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My Fifth Edition Ruminations
My Fifth Edition Ruminations
I like the idea of the Death Save and strikes and I love the simplicity of it and hate negative hit points, so I’d like to see the end of negative integer hit points in favor of a death strike system. I thought it would be interesting to see hit points also reflect the differences in classes, and play a more central role in determining how often you drag out your big guns. Using the 2E power sources and 4E skills and statuses, check out how I’d have hit points working in 5E.
Saving throws are considered in the 4E 10+ sense. The saving throw resumes its place as the core device for deciding what happens when someone uses magic on you, with the casters attack score modifying the roll alongside your appropriate defense score such as Dexterity or Wisdom.
In the end, the character is comprised of a Race-Type-Class-Feats-Gear creation process, limiting the time it takes to create and also providing a wider range of rules in an exception-based combat system, while leaving room open for more formalized roleplaying rules than the fourth edition featured.
Races
Here’s an example:
Elf You gain +2 Guile at level one. You can spend a point of Guile to reroll a ranged attack made using a shortbow or longbow. You can do this once per attack. You gain a +2 bonus to saving rolls against charm and enchantment effects. You have low-light vision. Your speed is 6. (I’m not dictating grids, but I’m leaving it open) You get a +2 bonus to Stealth and Nature rolls.
Hit Points and Character Types: your character has a number of hit points gained at first level equal to a number marked in your class plus a modifier from the appropriate statistic.
The Warrior Type (Fighter, Barbarian etc.)
Your hit points are called Mettle. When you are attacked with a weapon, you lose 1 less hit point per die than other types on a hit. You may spend a point of Mettle once per encounter to force an enemy to reroll an attack roll against you with a weapon-type attack. When you hit an opponent, you can sacrifice a point of Mettle to deal +1[W] damage to the target you hit. You can use your Mettle for Athletics and Endurance checks you make. If you don’t like the result of an Athletics or Endurance roll, you can spend a point of Mettle to reroll the die.
The Rogue Type (Thief, Bard etc.)
Your hit points are called Guile. When you are targeted with a ranged attack (including certain spells), you take one less hit point of damage per die than other types on a hit. When you are attacked with magic, you may spend a point of Guile to roll your saving throw twice and take either result. When you hit an opponent from combat advantage, you can spend a point of Guile. If you do, you maintain combat advantage against the target for your next attack, even if you would not normally have it. You can use your Guile for skill checks. Choose two skills as your Guile Skills. If you don’t like the result on the die when you make a Guile Skill check, you can spend a point of Guile to reroll the die.
The Priest Type (Cleric, Paladin so on)
Your hit points are called Faith. When you are the target of an attack against your spirit or mind, such as one with the Psychic, Enchantment, or Fear keywords, you lose one less hit point of damage per die, or you may spend a point of Faith to roll two saving throws and take either result. You can spend points of Faith to power Divine Magic spells. The efficacy of a spell is determined by how much faith you spend to power it. You can use your Faith for Religion and Heal checks. If you don’t like the result on the die, you can spend a point of Faith to reroll the die.
The Wizard Type (Mage, Witch, whatever wacky thing is next)
Your hit points are called Focus. When you are the target of a spell, you can add 1/4 of your remaining focus to your saving throw. You can spend a point of focus to reroll a failed saving throw against a magical attack. You can spend Focus to power Arcane Magic spells. The efficacy of the spell is determined by how much Focus you spend to power it. You can use your Focus for Arcana and History checks. If you don’t like the result on the die, you can spend a point of Focus to reroll it.
Class Examples:
Cleric
Priest Type Leader
You begin with 10+wisdom modifier points of Faith, and you gain 5 points of Faith per level. You can use simple weapons as well as the mace, and a weapon determined by your reigning deity. You may wear up to chain mail armor.
Features
You can cast spells from the Divine Magic list, including three Orison powers. Orison powers do not cost faith to cast, more advanced spells require one or more points of faith to cast. You begin with any two Divine Magic spells, learning more as you advance in level. Your spells are more potent the wiser you are. Your targets suffer a penalty to saving throws against your spells equal to your Wisdom modifier.
You have the benefit of a monastery education, choose three skills and take a +3 training bonus in each.
You can bolster the courage of your allies. When an ally is targeted by an attack that your Faith could guard you against, you can give the ally to use their hit points to resist the Fear, Enchantment, or Psychic attack as though they had Faith hit points. You may use this power once each encounter.
Once each encounter, you can turn away the undead. All undead must make a saving throw or flee your presence as best they are able until the end of the next turn. For each point of Faith you spend to power the turning, the affected undead take a penalty of -2 to the saving throw.
Mage
Wizard Type Controller
You begin with 7+intelligence modifier points of Focus. You gain 4 points of Focus per level. You can use a dagger or quarterstaff. You can wear only cloth armor.
Features
You can cast spells from the Arcane Magic list, including three Cantrip powers. Cantrip powers do not cost Focus to cast, more advanced spells cost one or more points of Focus to cast. You begin with any three Arcane Magic spells from the list. If you wish, you can choose to specialize in a school of magic. If you do, you cannot learn spells from the opposed school, however you gain 2 points of School Focus, which can be used only to cast spells from the school you have chosen. If you take damage from any source, these points of Focus are not deducted, however they do not count against your hit points, so if you are reduced to zero Focus you fall unconscious even if you retain points of School Focus. Your spells are potent the more intelligent you are. Your targets suffer your intelligence modifier as a penalty to saving throws against your spells where applicable.
You have the education of a master wizard, learning as an apprentice or at a wizarding academy. Choose four skills and add a +3 training bonus to each of them.
You can shield your allies from harmful magic. Once per encounter, you can add ½ of your remaining Focus to an allies saving roll against magical effects.
You have a spell book. It contains each of your Arcane Magic spells. Each time you gain a level, you can add an Arcane Magic spell to your spell book.
Bard
Rogue Type Leader
You begin with 10+Charisma modifier Guile points. You gain 5 Guile points per level. You can use simple weapons and wear up to studded leather armor.
Features
Bards are respected in all parts of the world. When you are in a settlement or other civilized area, you can spend a point of Guile to make a saving roll whenever someone takes offense at you or your companions. As long as violence has not broken out, a successful saving roll calms the heads those nearby and allows you to treat with them.
You have the education of a worldly vagabond. Choose four skills and add a +3 training bonus to each.
You can use some magic spells. Choose one spell from any spell list. When you reach level 4, level 7, level 10, level 13, level 16, and level 19 you may add another spell from any list to your repertoire. You are limited in that you may not learn spells that deal damage. You can use Guile to power the spells that you learn as though you had Faith or Focus. Your spells are more powerful the more forceful your personality, your targets suffer a penalty to saving throws equal to your Charisma modifier.
You can help your allies maintain an edge in battle. Your allies are considered to have combat advantage against any target you have combat advantage against.
You have the power of Countersong. If you or an ally is subjected to a magical mind-influencing effect such as Fear, Enchantment, Domination, Stunned, Dazed, or any Illusion power, you may spend a point of Guile to grant you and all your allies a saving roll to cast off the effect. For each additional point of Guile you spend, the saving roll is made at a +1 bonus. Any penalties to the saving roll apply as normal.
Magic Spell Examples:
Heal
Divine Magic spell When you cast this spell, you choose one of the following:
· For one Faith, allow an ally to make a saving throw against an ongoing effect
· Allow an ally to recover hit points equal to a healing surge +1d6 for each point of Faith you spend. If the ally has no remaining surges, you can heal them for 1d6 hit points per point of faith you spend. You can cast the spell upon yourself; you cannot heal yourself if you have no more healing surges however.
· For two Faith return from unconscious or dying condition one ally. The ally returns with hit points equal to one healing surge; for each additional point of Faith you spend, the ally returns with +1d6 hit points.
Magic Missile
Arcane Magic spell When you cast this spell, your target takes Force damage equal to 1d4 for each point of Focus you spend as the magical attack unerringly strikes its target. If you spend a point of focus in addition to this, you can spread the damage of the attack different targets, assigning each d4 of Force damage to targets as you see fit. This spell bypasses the damage reduction of Guile.
Charm (Person/Animal/Monster etc.)
Arcane Magic Spell If you cast this spell in combat, you must declare how much Focus you will spend before casting the spell and the target must make a saving roll. If the target fails, they become dazed and prefer not to attack you or your allies for one turn for each point of Focus you gambled in casting the spell. If you double the amount of Focus wagered, the subject is instead stunned for the duration.
If you cast the spell out of combat, the same roll applies, but the target will treat you as a trusted friend and ally and go out of its way to help you, so long as favors you ask seem reasonable to its moral code and do not put it in direct harm. The subject of the Charm will act according for one hour for each point of Focus you gambled. You can choose to double to amount of Focus gambled. If you do, the subject will even take actions that they are morally against or that will put them in harms way, however they retain all memories of such coercion and can seek retribution against you later. Even this powerful Charm cannot cause a subject to commit suicidal acts.
Feat Examples
Skill Specializtion Choose a skill, you can spend any kind of hit point you possess to reroll a skill check that you do not like that skill.
Arcane Spell Focus Choose a school of magic such as Necromancy or Enchantment. Targets of your spells suffer an additional point of damage per die or suffer a -2 penalty to saving throws, whichever applies to the spell at hand.
Divine Light When you turn undead or cast a spell with the Radiant keyword, your targets suffer a -2 penalty to saving rolls or take +1 damage per die, whichever is applicable.