher experience levels.

Characters with a listed number of attacks per round make all of their attacks as normal on their initiative. Characters with a number of attacks per 2 rounds make 2 attacks on even numbered rounds and the balance of their attacks on odd numbered rounds.

Character Attack Ranks

Rank	Bards	Fighting-men	Shao Disciples	Attacks/Round
A	1-9	1-6	1-7	1/round
B	10+	7-12	8-14	3/2 rounds
C	-	13-18	15+	2/round
D	-	19+	-	5/2 rounds
E	-	-	-	3/round