Planescraft (Planescape with Fantasy Craft)

[Catodon]

Also welcome Dr Peabody.

[Pickman]

This looks great!

What are the paths for the Zerthimon alignment?

[Brakk]

@Dr Peabody

Hi and welcome! Sorry for not answering earlier, I'm busy playtesting the first Planescraft adventure "Made Of Stars"  

I'll have to double-check on Kytons. For now, you can assume that INT 14 is an error on my part. I'll also check out why I haven't included their animate chains ability. It could be that I couldn't find a suitable FC ability. If you have a suggestion, share it here and we'll add it in the next playtest release

@Pickman

We haven't converted any religions/gods/etc. just because On Hallowed Ground is one huge book. I'll see if we can write up conversion rules for that one. Zerthimon's alignment will be included in "Made Of Stars" adventure

[Dr Peabody]

How well is the playtest faring?

The INT discrepancy isn't a big deal for it's own sake.  I'm just trying to be sure that what I'm seeing is or isn't a GIGO issue with my own attempts at conversions so I can rectify my mistake.  Everyone who uses different sources is going to get different results.  I wasn't aware that the Kyton had lasted through so many iterations.  And even if we used standardized source material, it's likely we would all tweak in different ways.  When I get more confident with FC and these conversions, I'll waste less time wondering about the numbers. 

I'm trying to figure a reasonable approximation of their chain animation ability, as well.  That has proved to be more difficult than I had supposed.  It's a material-specific, Range-extending, Area-thing, usable at will, more or less, and it plays at a Movement modifier, too.  What's more, without it, the Kyton is basically just a really beefy meat-bag.  Not very interesting.  I had thought it less consequential before but now I am seeing its necessity, XP bloat or no.  I'm trying to see if there is a spell which mimics the effect well enough that it might pass for a Natural Spell Quality.

As I said, I was almost halfway done with a Kyton before I read the Planescraft Bestiary.  I'm going to finish it, based on my own assessments from the AD&D source and your methods.  The exercise in conversion will prove to be essential to my Planescraft game.  I will post the resulting stat block, here, when I complete it. 

You don't have to add it to the next version, unless you think it's totally super-sweet.

I understand your issues with OHG.  That's a lot of work, right there.  If and when I get my conversions down, I'll see if I can help, should you feel you want any assistance.  I may have the .pdf of that book, around, somewhere.

[Catodon]

You could create the chains as separate NPCs and treat it something like a summoning ability...

[pawsplay]

A literal translation would be giving them a spell that animates a chain. I'm kind of wondering, though, whether giving them four bleeding Tentacle Slaps isn't the way to go, plus an entangling extraordinary attack.

[Brakk]

How well is the playtest faring?

Great! We finished it last week. Now I'm assembling it into a PDF

I went over Planescraft kyton and can confirm that INT 14 is an error. His INT should be 4. Also, animated chains power should be covered with Call of Beyond which summons Animated Melee Weapons. He should also probably get condition immunity (entangled) and superior climber. I'll definitively fix him for the next version.

[Catodon]

I'm curious as to why you remade the planetouched races (Aasimar, Genasi, Tieflings) instead of using the built-in Heritage feats to accomplish the same result, and leave the character with a broader range of origin options?

Something I played around with in my head that I never actually did anything with on this front was using a Talent that used the appropriate Heritage feat as part of the Talent build. It uses up almost half the Origin to give them that feat, but I thought it might play into the idea of playing a full on planetouched race opposed to another Species that had the influences.

Sounds like an interesting idea.  One I had for planetouched was a sort of "micro origin" set of options, but I could figure out the balance point.  Something like:

Planetouched
Strange Heritage: You gain a bonus feat [from list - Angelic, Devilish, Elemental, etc].
Powerful Blood: You do not gain the bonus feat from your Speciality.

You just kinda tack it onto an existing racial choice.  The problem is that the bonus feat is arguably a 2 point advantage - a bonus species feat costs 2 points in Specialities, and the "do not gain the bonus feat" is probably a -1pt advantage, leaving them at a net bonus, unless they take Sorcerer [and while I like Sorcerer, I'm not a fan of forcing a player to take any given option].  There were half a dozen other combo's I was thinking about - like Exemplar [same deal - but the bonus feat must have your race as a pre-req].  So players would be Planetouched Dwarf Miners, or Elven Exemplar Nobles.  Just a small adjustment.

"a bonus species feat costs 2 points in Specialities, and the "do not gain the bonus feat" is probably a -1pt advantage, leaving them at a net bonus,"
There is something about the math that I'm not getting. To me remove feat worth 2 is -2 not -1. It could represent the value of being able to freely combine...(but it seems kinda steep).

A suggestion for wording…(something like)

Planetouched
The energies of your home plane have warped your bloodline or perhaps someone very strange is a distant ancestor.

[Catodon]

So I've decided to give this a cover to cover thorough read through and post my thoughts here in bite sized lumps. I want to tell me where I'm wrong, have misunderstood or perhaps even had something worthwhile to say. I'm generally very time poor so if my language is clipped or terse that's why.

Each post will begin with the page number I'm up to: To p16.
The writing is clean and so far typo free (awesome). The illustrations capture the feel of the setting and are place next to relevant text.

I’m uneasy with the way Nethlings are handled. The % chances of reversion and level loss are likely to cause issues in play. I'd come up with another way to model the relationship between the Nethling and the Living Plane.
Also here’s a thing does a Nethling have to rogue? The non-rogue Nethling has a pre-defined set of personality traits and needs to return to share memories and receive new orders. You might want to work out a species feat for this.

Clerk: “Scribe's Kit: You are always considered to have a scribe’s kit (see Fantasy Craft page 159).”
This kind of thing makes me very nervous in character how does it work? Is it because you habitually carry these items as part of your cost of living. If so, what if you as stripped naked? Some players will complain if you say they don’t have the item with RAW. Yes, I know there are canon FC rules like this I'm not 100% happy with those either.

[Catodon]

Chaos Jester: Path of Joy ability. I feel the name could be confusing to some since the ability is not a Path in the FC sense. I’m also assuming the last sentence is plural due to a cut and paste error.
I love the lively furniture ability.

Deathbringer
I’m not sure exactly what the following ability does:
Graveyard Tales: At Level 3, you may spend an action die to converse with a dead creature or the owner of someone’s remains.

I’m enjoying reading the new classes. I can easily see these becoming ambitions in character and OOC for players.

Loopholes Bureau Investigator: I think a sentence explaining what a Loophole is in the Planescape universe is in order here.
P49
Hmmm with so much linked to Alignments I wonder if putting descriptions of alignments near the front of the book, say right after Species, would be a good idea.

Karch Mastery: “Imbue with Magic (Ready Trick): You may cast a single spell on your karach item, defining a trigger that prompts spell’s completion (e.g. first strike against a target).”
To imbue with a spell do I need to be a spellcaster? Am I limited to spells that I know?

Logical Operation: suggestion Prerequisites: Modron or Alignment (Mathematicians)

Revealing Sign: suggestion Prerequisites: Modron or Alignment (Mind’s Eye/Sign of One)

[Brakk]

Thanks for the much appreciated feedback! I will answer your questions as soon as I discuss it with the team (which will be today).

[Catodon]

No probs, I'm doing this because you've done great work and deserve some feedback. My intention is to run a fine toothed comb through the whole thing. If you get sick of me just say so.

[Brakk]

We discussed your remarks before having our regular session yesterday

Nethlings
Yes, Nethlings are pretty much the same as they were before. I too am not happy about the percentage. It should probably be changed to a fixed DC. As for the non-rogue nethlings, we think that a sidebar explaining how they differ will be enough for everybody.

Scribe's Kit
This issue should be discussed in FantasyCraft Q&A thread.

Path of Joy
The name will be altered.

Graveyard Tales
The ability allows you to converse with an Undead creature regardless of the language / mental barriers. It also allows you to summon the ghost / soul from someone’s remains and talk to them. I’ll clarify that.

Alignments
Reordering the book’s layout will be almost impossible because of the way it was done. Maybe if someone more skilled in InDesign would work on it, it could be done but for now the Chapters layout is pretty much fixed 

Karach Mastery
You don’t have to be a spellcaster and you’re not limited to the spells you know. The idea is that you are able to make your karach blade do the trick but it doesn’t mean you have to be the spell’s caster.

Keep the comments coming, they're great!

[Catodon]

Hi no problem,
I write comments as I read. so if they reference a descision that's already been made its not because I'm annoyinging obsessed and will not let it go. I't's because time is limited.

[Catodon]

p130

I wonder if the Nethling is better represented by the Ooze type…

The new heritage and legacy feats are stylistically nice and are a very nice addition to the setting.

Spellward: “…and you may not keep magic items as Prizes.” So is it ok to carry for a friend? What happens if you try to break this restriction within character? Is there a physical effect or is this prohibition based on outlook. At a meta-level this kind of game rule with nil explanation ‘within world’ was one thing that really bugged me during the four or so session of 3.5 that I’ve played. Maybe this is common place in the hobby now. You have to understand I’m approaching FC straight from AD&D (and a hundred other games) skjipping 3.5.

I wonder if Alignment requirements should be added to legacy feats. Creatures like guardinals, rilmani, and eldarin tend to be Proxies.

Arcane Heritage: this provides further support for the idea of planar energies altering bloodlines without mixed breeding.

Arcane Loop: really, any spell (regardless of normal cost) for 0 spell points in exchange for fatigue? I can’t put my finger on it but it seems open ended enough for players to abuse it.

New Step: I’d suggest the prerequisites of ‘non-priest’ and ‘non-paladin’ be changed to ‘no levels in a divine spellcasting class’. To cover Force of Nature and other divine spell casting classes.

Bestial Heritage and Legacy are listed as style feats. Should these be species feats. They include bite and claws indicating physical changes not just personality/style effects. (resists urge to talk about planar energies again esp. in the light of  the “Something Wild” adventure)

Equilibrium seems kinda powerful. That could be a lot of AD and the usual rate players gain die is very low.

Mechanoid Ally and Dead Ally.
Many sources of allies enable you to build what you want within xp restrictions anyway, so what’s the point. Where the Type of the NPC is restricted (eg. Animal Partner) can you use these? Do these feats add or replace the NPC’s original type? Do these feats add these templates in addition to the usual xp limit of the NPC.

Mind Gate: I really like this feat, the power of the mind over body and really determined PCs are ROCKIN’! I so want a PC with this.
However, look at ‘Breakdown (Stance): If you fail a Will save, all adjacent foes take 1d6 points of damage.’ Again another nice game effect but what does it look like ‘in world’. Does some kind of energy come out of the PC?

Natural and Easygoing
Compare with Mindgate. This is not so much my cup of tea. 

Have I already said how I really like your use of alignments as pre-requisites. This nicely sections of powers for alignments beyond the Paths, ties the Alignments that are so central to Planescape to mechanical effects giving players an incentive to get into the alignments and therefore into the world view of the setting and ensuring that not everyone within an alignment is has the same predictable/bland set of alignment powers. Really I can’t praise your handling of this enough.

Planar Call: Can you summon a specific individual? My guess is not especially since there is no save. Shouldn’t there be an xp limit on the NPC?

Love Rain of Fire spell.


Page 75 “there are those who call me… Tim”

Favours by alignment very, very, nice.

Incorporation of the various magic items used by planar inhabitants in the planes (eg. Baku’s Trumpet) nad items from the canon works is a nice touch. The team really knows the source material.

‘Lens of …’ series of items: I gather these can only be used by unborn or perhaps only Modrons. I suggest you clearly state this in the descriptions. Also the retractable scope, stealth lens.

Sickle of light. First sentence indicates a scythe; this could be the authors being poetic but given the similarity of sickles and scythes it looks like a mistake.

Chocolates: what no crunchy frog nor spring surprise?

Tattoos: very nice. Could be useful in other settings including obvious choices of ‘Celtish’ or ‘Lost World’ or ‘pirate’.

Organizations: chapter intro: perhaps include a sentence highlighting how organizations/alignments affect choices of feats, favours, etc.