I'm going to break my work up over the next several posts. They will include the following:
Radiance Effects
Radiance Classes
Radiance Feats
Radiance Spells
Magic Items (Radiance Items)
Radiance Monsters
This is a work in progress, and I will be playtesting elements of it shortly (probably over the next few months) so suggestions, especially those regarding playability, are extremely welcome.
RADIANCE EFFECTS
RADIANCE POISONING
Dealing with the radiance can be hazardous to one’s health. There are several circumstances where a character can become afflicted by radiance poisoning. A character must make a fortitude save or become poisoned. The effects of radiance poisoning are not always predictable, and are detailed below. Roll 1d4 to determine the specific effect that radiance poisoning has on the character.
It is possible for radiance poisoning to have both a primary and a secondary effect (dependant upon the severity of the poisoning. In cases where a secondary effect is warranted, simply roll a second time on the table below to determine the type. The primary and secondary poisoning effects need not be identical.
Damage caused by radiance poisoning heals at the normal rate. If any ability score is dropped to zero due to radiance poisoning, the character must immediately make an additional fortitude save at DC 20 or suffer the effects of radiance corruption.
Table: Radiance Poisoning
1d4 Effect
1 Loose 1d2 Str
2 Loose 1d2 Dex
3 Loose 1d2 Con
4 Loose 1d2 Cha
RADIANCE CORRUPTION
Wielding the most powerful and potent forms of the radiance can sometimes be more dangerous than mere exposure to it. In these circumstances the radiance can permanently corrupt a portion of a character’s body. This corruption can not be healed by any mortal means (not even through the use of a wish spell).
Re-roll duplicate results. Once all of a characters body has been corrupted they become a Radiance Lich.
Table: Radiance Corruption
1d20 Body part
1-2 Left hand
3-4 Right Hand
5-6 Right arm
7-8 Left arm
9-10 Left leg
11-12 Right leg
13-14 Right foot
15-16 Left foot
17-18 Torso
19-20 Face/Head
STORING RADIANCE
The radiance can be stored in certain magical items, as well as within the bodies of characters who know how. For each day that a character stores Rads within his own body, or is exposed to raw radiance (or that stored in Radiance Rods) he must make a fortitude save (DC of 10 + stored Rads) or suffer from radiance poisoning.
BROTHER OF RAD [Adapted from the Radiance Mage by Havard.]
Hit Die: d4.
Requirements
To qualify to become a Brother of Rad, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Knowledge (arcana) 9 ranks, Spellcraft 9 ranks.
Special: A character must have built a radiance receptacle and have been contacted and sponsored by a member of the Brotherhood of Rad.
Class Skills
The Radiance Mage's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (alchemy) (Int), Knowledge (all skills taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Search (Int), and Spellcraft (Int).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table: Brother of Rad
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Spells per Day
1st +0 +0 +0 +2 Touched by Rad, Brotherhood Contacts +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
2nd +1 +0 +0 +3 Ingest Radiance +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
3rd +1 +1 +1 +3 +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
4th +2 +1 +1 +4 Improved Ingest Radiance +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
5th +2 +1 +1 +4 Transcendence +1 level of existing arcane spellcasting class
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Brother of Rad prestige class.
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Brothers of Rad gain no proficiency with any weapon or armor.
Spells per Day/Spells Known: When a new Brother of Rad level is gained, the character gains new spells per day (and spells known, if applicable) as if she had also gained a level in a spellcasting class she belonged to before she added the prestige class. She does not, however, gain any other benefit a character of that class would have gained. This essentially means that she adds the level of Brother of Rad to the level of some other Brother of Rad class the character has, then determines spells per day, spells known, and caster level accordingly.
Brotherhood Contacts: Once the Brother of Rad has created a Radiance Receptacle, he is contacted by the Brotherhood of the Radiance through the receptacle. At 1st level he is able to contact other members of the Brotherhood and may ask them for advice or help. The members are extremely secretive about their identities and will not do anything that will make them reveal this, even to other Radiance Members. Furthermore, members will want something in return for favors done.
Transcendence: Once the Brother of Rad reaches 5th level the secrets of the radiance spell Transcendence are revealed to him. The Brother of Rad must still spend the required amount of time and gold in order to research the specifics of the spell, and they must gather all of the material components required to cast it. Once the spell has been researched and the material components gathered, the Brother of Rad may attempt to cast the spell. The Brother of Rad may attempt any number of castings, but each one consumes all of the material components, whether the spell is successful or not.
RADIANT SHAMAN
Hit Die: d6
Requirements
To qualify to become a Radiant Shaman, a character must fulfill all the following criteria.
Skills: Knowledge (religion – Rafiel) 8 ranks.
Special: A character must be inducted into the Order of Shamans and receive the blessings of Rafiel. Induction usually requires that the character receive and pass some type of quest or test.
Class Skills
The Radiant Shaman’s class skills (and the key ability for each) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Decipher Script (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (arcana) (Int), Knowledge (architecture and engineering) (Int), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Knowledge (planes) (Int), Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier.
Table: Radiant Shaman
Level Base Attack Bonus Fort Save Ref Save Will Save Special Spells per Day
1st +0 +2 +0 +2 Touched by Rafiel, Eschew Ingestion +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
2nd +1 +3 +0 +3 Soul Link +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
3rd +2 +3 +1 +3 +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
4th +3 +4 +1 +4 Soul Consumption +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
5th +3 +4 +1 +4 Transcendence +1 level of existing divine spellcasting class
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the Radiant Shaman prestige class.
Eschew Ingestion: Unlike others who use the power of the radiance, a Radiant Shaman with a soul crystal does not need to ingest the radiance before using it. Whenever casting a spell with a number of Rads as a material component, the Radiant Shaman may draw those Rads directly from a soul crystal. A Radiant Shaman not in possession of a soul crystal would still need to ingest radiance to cast radiance spells normally (and in that case would need to possess something like the Ingest Radiance feat).
Soul Link: Once the Radiant Shaman reaches 2nd level she is able to establish a closer bond to the souls that inhabit soul crystals. The Radiant Shaman is able to call upon one and a half times the normal number of Rads stored in a given soul crystal. Doing so causes the soul crystal to lay dormant for a period of one day so that the souls within can recover.
Soul Consumption: Once the Radiant Shaman reaches 4th level she begins to understand the true nature of soul crystals as receptacles of the Radiance, and not receptacles of souls. The Radiant Shaman is able to call out double the number of Rads that a given soul crystal stores. Doing so damages the crystal causing its total Rad storage capacity to diminish by 1. Once a soul crystal has been depleted of all of its Rad storage capacity, it crumbles to dust.
Transcendence: Once the Radiant Shaman reaches 5th level the secrets of the radiance spell Transcendence are revealed to him. The Radiant Shaman must still spend the required amount of time and gold in order to research the specifics of the spell, and they must gather all of the material components required to cast it. Once the spell has been researched and the material components gathered, the Radiant Shaman may attempt to cast the spell. The Radiant Shaman may attempt any number of castings, but each one consumes all of the material components, whether the spell is successful or not.
RADIANCE FEATS
TOUCHED BY RAD/RAFIEL [GENERAL]
Prerequisite: Int 13, Exposure to the radiance (determined by DM).
Benefit: You gain the Radiance subtype and the ability to take Radiance feats, as well as cast radiance spells (if you are a spellcaster).
INGEST RADIANCE [RADIANCE]
Prerequisite: Must have acquired the Radiance subtype.
Benefit: You are able to ingest 1d6 radiance points directly from a radiance power source (The Nucleus of the Spheres, a radiance receptacle, a soul crystal, a radiance rod, etc.). There is no limit on the number of times that you can ingest the radiance, however each time the radiance is ingested you must make a fortitude save (DC 10 + the number of Rads ingested) or suffer the effects of radiance poisoning. The total number of Rads stored at one time can never exceed your character level.
Rads may be used as material components to power radiance spells (see individual spell descriptions for requirements).
Normal: You are not able to ingest any radiance points. The total number of Rads that you are able to retain in your own body (should you find some means of doing so) is equal to your character level.
IMPROVED INGEST RADIANCE [RADIANCE]
Prerequisite: Must have acquired the Radiance subtype, Ingest Radiance.
Benefit: You are able to ingest 1d8 radiance points directly from a radiance power source (The Nucleus of the Spheres, a radiance receptacle, a soul crystal, a radiance rod, etc.). There is no limit on the number of times that you can ingest the radiance, however each time the radiance is ingested you must make a fortitude save (DC 10 + the number of Rads ingested) or suffer the effects of radiance poisoning. The total number of Rads stored at one time can never exceed your character level times 2.
RADIANCE FORTITUDE [RADIANCE]
Prerequisite: Must have acquired the Radiance subtype.
Benefit: Add +4 to any Fortitude save when trying to resist radiance poisoning or corruption.
Normal: A fortitude save against radiance corruption receives no bonus.
IMPROVED RADIANCE FORTITUDE [RADIANCE]
Prerequisite: Must have acquired the Radiance subtype, Radiance Fortitude.
Benefit: Add +8 to any Fortitude save when trying to resist radiance poisoning or corruption.
INFUSE RADIANCE [METAMAGIC]
Prerequisite: Must have acquired the Radiance subtype.
Benefit: Reduces a spell’s spell slot by one for every 5 Rads spent. This metamagic feat can only be used in conjunction with other metamagic feats, and its use never reduces a spell slot below what the spell would normally be cast at.
Spells are prepared in advance as normal, but Rads are spent only at the time of casting. If insufficient Rads exist to power this metamagic feat, then the spell can not be cast. Using Radiance in this way may cause radiance corruption (determined by the level of the spell before this feat is applied to it).
IMBUE RADIANCE [METAMAGIC]
Prerequisite: Must have acquired the Radiance subtype.
Benefit: Imbues the spell with the power of the radiance. Anyone effected by the spell must make an additional fortitude save or suffer radiance poisoning. An imbued spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s normal level.
Spells are prepared in advance as normal, but Rads are spent only at the time of casting. If insufficient Rads exist to power this metamagic feat, then the spell can not be cast. Using Radiance in this way may cause radiance corruption (determined by the level of the spell after this feat is applied to it).
RADIANCE SPELLS
Eschew Materials
Radiance
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Clr 3
Components: M
Casting Time: 1 free action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes
You can cast any spell that has a material component costing 1 gp or less without needing that component. (The casting of the spell still provokes attacks of opportunity as normal.) If the spell requires a material component that costs more than 1 gp, you must have the material component at hand to cast the spell, just as normal.
Material Component: 1 Rad
Call Upon Radiance [modified from Rodger Burns]
Radiance
Level: Sor/Wiz 5, Clr 5
Components: V, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
The caster calls upon the radiance to enhance the next spell that he casts by applying a metamagic feat to it. You do not have to choose metamagic feats known to you for this. Casting a spell in this way does not extend its casting time (as it would normally when using a metamagic feat), but it does incur a fortitude save to avoid radiance poisoning. The save is made at the DC of the spell level + the number of Rads spent.
Empower – 2 Rads.
Enlarge – 1 Rad.
Extend – 1 Rad.
Heighten – (Effective level – real level) Rads.
Maximize – 3 Rads.
Quicken – 4 Rads.
Silent – 1 Rad.
Widen – 3 Rads.
Material Component: Rad points (variable).
Control Destiny [Rodger Burns]
Radiance
Level: Sor/Wiz 7, Clr 7
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell allows you to use raw Radiance energy to shape the balance of time and space around you. While this spell is in effect, you may take a free action (concentrating on the spell) and expend Rads to apply an unnamed bonus or penalty to any action being taken that you're aware of - your own, an ally's, or an enemy's. For each Rad expended, you can provide a +1 bonus or a -1 penalty. A maximum of 10 Rads can be spent to affect any action.
[Roger Burns: Design Notes: The raw, unnamed bonus/penalty is cleaner than trying to change die rolls or force rerolls, especially given the possibility of changing an attack die roll into a 20 and insuring a critical. The 10 Rads limit just makes sense, given the balance limitations on other 3E material.]
Material Component: Rad points (variable).
Discharge
Radiance
Level: Sor/Wiz 8, Clr 8
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 turn
Range: 400 ft. + 40 ft./levle
Effect: Cloud spreads in 200-ft. radius, 200 ft. high
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
A discharge releases a destructive blast of fire and radiance for d6 points of damage per Rad spent.
Material Component: Rad points (variable).
Retain Power
Radiance
Level: Sor/Wiz 3, Clr 3
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 10 minutes
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes
The Radiance infuses the target of the spell and fills them with 1d6 Rad points. A character can normally retain a number of Rads within their own body equal to their character level.
Focus: A radiance receptacle or other point of radiance power.
Summon Radiance
Conjuration
Level: Sor/Wiz 6, Clr 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 round./level
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes
The caster of this spell can call upon the radiance from a great distance to an actual radiance power source. While this spell is in effect the caster may act as if he is in direct contact with a radiance power source. Spells requiring a radiance power source as a Focus may be cast normally.
Transcendence [modified from Rodger Burns]
Radiance
Level: Sor/Wiz 9, Clr 9
Components: V, S, M, F
Casting Time: 1 day
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: Instantaneous
The caster has a chance to become an Immortal. Once the spell is cast, the caster must make a DC 50 Will save. Success means that you attain immortality. Failure utterly destroys your soul.
Material Component: Lots of crazy impossible stuff.
Focus: A radiance receptacle or other point of radiance power.
MAGIC ITEMS (RADIANCE ITEMS)
Radiance Receptacle: A radiance receptacle can take nearly any shape or form, but they all share some things in common. The focal point of a radiance receptacle is a large spherical crystal that is usually set upon a pedestal of some type. The radiance receptacle is usually so large that it can not easily be moved.
Any radiance spells cast within the vicinity (100 ft.) of a radiance receptacle may forgo the need for Rad expenditure. This means that a radiance mage does not need to ingest or otherwise store radiance points before casting a radiance spell as long as they are near to a receptacle.
Strong radiance; CL ?th; Craft Wondrous Item?, others?; Price xx,xxx gp; Weight 750 lb.
Radiance Rod: These small rods are not magical in and of themselves, however they can carry great power. A radiance rod is 1 foot long and 1 inch in diameter, and usually comes sealed in a lead lined scroll casing. Radiance rods can store 5, 10, 15, or 20 Rad points. Anyone with the ability (see the Ingest Radiance feat) can use the rod as if it were a radiance power point. Radiance points that are taken from the rod do not replenish automatically, though those that know how can replenish them.
Being exposed to an unprotected radiance rod (one that is not kept in a lead container) for more than one hours worth of time can cause Radiance Poisoning. Each hour of unprotected exposure will force anyone within 30 feet of the rod to make a fortitude save at DC 10 + the number of Rads currently stored in the rod or become poisoned. Exposure to multiple rods raises the save DC to 10 + the sum of Rads currently stored in each of the rods.
Moderate radiance; CL ?th; Craft Wondrous Item?, others?; Price x,xxx gp; Weight 7 lb.
Soul Crystal: Soul crystals are naturally occurring radiance receptacles, and can be used as such with the following exceptions. Soul crystals are capable of holding from 1 to 10 Rads at any given time (depending upon the quality of the crystal. Rads replenish in the crystal automatically each round, but a character can never make use of more than the maximum number of Rads storable in a single round. For example a Radiance Shaman could use a 3 Rad crystal to supply the material component of any Radiance spell that uses 3 Rads or less, but could never pay more than 3 Rads per round. The Shaman could also ingest 3 Rads per round from the same crystal, thus building up a larger Rad reserve, but would suffer all of the ill effects associated with doing so.
In addition to being rare, soul crystals are extremely fragile and cannot withstand exposure to the sun in any way. As soon as they are brought forth from the reaches of the dark earth caverns where they are found, a soul crystal will crumble to dust.
Moderate radiance; Weight 1-5 lb.
Bracers of Radiance Resistance: When worn, these bracers provide the wearer with a +2, +4, or +6 bonus to all fortitude saves made against radiance effects (either poisoning, or corruption). Both bracers must be worn to be effective.
Moderate radiance; CL ?th; Craft Wondrous Item?, Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Price x,xxx gp; Weight 1 lb.
Benekander’s Bracers: This artifact was crafted by the immortal Benekander. They provide a +6 bonus to all fortitude saves made against radiance effects (just as Bracers of Radiance Resistance). Three times per day, for one hour each use, they may also be used to completely negate the effects of radiance poisoning (but not radiance corruption).
Very strong radiance; CL ?th; Craft Wondrous Item?, Craft Magic Arms and Armor; Price x,xxx gp; Weight 1 lb.
RADIANCE MONSTERS
Yet another place holder. At least for now. Some ideas are:
LIGHTNING ZOMBIE
RADIANCE LICH(Template)
:-) Jesper
Great thread! I am really looking forward to reading more and using it in my own campaign.
agreed!
I like the rewrite to a 5-level class rather than the 10-level class that I originally set up. A separate writeup for the Radient Shaman is also useful. Might not Shadow Elf only be a requirement for that one? Or is that implied by the other requirements?
I like how rad point cost is considered a "material component". Also, if I understand this correctly, Radience Magic and feats are not limited to those who posess the PrCs, which is good. I think requiring the knowledge of the Radiance to select the Touched by Rad/Rafiel feet might be appropriate.
As you probably know, Roger Burns produced a wonderful list of Radiance spells on the MML, not too long ago.
For Radiance Monsters, I suggest including the Radiance Zombie (aka Lightning Zombie) introduced in WotI and later presented in the Mystara Monsterous Compendium. Also we could do a writeup for a Radiance Lich (like McGreggor). Although they are described to be regular Liches, a separate writeup would be more useful. In addition, Radiance Liches are bound to be knowledgable of the Radiance, so they should get additional powers on account of that. By the way, are there any Shadow elf Radiance Liches? Should there be Radiance Wraiths too?
I have one more Radiance Item too. We might wanna include the Bracers of Radiance Resistance given to the PCs by Benekander in WotI. They protected the PCs from "dangerous magical emanations stemming from the radiance, ie. radiation", but might have some effect protecting against radiance abilities aswell.
Havard
agreed!
I like the rewrite to a 5-level class rather than the 10-level class that I originally set up. A separate writeup for the Radient Shaman is also useful. Might not Shadow Elf only be a requirement for that one? Or is that implied by the other requirements?
Good question. Since IMC, Rafiel has Chamber projects located across the planes I didn't want to restrict Radiant Shaman to any particular race. On Mystara I agree that probably only shadow elves would meet the requirements.
I think requiring the knowledge of the Radiance to select the Touched by Rad/Rafiel feet might be appropriate.
Hmmm... I think I agree with you. Knowledge (radiance) +7 should insure that for most it takes more than one level to acquire all the needed knowledge. That seems appropriate to me. Any thoughts?
As you probably know, Roger Burns produced a wonderful list of Radiance spells on the MML, not too long ago.
Yep, and I like his conversions (as well as his new spells). I was going to go through them and determine which ones would need Rads as material components.
For Radiance Monsters, I suggest including the Radiance Zombie (aka Lightning Zombie) introduced in WotI and later presented in the Mystara Monsterous Compendium. Also we could do a writeup for a Radiance Lich (like McGreggor). Although they are described to be regular Liches, a separate writeup would be more useful.
I was thinking about making "undead" created from the radiance have the Deathless type (as showcased in the BoED, or Eberron campaign setting) as opposed to the Undead type. Any thoughts on this. I want radiance undead to be distinguishable from their more common counterparts, and this might be the way I go.
I have one more Radiance Item too. We might wanna include the Bracers of Radiance Resistance given to the PCs by Benekander in WotI. They protected the PCs from "dangerous magical emanations stemming from the radiance, ie. radiation", but might have some effect protecting against radiance abilities aswell.
How about by adding bonus points to any Radiance based fort save (similar to the Radiance Fortitude feats)?
Hmmm... I think I agree with you. Knowledge (radiance) +7 should insure that for most it takes more than one level to acquire all the needed knowledge. That seems appropriate to me. Any thoughts?
Well, I wasn't really suggesting we make it a separate skill. I am in general sort of hesitant to include too many new skills, especially one as narrow as Knowledge (Radience). Afterall, knowlegde of the radiance is really "just" true knowledge of magic (ie arcana). I'd rather suggest something like "Must known about the existance of the Radience" as a requirement to select the feat. What do you think?
I was thinking about making "undead" created from the radiance have the Deathless type (as showcased in the BoED, or Eberron campaign setting) as opposed to the Undead type. Any thoughts on this. I want radiance undead to be distinguishable from their more common counterparts, and this might be the way I go.
Not familiar with the Deathless, but it sounds interesting. What is BoED?
The Bracers of Radiance defense
How about by adding bonus points to any Radiance based fort save (similar to the Radiance Fortitude feats)?
Come to think of it, the Bracers are IIRC minor artifacts created by Benny. But there is bound to be weaker versions of them laying around. Adding a bonus similar to the Radiance Fortitude feat seems appropriate.
Keep those good ideas coming, John
Håvard
Well, I wasn't really suggesting we make it a separate skill. I am in general sort of hesitant to include too many new skills, especially one as narrow as Knowledge (Radience). Afterall, knowlegde of the radiance is really "just" true knowledge of magic (ie arcana). I'd rather suggest something like "Must known about the existance of the Radience" as a requirement to select the feat. What do you think?
Yeah, I see you point. Now that I think about it I'm leaning away from the knowledge requirement. What if instead of saying they have to know about the Radiance, we say, "Must have been exposed to the radiance."
This way you can have your mages (who have studied the radiance) take the feat, as well those poor souls who just accidentally stumble upon it. We have an arcane and divine prestige class for the radiance ... what about a more martial one? I wonder what a radiance prestige class, that did not rely on radiance spells as a benefit, would look like...
Not familiar with the Deathless, but it sounds interesting. What is BoED?
BoED = Book of Exalted Deeds (which I do not own). Since I do own the Eberron CS I can tell you what is printed there.
Basically the Deathless are undead created from positive energy (as opposed to regular undead created from negative energy). Many of their traits are the same as traits for normal undead (no Con score, undead immunities, no death from massive damage), but in some ways they are treated differently. Evil clerics can turn or destroy them, while good clerics can bolster or command them. Deathless gain the bonuses provided by Consecrate, as opposed to undead who gain bonuses provided from Desecrate. And so on...
I was hoping I could point you to somewhere on Wizo's site, or somewhere on the boards, that describes Deathless better, but so far no luck.
Switching topics (or rather adding to this one), I was thinking about giving the Radiant Shaman access to a third clerical domain (the Radiance domain). Any thoughts on this. What would the domain powers be?
Yeah, I see you point. Now that I think about it I'm leaning away from the knowledge requirement. What if instead of saying they have to know about the Radiance, we say, "Must have been exposed to the radiance."
Sounds good.
This way you can have your mages (who have studied the radiance) take the feat, as well those poor souls who just accidentally stumble upon it. We have an arcane and divine prestige class for the radiance ... what about a more martial one? I wonder what a radiance prestige class, that did not rely on radiance spells as a benefit, would look like...
Hmmm...interesting. Maybe a paladin-like class? Didn't James Mishler make some sort of Paladin of Rad class presented in the old Mystara Netbook? Maybe that one could be used for inspiration...
BoED = Book of Exalted Deeds (which I do not own). Since I do own the Eberron CS I can tell you what is printed there.
Ah. A friend of mine has BoED. I'll check it out later.
Basically the Deathless are undead created from positive energy (as opposed to regular undead created from negative energy). Many of their traits are the same as traits for normal undead (no Con score, undead immunities, no death from massive damage), but in some ways they are treated differently. Evil clerics can turn or destroy them, while good clerics can bolster or command them. Deathless gain the bonuses provided by Consecrate, as opposed to undead who gain bonuses provided from Desecrate. And so on...
Interesting. It would certainly make them different from your run-of-the-mill undead, which would be cool.
Switching topics (or rather adding to this one), I was thinking about giving the Radiant Shaman access to a third clerical domain (the Radiance domain). Any thoughts on this. What would the domain powers be?
Hmmm.. I assume they would already have access to the Radience spells (considered both arcane and divine), right? That would make it less useful to have the very same spells in the Domain. I'll have to think about it....
Håvard
Hmmm.. I assume they would already have access to the Radience spells (considered both arcane and divine), right? That would make it less useful to have the very same spells in the Domain. I'll have to think about it....
I'm not sure which route to take I guess. Having the radiance spells use either a Radiance Focus or Rads as a material component would prevent non-radiance users (whether divine or arcane) from using them. In that case there really is no point in coming up with a new clerical domain. Well, for now I think that's the route I'll go. Keep it simple. Thanks for talking this out with me Havard.
I'll post again once I've updated the material.
I'm not sure which route to take I guess. Having the radiance spells use either a Radiance Focus or Rads as a material component would prevent non-radiance users (whether divine or arcane) from using them. In that case there really is no point in coming up with a new clerical domain. Well, for now I think that's the route I'll go. Keep it simple. Thanks for talking this out with me Havard.
I think this is the best sollution too, although I understand your reasoning behind the domain idea. I find this discussion really interesting so keep your ideas coming!
I'll post again once I've updated the material.
Great
Håvard
Added:
Radiance Effects
-Storing Radiance
Magic Items
-Bracers of Radiance Resistance
-Benekander’s Bracers
Modified:
Radiance Feats
-Touched By Rad
-Ingest Radiance (modified based on ideas provided by Rodger Burns from the MML)
-Improved Ingest Radiance (modified based on ideas provided by Rodger Burns from the MML)
1. Radiance spells are special, and shouldn't be listed as "Sor/Wiz" or "Clr" spells. Doing this means that, technically, some schmuck caster without any PrC access at all could sneak a peek at Etienne D'Ambreville's spellbook and start using the most powerful magical force on Mystara. NO. :D
When I wrote up my Radiance arcane spell conversions, I deliberately made the spell levels as "RadM X" to avoid this very problem. Other solutions may exist, but I'd just like to see *something* that keeps the Radiance spells from ending up on the general spell list.
[Edit: Looked back at the Radiance Spells listed here, and noticed the substitution of 'Radiance' for what normally lists the spell's school. Which works, sort of, when combined with the Touched By Rad/Rafiel feats, but still seems to be sort of a kludge in my opinion. Particularly as it means that Radiance spells no longer have a formal school, and so aren't affected by Spell Focus or wizard specialization. Someone with Greater Spell Focus (Evocation) should better get some sort of bonus to their Discharge spells, darnit!]
2. The ability to gain Rads is listed in different places as either a spell effect (Retain Power) or as a feat/class ability (Ingest Power, Improve Ingest Power). It needs to be either one or the other, in my opinion - allowing characters to use both is a dangerous blurring between spell effects and class abilities.
I'd prefer on reflection to have it only as a class ability, as this means that sorcerers aren't nearly as ganked by PrC requirements. ("Okay, so I can get all these cool spells... IF I blow spell slots on them instead of general spells... AND if I blow ANOTHER spell slot on a spell designed just to power me up for these new spells? Heck with this, I'm off to the Realms. Maybe that Simbul chick can mentor me in a better PrC...") But it definitely shouldn't be both. (For that matter, Transcendence should either be a class ability or a spell, but not both, and for the same reasons. Again, I'm leaning towards class ability, especially since the effect is basically a nice big shiny gift-wrapped plot device.)
3. As far as Havard's PrC writeup went, one of the elements I really liked was the fact that you couldn't cast all Radiance spells as soon as you joined the PrC - you had to get several PrC levels before the most powerful spells became usable. The thought of some epic-level Alphatian magister dipping into one level of Brother of Rad and instantly casting 9th-level Radiance spells rubs me wrong. IMHO, someone with 1 level of Brother of Rad (or Radiant Shaman) should be able to cast Radiance spells of 5th level and lower only, and get one more level of spellcasting for each class level gained. My $0.02.
4. Radiant Shaman magic - I haven't thought too deeply about new Radiant Shaman magic, but the spell list could use some fleshing out. IMHO, where arcane Radiance magic manipulates energy directly (lots of Evocation, Conjuration, and Transmutation spells), divine Radiance magic probably defends, coerces, and deceives (so more Abjuration, Enchantment, and Illusion effects). I'll bounce my mind around a bit and post a few writeups here or on the Mystara ML.
5. So in 3.5E Mystara, Glantri has the Brothers of Rad (arcane), the shadow elves have the Radiant Shamans (divine)... might there be something out there for Radiant Psionics? I'll post a few thoughts on this at a later date.
Ja ne!
1. Radiance spells are special, and shouldn't be listed as "Sor/Wiz" or "Clr" spells. Doing this means that, technically, some schmuck caster without any PrC access at all could sneak a peek at Etienne D'Ambreville's spellbook and start using the most powerful magical force on Mystara. NO. :D
When I wrote up my Radiance arcane spell conversions, I deliberately made the spell levels as "RadM X" to avoid this very problem. Other solutions may exist, but I'd just like to see *something* that keeps the Radiance spells from ending up on the general spell list.
[Edit: Looked back at the Radiance Spells listed here, and noticed the substitution of 'Radiance' for what normally lists the spell's school. Which works, sort of, when combined with the Touched By Rad/Rafiel feats, but still seems to be sort of a kludge in my opinion. Particularly as it means that Radiance spells no longer have a formal school, and so aren't affected by Spell Focus or wizard specialization. Someone with Greater Spell Focus (Evocation) should better get some sort of bonus to their Discharge spells, darnit!]
I agree with you making all of those spells have the Radiance type is kind of a kludge. I'll probably go back and give them all real spell schools for the reasons you mention above.
However ;) although the spells are listed as being Sor/Wiz/Clr that doesn not necessarily mean that any hack with a little talent could cast them. For most of the spells above I tried to add either a material component in Rads, or a radiance power source spell focus. Using the radiance should be dangerous, and I want to try and force characters to ingest and store Rads (and pay the price for doing so) in order to cast radiance spells. I don't like the solution of limiting the spells to the RadM prestige class simply because I'm toying with ways to open up radiance use to others. That's my personal preference though, and I can see how it might not sit well with others.
2. The ability to gain Rads is listed in different places as either a spell effect (Retain Power) or as a feat/class ability (Ingest Power, Improve Ingest Power). It needs to be either one or the other, in my opinion - allowing characters to use both is a dangerous blurring between spell effects and class abilities.
Well, I started out with the feats, figuring that if a character wanted to play with the radiance they would have to pay for it. Then that 'flexability' word started popping up in my head and I slapped that spell together figuring it couldn't do any harm. I'm not sure that it does, but I'm definately going to revisit that decision. The way I see it a prospective radiance user is stuck with a choice. 1) spend a feat and be able to suck in all the Rads they can handle, or 2) tie up spell slots for sucking down Rads, but use that feat for something else (item creation, metamagic, or whatnot).
I do like the feat because I'm just stuck on this idea that in some special circumstances non-spellcasters would be able to use the radiance. That poor schmuck who stumbles into the NoS and is infused with powers that he doesn't quite understand. Priceless.
Ok. Sorry, I'm limited by time here. I'll post more thoughts later.
I think Chimp's idea of having Radiance Points as required "material" components for the spells. It must be specified in the spells description that the components are required to cast the spell, even if material components are generally not used in the campaign. Using that system it make sense IMO to refer to the spells as Clr/Wiz/Sor lvl especially since they should be available to both arcane and divine casters. Your idea of psionicists accessing the radiance is cool. The Federation had psionics, and maybe they even did something like that back before the reactor became an artifact....
I also think we should keep the possibility of gaining radiance abilities through both the PrCs and feats. I like the flexibility, plus the fact that exposure to the radiance as a requirement to select the feats prevents just anyone to select these feats. (In any case these feats should be in the DM's section...) I agree with you that Transcendance should probably be a PrC exclusive ability though.
I see your point about how in this version someone can take one level of the PrC and access all of the spells, but this IMO could be solved by having rather high Rad Point levels as components for the more powerful spells.
The idea of having different spells for clerical and magical manipulation is an interesting idea, though Gaz 13 makes no such distinction. I suggest that at least the standard spells should be open to both types of casters.
Håvard
Summon Radiance might require a small Rad cost as a material component in order to work. That would mean that a mage would have to keep some Rads in reserve in order to call upon more from a distance. This is not unreasonable IMO.
Retain Power is the tricky one, and I think the one that was causing Rodger the most concern (correct me if I'm wrong). Maybe if we specify that the caster must be in direct contact with a radiance power source (the NoS, Cos, radiance receptacle, etc.), that would mitigate some of those concerns. I'm not sure though. Needs more thought. It might be that we drop that spell entirely and rely completely on the feats for ingesting radiance.
Havard is right in that the number of Rad points needed to cast a spell can be used to restrict the level of the caster. I intend to revisit all of the material component costs (in Rads) once the spells have been locked down a bit.
Oh, and I like the idea of restricting Transcendence to a PrC exclusive ability. I'll make that change shortly.