Dreamscarred Press - Tzocatl, The First Language: Open Playtest

[Ssalarn]

I think that it would be very thematically appropriate to have some ability to bind/summon an outsider or maybe some number of CR/HD of them at max based off your check. Perhaps as a Litany so you are limited to not having anything else active if you want your pet out.

EDIT: Also is there any way to actually meet the 56+ check result required to get the max tier dragon breath from Dragonfire Litany?

One of the reasons my update is taking so long is that I am painstakingly sifting my way through all the existing Edicts and formulae to make sure that everything scales how it should. I'm also trying to minimize the impact/requirement of high system mastery to use the system; I'd prefer that system mastery lie more in the realm of "which combinations of Edicts and Litanies get me the best results" rather than "how high can I jack my Tzocatl check".

I'm working on making 50 a "hard cap", and adjusting things so that a low system mastery player at 20th level can hit that ceiling about 60% of the time and a high system mastery player can squeeze that closer to 80 or 90%.

[Mithril Leaf]

I'm also trying to minimize the impact/requirement of high system mastery to use the system; I'd prefer that system mastery lie more in the realm of "which combinations of Edicts and Litanies get me the best results" rather than "how high can I jack my Tzocatl check".

I'm working on making 50 a "hard cap", and adjusting things so that a low system mastery player at 20th level can hit that ceiling about 60% of the time and a high system mastery player can squeeze that closer to 80 or 90%.

While that is an admirable goal, I personally am a big fan of letting a wide system mastery apply many small improvements.
I think that a nice mechanic to satisfy the desire for allowing less optimized builds do well that would still reward system mastery would be some way to take some amount of damage to increase your checks. It would let anyone be really badass a limited number of times, while people who build to be able to heal well get to use it more frequently and earlier. Or something along those lines.

[Vhaidara]

Kind of a metaphysical backlash? A price you pay to make up for the lack of skill you have with the words?

I'm only a little biased (I personally adore backlash mechanics as a supercharger), but I love this idea.

[NomGarret]

I'm not wild about adding a self damage element into the base mechanic. A particular class or archetype, sure, but let's not cut into the flavor space.

Also it makes a big difference if it looks more like the over-channel feat or the kineticist's burn.

[Mithril Leaf]

I'm not wild about adding a self damage element into the base mechanic. A particular class or archetype, sure, but let's not cut into the flavor space.

Also it makes a big difference if it looks more like the over-channel feat or the kineticist's burn.

I was personally feeling that it could be a feat or two, where maybe you take damage at say, a 4 to 1 ratio in exchange for a boost to your checks, probably limited by your level. So at level 8 you could invoke Eldritch Profanity to get a +2 bonus but you would take 8 damage.
It would let less optimized characters sometimes pull out the big guns and more optimized ones to have a reliable source of check bonus if they invest in HP.

I would personally also have a second feat to allow you double the cap on level and damage. Maybe even don't have a cap, assuming the ratio isn't too extreme.

[NomGarret]

Well you'd probably want to cap it at the speaker's current hp, otherwise you wind up doing 1000000 damage to yourself and getting a 250k bonus to your check. Sure, you're dead, but death isn't always permanent and what you just did was really impressive.

[Vhaidara]

I'd actually go with making death by backlash more...permanent. You're literally smack talking the universe at this stage. And it's hitting back.

I'd say, since you control how much you use it, if it kills you, Unname from 3.5 occurs.

[Ssalarn]

I'd actually go with making death by backlash more...permanent. You're literally smack talking the universe at this stage. And it's hitting back.

I'd say, since you control how much you use it, if it kills you, Unname from 3.5 occurs.

I may have to work that in somewhere, just because it's awesome. I kind of like the idea of flubbing your universe speak so bad the universe just disconnects you from reality, but that's more niche PrC type territory, not something that should be able to just happen to a base character.

[Vhaidara]

I may have to work that in somewhere, just because it's awesome. I kind of like the idea of flubbing your universe speak so bad the universe just disconnects you from reality, but that's more niche PrC type territory, not something that should be able to just happen to a base character.

I personally feel it as a kind of body fuel. Like in the Inheritance series, where the magic draws directly upon their strength. Feed too much, and you're gone. Or a functional Death Curse from the Dresden universe.

[Taveena]

In spite of all of Truenaming's problems, Unname was wonderful (and terrifying), so something like that showing up again...

[NomGarret]

Food for thought: why create a new mechanic for swapping damage types when we already have the suffix feats?

[SorenKnight]

I just noticed that Litany of Resilience's esoterica grants DR 1/adamantine. I seem to remember that there was another esoterica (I don't remember which one) that granted DR 2/adamantine.

[Sayt]

In spite of all of Truenaming's problems, Unname was wonderful (and terrifying), so something like that showing up again...

There is already a grandmaster edict that does this

I just noticed that Litany of Resilience's esoterica grants DR 1/adamantine. I seem to remember that there was another esoterica (I don't remember which one) that granted DR 2/adamantine.

That would be exploit defect.

[AGrinningCat]

Since it was noted that this is 'Phase 1', will Phase 2 show up with more Edicts?