Overload

I was making a spell for a magic item in my game that caused a machine to overload and explode. It’s not uncommon to see a spell that has two effects based off the same saving throw, but this one is more a spell that can sometimes trigger another. Now I know the ACKs spell system is more for “fit or feel” system than it is a balanced creation system but it’s still good to write it down and size the spell effect. 

The intent of the spell was to target a machine and make it saves vs death. If it fails it is destroyed and explodes. Overall its a bit like a death spell with a partial fireball that only goes off it the target dies. I had to stretch the spell design system a little, using an “environmental” modifier to get me a trigger effect. Overall though it comes in around level 5 which seems about right.

Oh, and the Almanac has converted me to Eldritch spells, the more I look at them the more I like the change. Also it has the Terran Engineer in that system so I classified the spell below as experimental (I think i followed the guidelines correctly).

New Spell: Overload

Arcane 5, Eldritch 6 (grey, experimental)

Range: 90’

Duration: Instantaneous

This spell causes the power systems of a device to catastrophically overload destroying it and causing an explosive reaction to occur. The target robot or machine must make a saving throw versus Death. If the target’s saving throw succeeds, it resists the spell. If the target’s saving throw fails, it catastrophically explodes and is destroyed. The explosion does an amount of damage equal to the original targets hit dice in d6 (minimum 3d6) over a 20’ diameter area cantered on the target original location. Creatures caught in the explosive area may save vs. blast to take half the damage rolled.

Overload (5): Death, target slain (85), 1 creature (x1), able to target object (x1.25), only targets robots/machines (x0.75), range 90' (x0.8), instantaneous (x1). Saving throw avoids spell effect (x0.5), eldritch (x1), cost 31.9; and blast, 1d6 damage per level (27), maximum 6d (x0.8) (damage varies between 3D min and 9D max), spell draws on specific environmental power source (x0.67) (device destroyed by death spell), 20’ diameter sphere (x2), range 90’ (x0.8), duration instantaneous (x1), saving throw reduces spell effects by half (x0.75), arcane (x1), cost 17.4; total cost 49.2. [Eldritch blast x1.5 for second part, cost 58]

Magic Items: Rods in my game

I am populating out some treasure items for the dungeon I am creating and have decided that for my game rods will be “large wands”. In this a wand has a single spell and 20 charges, while rods will have three spells and 20 charges. They still have the caster leave at +3 to give them an advantage over cheaper wands. Staffs will have varied effects in addition to being weapons to further differentiate them.

Some current rods are:

Rod of healing [E]: This white birch rod is engraved with runes of healing and may be used to heal sickness and injury. It holds up to 20 charges and may use them to cast cure disease (E3 as 8th level caster), cure serious wounds (E4 as 10th level caster), and neutralise poison (E4 as 10th level caster). None of the spells may be reversed. Value: 75,000gp (7.5 spell level gives 3,750 per charge, at 20 charges).

Rod of the technomancer [E]: This short staff is made from the same blueish steel material used in visitor craft and is adorned with a sapphire gem. It holds up to 20 charges and may use them to cast network shutdown (E5 as 12th level caster), magnetic pulse (E5 as 12th level caster), and overload (E6 as 14th level caster). Value: 110,000gp (11 spell level gives 5,500 per charge, at 20 charges).

Rod of the warrior [E]: This silver rod with a ruby tips allows its wielder to summon a small army and join the fray with its eldritch armor. It holds up to 20 charges and may use them to cast summon barbarian (E1 as 4th level caster), summon hero (E2 as 6th level caster), and eldritch armor (E2 as 6th level caster). Value: 35,000gp (3.5 spell level gives 1,750 per charge, at 20 charges).

Radical hACKs: Alternate Saving Throws

Early on I had a lot of players cross checking multiple charts to get the right saving throw. On perusing the forums, I came across a post around unified saving throws and I was hooked on this house rule. This rule greatly simplifies the saving throws by having a single progression and a modifier for class. Each class starts level one at a specified level then advances using their normal progression rate for saves. Having ultimately come to ACKs from Castles & Crusades (ACKs did fighters better, but it's still a great game), I also merged it a little with ability modifiers. 

Here, I draw on the alignment to abilities optional rule in the Rules Cyclopedia (p.266). This is similar to the alignment to abilities in Castles and Crusades and as adopted to a more extreme degree in 5th edition (the whole game sort of revolves around it). I don't use the other modifiers in the original post, here fate points act as a balancer for those pesky death saves so I don't feel the need to add further modifiers.

In play, I have found this is much simpler for me to explain and quickly crosscheck with a simple table (at the bottom). It also greatly simplifies my monster saves behind the screen. Overall, this helps improve the flow of the games and gives a single clear base save for players to track.

The original source post is here: Autarc Forums - unified saving throws

Unified Saving throws

To determine a saving throw add: 

Base Save + Class bonus + Ability modifier + Other modifiers

Base saving throw and progression (table below):

Fighter: 15+, advance by two points every three levels of experience

Thief: 14+, advance by two points every four levels of experience

Divine/Eldritch: 13+, advance by two points every four levels of experience

Arcane: 13+, advance by two points every six levels of experience 

Modified by attribute modifier:

Strength: Save vs Petrification & Paralysis

Intelligence: Save vs Staff & Wands

Wisdom: Save vs Spells

Dexterity: Save vs Blast & Breath

Constitution: Save vs Poison & Death

Charisma doesn’t align to a save, though i was tempted to follow Castles and Crusades method (you could easily do this). The charisma modifier applies to a lot of other aspects of the game including henchman moral and reaction rolls, so I felt comfortable in not aligning it to a save.

Finally, each class gets a bonus save for which they receive a +2 bonus (reducing the save). Class bonuses are listed below.  For classes not listed, first check the primes as it should generally be aligned with that. This can be adjusted when the class is created for different flavour at judges discretion. Below are the classes I have had to use in my game.

Class bonuses are:

Fighter bonus to Petrification & Paralysis

Thief bonus to Blast & Breath

Cleric bonus to Poison & Death 

Mages (Spellweaver) bonus to Staff & Wands

Barbarian bonus to Petrification & Paralysis

Scouts bonus to Blast & Breath

Assassin bonus to Blast & Breath

Mechanists bonus Staff & Wands

Bugfolk Dredger bonus to Blast & Breath

Bugfolk Ovate bonus to Staff & Wands

Bugfolk Scavenger bonus to Staff & Wands

Endjinn Electrum Gendarme bonus to Petrification & Paralysis

Endjinn Gnomium Loremaster bonus to Spells

Base saving throw

Level	Fighter	Thief	Divine/Eldritch	Arcane
1	15+	14+	13+	13+
2	14+	14+	13+	13+
3	14+	13+	12+	13+
4	13+	13+	12+	12+
5	12+	12+	11+	12+
6	12+	12+	11+	12+
7	11+	11+	10+	11+
8	10+	11+	10+	11+
9	10+	10+	9+	11+
10	9+	10+	9+	10+
11	8+	9+	8+	10+
12	8+	9+	8+	10+
13	7+	8+	7+	9+
14	6+	8+	7+	9+

Stay out of my mind!

Last week I posted the visitor custom class, and Omer noted on discord (link on the Autarch forums so jump in), that permanent ESP is very powerful though fitting to the conversion of the BCK monster. Regardless of how much it costs in the build, it is powerful (costing almost as much as a full rank of thief value), but it’s also a common power in my campaign so how do I deal with it?

Classes and saving throws

While I have built the visitor class more for NPC use, the key thing to recognise is that visitors are both common in my setting (as a monster) and well known. They are the villains of the setting both due to their actions and their powers to read minds. To the point that my players assume that visitors will read their mind. Also, they cannot mix in human civilisation without significant concealment or disguises.

As such, the saving throw in ESP goes from an "if suspicious" to "if you see them". Making the opportunity for a saveing throw automatic. Additionally, failing the save still does not remove the awareness of mind reading and distrust of mind readers.

In addition to this, two player classes common to my setting are related to visitors, the Nephil (from BCK) and Psion alien-human hybrids. While not able to access ESP permanently, they suffer from the same general distrust. That said a Nephil can use its innate ESP and Spells to reach an effectively permanent state of ESP by around fourth to eighth level 2 hour duration plus overlap). Again, if you see a Nephil the district alows for a save.

The mind shield

BCK comes with the mind shield item. A technological solution to the prevalence of ESP that is linked to having these creatures in the game. At its core this possesses the following two spells:

• Immune mind affecting (5): protection, mind affecting spell category 55, self x0.75, 3 turns x1.2, arcane/eldritch x1; total cost 49.5 
• Can’t cast spells (2): reverse protection. Anti-magic on target 25, only for mind affecting spells x0.5 (as category limit), range touch x1, 3 turns x1.2, no save x1; arcane/eldritchx1; total cost 15

This item should be broadly available as an item (I sprinkle a few here and there). I really like how this item has a flaw, in a way the idea of an item that has a bonus and a failing are more appealing to me than cursed items. I have used this often for powerful items in my games as it makes decisions around use more interesting.

In terms of item costs they are easy to calculate as a permanent level 5 effect reduced by a cursed permanent level 2. So I price them as 125,000 reduced by 50,000 for a cost of 75,000. Non-caster classes benefit strongly from these while casters and Nephil may choose to avoid them.

New items to stop mind reading

In D&D lore there is a ring of mind shielding. This can easily be added in concept to ACKs using the following spell build:

• Stop mind reading (3): protection, immune to mental detections (25) (as 1 type of effects), range touch (x1), 3 turns (x1.2), arcane/eldritch (x1); total cost 30.

Creating the following item:

Ring of mind shielding: The wearer of this ring is immune to magic allowing others to detect or read their thoughts. The reader can completely block telepathy if they do not want it. It also protects them from others reading their intentions such as through the perceive intentions ability. Value 75,000 (3rd order permanent effect).

This also allows for a new warding scroll which would allow non-casters to use the item (making it more available). This would use the following spell:

• Stop mind reading zone (6): protection, immune to mental detections (25) (as 1 type of effects), target 1 creature (x1), protection in 10’ radius around target (x1.75), range touch x1, 6 turns (x1.33), arcane/eldritch (x1); total cost 58.2.

Scroll of ward against mental detection: A barrier is created against all mental detection spells and spell-like effects. This barrier remains for 6 turns, during which time those inside the area are immune to detection, effects that reveal thoughts and powers that reveal intentions, though they may still detect others. Total cost 3,000 (6th order single charge effect).

Such items would be very useful when crossing through visitor held territory subject to my detection rules. I would rule that parties encountering non-visitor encounters would not trigger the increase in alert status if a battle occurs as all their minds are shielded from detection.

Visitor custom class

Since I initially posted the Bog'ans I have been working on a racial build for them. But before I create that custom class I first need to understand where they come from. Drawing on the Visitor hybrid custom class and the Visitor monster entry from BCK I have reversed out this custom class for visitors in my setting. Following on from lasts weeks post I'm feeling a few visitor related posts are comming.

Visitor custom class

The Visitors arrived over a thousand years ago bringing chaos and destruction. They waged war with the gods and people of this world destroying all remnants of civilization and eradicating the very gods themselves. But in the great war all was not lost, the warship of the visitors, a massive vessel hundreds of miles long, was critically damaged and crashed upon the world. Only the efforts of the great sorcerers prevented the world from being destroyed by it's impact, but the world was forever scarred by the impact.

The Visitors themselves survived.  Cut off from their interstellar civilisation they sought refuge in their starhome, now grounded for eternity on an alien world. Those who survived sought refuge in the military structure of the admiralty, staving off the continued attack of the remaining humans onboard the vessel. Some eventually travelled out into the wilderness looking for resources and materials on the vain hope of somehow leaving this world.

The Visitors themselves are a strange being, being frail in body and strong in mind, they have innate mental abilities that to locals appear as magic. Many suspect they are all clones of each other but this is far from the truth as they breed solely from a single parent drawing on material from their parent "mother". They live long lifespans of up to one hundred and fifty years on average (as dwarves).

Culturally, they are a learned species focusing on knowledge and technology in their pursuits. They do not refer to themselves as visitors of course, but as Reticulans. Their lack of physical strength sees them use others in their conflict, be they technological constructs or biological proxies convinced or coerced to fight for their cause.

Requirements

All Visitors require a minimum Dexterity and Intelligence of 11 or better. They may not have Strength or Constitution above 16.

Class category values

Fighting: Due to their short stature, visitors may never use two-handed swords or longbows, regardless of their Fighting Value. Visitors with narrow or broad weapon selections must include at least alien pistols and rifles among their selections. They may never put more than two points into the fighter value and must always trade-off melee damage bonus if they can.

Hit Dice: Visitors may only allocate a single point to the hit dice value due to their physically weak form. 

Divine: As beings of science, visitors may not allocate build points to the Divine category.

Arcane: Any build points allocated to the Arcane Value stack with build points allocated to the Visitor value for purposes of determining the class’s spellcasting ability (see below). 

Eldritch: If your campaign uses Eldritch magic, they may exchange it for arcane in both the racial build and class build following the rules in heroic fantasy. Corruption rules may be removed by buying it off with the bonus powers granted by Eldritch, effectively not granting those powers.

Visitor value

Value	Visitor (Reticulan)	XP Cost
4	Visitor + Arcane Caster + All Alien Lore	3,350
3	Visitor + ⅔ Arcane Caster + 5 Alien Lore	2,700
2	Visitor + ½ Arcane Caster + 4 Alien Lore	2,025
1	Visitor + ⅓ Arcane Caster + 3 Alien Lore	1,375
0	Visitor + 2 Alien Lore	700

>> Advanced Equipment: Instead of the standard allotment of gold, Visitors begin play with a selection of advanced equipment constructed by their people. The Terran Starman’s list of advanced technological tools in BCK is an example. Advanced Equipment counts as 5 custom powers.

>> Alien intuition: Visitors are intimately familiar with technological concepts and possess innate knowledge of typical technological artifacts. That said they will not have been trained in the use of every tool or device used by their people. They can achieve On the Spot Understanding with all alien tech on a roll of 11+ (with mishaps only on a 1). It counts as 2 custom powers.

>> Alien lore: Visitors begin play trained in two specialties of Alien Lore (as the proficiency). Additional points allocated to the Visitor Value grant an additional alien lore for each point allocated up to the maximum of all six lores at Visitor Value 4. This counts as 2 custom powers, plus one per additional rank as mentioned below.

>> Alien senses: Visitors possess heightened senses that are enhanced by their psionic abilities. The character gains a +4 bonus on any proficiency throws to hear noises and detect secret doors. With a proficiency throw of 18+ they can notice secret doors with just casual observation. They also gain a +1 bonus to avoid surprise. This is essentially Alertness costing 1 custom power.

>> Physically weak: Being from scavenger stock, visitors are not the sturdiest of beings. They suffer from -4 to and dungeon bashing test reflecting their weaker stature. This counts as a single point flaw.

>> Short in stature: Visitors weigh 65 pounds on average, less than half a human. They can only carry 4 stone without becoming encumbered. When carrying 5-6 stone, their encounter movement rate is reduced to 90’. When carrying 7-8 stone, their encounter movement rate is reduced to 60’. When carrying 9 stone or more, their encounter movement rate is reduced to 30’. A Visitor can carry a maximum of 16 stone, modified by its Strength bonus or penalty.

>> Telepathic communication: Visitors may communicate telepathically at will with each other or any sentient being up to a range of 120’. This is treated as having the spell Telepathic Link permanently active (cost as a level 1 spell for 70xp, spell is only 2 turns duration but allowed to be permanent as it is an incidental effect).

>> Telepathic senses: As innately telepathic beings, all visitors may sense thoughts and read surface thoughts. They are treated as having the spell ESP as permanently active. (This counts as two level 2 spells for 150xp; doubled to cause duration overlap).

>> Psionic training: All visitors develop extra mental powers through familial training. These powers are effectively a spell from first to third level. The durations are generally 1/hour for first level, 1/8 hours for second level, and 1/day for third level, though the judge should adjust based on power as done with charm below. Use the following list as an example (assumes Arcane used, adjust if switching to Eldritch), with most just possessing mind meld by default, (counts as a level 3 spell for 80 xp):

1. Charm person 1/day
2. Transfer health 1/hour
3. Detect invisible 1/8 hours
4. Invisibility 1/ 8 hours
5. Vitalise 1/day
6. Mind meld 1/day

Classes that take the Visitor Value 0 possess the scientific mindset power, this allows them to use alien technology as if they are arcane casters (counts as 2 custom powers). If a class selects a Visitor Value greater than zero they instead possess the powers psionic caster and psionic mastery. Psionic caster allows them to cast spells with minimal words and gestures as the quiet magic proficiency (counts as quiet magic for 1 custom power). The true calling of visitors is the pursuit of arcane and psionic knowledge enhancing their potential through mastery of their mind. Those possessing the psionic mastery ability increase their maximum class level for the character’s class by 1 (counts as heroic spirit for 1 custom power).

Additional points allocated to the Visitor Value grant an additional alien lore and stack with points allocated to the Arcane Value for purposes of spellcasting, magical research, strongholds, and magic item usability. Add the two values to find the class’s effective spellcasting abilities. For values of 5 or greater, use the table presented for elves on page 85 of the player's companion. When calculating the number of spells available, round fractions of 1⁄2 or more up; round any smaller fractions down. All Visitor spellcasters can cast spells wearing whatever armor they are permitted to use.

Experience point progression after 8th level

Visitors increase the amount of experience required to gain each level after 8th by 65,000XP.

Build Notes

Following are my build notes:

Normal abilities:

• Physically weak: -1 (flaw, 4 base encumbrance and -4 to door bash)
• Senses: 1
• Alien Intuition: 2
• 2+ alien lores: 2 at start and one extra each rank
• Equipment: 5
• Alien mindset OR psionic caster & Psionic mastery: 2 powers either way
• Total powers: 11
• Cost: 440

Spell like abilities:

So these are spell-like abilities not spells. I'm approximating casting times as per the gnome class.

• Permanent ESP: having this spell as permanent seems to be more than one power. At a duration of two hours taking it to four seems reasonable. 2 powers (permanent, 1-hour use and overlap); level 2 spellcasters 2 - 150xp
• Telepathic link: 1 (permanent, 1-hour use and overlap); level 1 spell - 70xp
• Special power: 1 (an extra 'magic/psi' power from a list); cost as level 3 to alow all three levels, uses as PC… so 3 is 1/Day; 2 is ⅛ hours; 1 is 1/hour. - 80xp
• Total: 300

Total Costs:

• Rank 0 cost: 440+300-40 = 700
• Additional levels as Arcane +proficiencies
• 0 700 = 700 rounded
• 1 +700 +40 = 740 round up to 750+625 = 1375
• 2 +700 +80 = 700+80=780 round down to 775+1250 =2025 rounded
• 3 +700 +120 = 820 round up to 825+1875=2,700 rounded
• 4 +700 +160 = 860 round down to 850+2500= 3350 rounded.
• Beyond - 3350/2625x50000= 63809.5 (round down like lvl7?) = 65,000