d20 Rebirth

[Fax Celestis]

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So I find myself not satisfied with how 4.0 turned out: it feels different, to me, than how D&D should feel. The powers etc. make for a well-balanced, interesting game, but I personally find that the level of customization and structure inherent within the 3.5 game to be superior. That's not to say that 3.5 is without flaws: far from it.

But that's where this thread comes in.

I am going to recodify the d20 system (that is, the 3.5 rules available in the SRD under the OGL) into a cohesive system that is simple to use and is more balanced for all players involved.

Why not Pathfinder? Well, that's a good question. The Pathfinder system is a healthy alternative to your standard 3.5 game, but it makes some design decisions that I don't particularly agree with and I don't feel it fixes everything that needs to be fixed.

That being said: here comes d20 Rebirth.

[Fax Celestis]

Table of Contents:

1. Races
   
   1. Ameena
   2. Dromite
   3. Drow
   4. Duergar
   5. Dwarf
   6. Elan
   7. Elf
   8. Gnome
   9. Gnoll
   10. Goblin
   11. Half-Elf
   12. Half-Giant
   13. Half-Orc
   14. Halfling
   15. Hobgoblin
   16. Human
   17. Kobold
   18. Lizardfolk
   19. Maenad
   20. Minotaur
   21. Orc
   22. Russiti
   23. Satyr
   24. Shifter
   25. Xeph
   26. Racial Classes
       
       1. Aasimar (Celestial-touched)
       2. Dragonblooded
       3. Onori (Axiom-touched)
       4. Phrenic (Psionic)
       5. Sylvan (Fey-touched)
       6. Tiefling (Fiend-touched)
       7. Xel'gash (Anarch-touched)
2. Classes
   
   1. Barbarian
   2. Bard
   3. Bladeweaver
   4. Cartomancer
   5. Cleric
   6. Dreadnaught
   7. Druid
   8. Enlightened Devotee
   9. Fencer
   10. Hunter
   11. Luckthief
   12. Medium
   13. Monk
   14. Paladin
   15. Psion (Egoist, Kineticist, Nomad, Seer, Shaper, Telepath)
   16. Psychic Warrior
   17. Ranger
   18. Rogue
   19. Sorcerer
   20. Soulknife
   21. Warlord
   22. Wilder
   23. Wizard (Abjurer, Conjurer, Enchanter, Invoker, Oracle, Transmuter)
3. Skills
   
   1. Skill Sets
   
   
   1. Acrobatics
   2. Appraise
   3. Athletics
   4. Autohypnosis
   5. Awareness
   6. Bluff
   7. Cartomancy
   8. Concentration
   9. Craft
   10. Decipher Script
   11. Diplomacy
   12. Disable Device
   13. Disguise
   14. Handle Animal
   15. Heal
   16. Intimidate
   17. Knowledge
   18. Legerdemain
   19. Perform
   20. Profession
   21. Psicraft
   22. Ride
   23. Sense Motive
   24. Speak Language
   25. Spellcraft
   26. Stealth
   27. Survival
   28. Use Device
   29. Removed or Altered Skills
       
       1. Balance See Acrobatics
       2. Climb See Athletics
       3. Escape Artist See Acrobatics
       4. Forgery See Legerdemain
       5. Gather Information See Diplomacy
       6. Hide See Stealth
       7. Jump See Athletics
       8. Listen See Awareness
       9. Move Silently See Stealth
       10. Open Lock See Disable Device
       11. Search See Awareness
       12. Sleight Of Hand See Legerdemain
       13. Spot See Awareness
       14. Swim See Athletics
       15. Tumble See Acrobatics
       16. Use Rope See Survival
4. Feats
   
   1. Investing Feats (a variant on Perfecting Feats)
   2. Racial Feats
   3. Racial Feats II
   4. Racial Feats III
   5. Racial Feats IV
5. Description
6. Equipment
   
   1. Aspect Items
   2. Biblios
   3. Librum
7. Combat
8. Magic
   
   1. Cartomancy and Manipulating Fate
      
      1. Mystic Backlash
   2. The Power of Prayer
      
      1. Mantles of Faith
   3. Sorcery and Magic in the Blood
      
      1. Wild Magic
   4. Wizardry and the Schools of Magic
      
      1. Abjuration
      2. Conjuration
      3. Divination
      4. Enchantment
      5. Evocation
      6. Transmutation
9. Psionics
10. Spells
11. Monsters
    
    1. Aboleth
    2. Achaierai
    3. Allip
    4. Ameena
    5. Angel
    6. Animal
    7. Animated Object
    8. Ankheg
    9. Aranea
    10. Archon
    11. Arrowhawk
    12. Assassin Vine
    13. Astral Construct
    14. Athach
    15. Avoral
    16. Azer
    17. Barghest
    18. Basilisk
    19. Behir
    20. Belker
    21. Blink Dog
    22. Bodak
    23. Brain Mole
    24. Bralani
    25. Bugbear
    26. Bulette
    27. Caller In Darkness
    28. Celestial Creature
    29. Centaur
    30. Cerebrilith
    31. Chaos Beast
    32. Chimera
    33. Choker
    34. Chuul
    35. Cloaker
    36. Cockatrice
    37. Couatl
    38. Crysmal
    39. Darkmantle
    40. Delver
    41. Demon
    42. Derro
    43. Destrachan
    44. Devil
    45. Devourer
    46. Digester
    47. Dinosaur
    48. Dire Animal
    49. Doppelganger
    50. Dragon, True
    51. Dragon Turtle
    52. Dragonne
    53. Drider
    54. Dromite
    55. Drow
    56. Dryad
    57. Duergar
    58. Dwarf
    59. Eagle, Giant
    60. Elan
    61. Elemental
    62. Elf
    63. Ethereal Filcher
    64. Ethereal Marauder
    65. Ettercap
    66. Ettin
    67. Fiendish Creature
    68. Folugub
    69. Formian
    70. Frost Worm
    71. Fungus
    72. Gargoyle
    73. Genie
    74. Ghaele
    75. Ghost
    76. Ghoul
    77. Giant
    78. Gibbering Mouther
    79. Girallon
    80. Gnoll
    81. Gnome
    82. Goblin
    83. Golem
    84. Gorgon
    85. Gray Glutton
    86. Gray Render
    87. Grick
    88. Griffon
    89. Grimlock
    90. Hag
    91. Half-Celestial
    92. Half-Dragon
    93. Half-Elf
    94. Half-Fiend
    95. Half-Giant
    96. Half-Orc
    97. Halfling
    98. Harpy
    99. Hell Hound
    100. Hippogriff
    101. Hobgoblin
    102. Homunculus
    103. Howler
    104. Human
    105. Hydra
    106. Inevitable
    107. Intellect Devourer
    108. Invisible Stalker
    109. Kobold
    110. Kraken
    111. Krenshar
    112. Lamia
    113. Lammasu
    114. Leonal
    115. Lich
    116. Lillend
    117. Living Spellseed
    118. Lizardfolk
    119. Locathah
    120. Lycanthrope
    121. Maenad
    122. Magmin
    123. Manticore
    124. Medusa
    125. Mephit
    126. Merfolk
    127. Mimic
    128. Minotaur
    129. Mohrg
    130. Mummy
    131. Naga
    132. Neothelid
    133. Night Hag
    134. Nightmare
    135. Nightshade
    136. Nymph
    137. Ogre
    138. Ogre Mage
    139. Ooze
    140. Orc
    141. Otyugh
    142. Owl, Giant
    143. Owlbear
    144. Pegasus
    145. Phantom Fungus
    146. Phase Spider
    147. Phasm
    148. Planetouched
    149. Phrenic
    150. Phthisic
    151. Pseudodragon
    152. Psicrystal
    153. Psion-Killer
    154. Puppeteer
    155. Purple Worm
    156. Rakshasa
    157. Rast
    158. Ravid
    159. Razor Boar
    160. Remorhaz
    161. Roc
    162. Roper
    163. Russiti
    164. Rust Monster
    165. Sahuagin
    166. Salamander
    167. Satyr
    168. Scorpionfolk
    169. Sea Cat
    170. Shadow
    171. Shifter
    172. Shadow Mastiff
    173. Shambling Mound
    174. Shield Guardian
    175. Shocker Lizard
    176. Skeleton
    177. Skum
    178. Spectre
    179. Sphinx
    180. Spider Eater
    181. Sprite
    182. Stirge
    183. Swarm
    184. Tarrasque
    185. Temporal Filcher
    186. Tendriculos
    187. Thoqqua
    188. Thought Eater
    189. Thought Slayer
    190. Titan
    191. Tojanida
    192. Treant
    193. Triton
    194. Troglodyte
    195. Troll
    196. Udoroot
    197. Unbodied
    198. Unicorn
    199. Vampire
    200. Vargouille
    201. Vermin
    202. Wight
    203. Will-O'-Wisp
    204. Winged Weapon
    205. Winter Wolf
    206. Worg
    207. Wraith
    208. Wyvern
    209. Xeph
    210. Xill
    211. Xorn
    212. Yeth Hound
    213. Yrthak
    214. Zombie

[Zeta Kai]

Wow. Just wow. I can already tell that this is going to be mind-bogglingly ambitious. More power to you, Fax. If you need any assistance, let me know. I eagerly await what promises to be an epic mega-post.

[Fax Celestis]

Wow. Just wow. I can already tell that this is going to be mind-bogglingly ambitious. More power to you, Fax. If you need any assistance, let me know. I eagerly await what promises to be an epic mega-post.

This thread may well rival one of yours in hugeness.

[insecure]

Wait... So all the "How-it-should-be" classes were only for the purpose of this thread?

Wow.

[Zeta Kai]

This thread may well rival one of yours in hugeness.

Well, when/if I ever run out of FFX D20 material, then you'll have a good benchmark for my maximum output on a single topic. I wish you luck & good will, & I lend my services, should they be required.

BTW, nice new avatar.

[afroakuma]

He has transformed! A new era begins!

[Fax Celestis]

Wait... So all the "How-it-should-be" classes were only for the purpose of this thread?

Wow.

I have been plotting this a very long time indeed.

[insecure]

I have been plotting this a very long time indeed.

Mwuahahahahahaha....
I guess. :P

[Copacetic]

Me Like.

I eagerly await what you are going to 'brew for this.

[Shadow_Elf]

I would consider learning 3.X edition to try this when its done. The reason I never liked was because it was too, well, confusing. I mean Use Rope? C'mon. But this is awesome.
Also, I think 4e's customizability will increase with splatbooks (was 3e as flexible as it is today 6 months after it came out?). Just throwin' that out there.

[afroakuma]

I would consider learning 3.X edition to try this when its done.

Hah! We got him!

[Zeta Kai]

Hah! We got him!

Aargh! I knew we would, matey! Yo-ho!
I don't know why, but the pirate accent is somehow appropriate.

[Pirate_King]

An ambitious project, indeed, and you may pull a very good fix, but what you want to keep, that is, the versatility, is essentially what makes 3.x so breakable. 4e basically did recodify the system. The mechanics are essentially the same, with the exception of the spell casting system. Instead of full attacks, you have more powerful things that can be used once per encounter or once per day. What the game is missing is non-combat classes, but in that way, almost every class is a non-combat class. I was in the minority that appreciated bards and the like, anyway. But blast it, I don't mean to beat a dead horse; I still haven't really even reached the point where I prefer one system or another, myself. I'm sure this massive project will come up with some happy medium between 4e's power balance and 3.5's versatility.

[Fax Celestis]

'm sure this massive project will come up with some happy medium between 4e's power balance and 3.5's versatility.

That is exactly the intent, frankly. I find 4e too limiting (esp. due to the removal of PrCs and similar; even 2e had kits) and find 3.5e too abusable.

But I also like 3.5e more, not the least of which is that 3.5e is covered under the OGL, while 4e is under the vastly more restrictive SGL.

[SurlySeraph]

I definitely would prefer to play a 3.75 than 4E, so I fully support this project. Just make sure to fix the drowning rules, okay?

[Shadow_Elf]

Hah! We got him!

Damn! I've been caught!
*Crushes Plane-Throwing Ceramic Ball*
You win this time Old Man Willow!

[LordZarth]

Aargh! I knew we would, matey! Yo-ho!

It's 'Arr' :D

[Starsinger]

I have to say, I'm really fond of your Cartomancer class and would love to see it finished. Also, since this sounds like you're trying to fix 3.5 maybe you'll fix what I hate about it, in which case I wish this endeavor the beast of luck.

[RTGoodman]

Well, this certainly is a big project. I wish you all the best, and I'll try to keep up and offer any advice I think might be appreciated. Of course, I can't really find any 3.x games and have been doing mostly 4E stuff recently, but I'll still try to take a look every once and a while.

[...] in which case I wish this endeavor the beast of luck.

Sounds like something someone should get to homebrewing...


(Also, "Celestial-touched" seems dirty to me, somehow... )

[LurkerInPlayground]

I don't see a fighter remake on this thread. I hear people griping how fighter feats really suck and how a lot of special combat actions are simply broken

Just out of personal preference I would like to see a fighter that isn't fixed by giving it a whole bunch of magic or a bunch of powers that might as well be called "magic." Likewise, I find it extremely stupid that there's a class separate from the fighter called the "samurai."

I also find it equally stupid that there is a "ninja" class, even though you have rogues, assassins and rangers already. It would be nice to play a ninja archetype simply by picking the right selections of feats and abilities for a rogue.

But people tend to dismiss my opinion in this regard, so you know. Whatever.

[RTGoodman]

I don't see a fighter remake on this thread. I hear people griping how fighter feats really suck and how a lot of special combat actions are simply broken.

*Pokes and indicates the Warlord link above* That's what you're looking for - it's Fax's Fighter FixTM that makes the Fighter into a leader of men ALONGSIDE being a good melee combatant.

[Ivius]

How compatible do you intend to be with 3.5?

(Also, +1 for good luck!)

[Meek]

A Pathfinder alternative would be excellent, as even though I don't play 3.5 anymore, I keep up with Pathfinder and strongly disagree on a lot of things they are doing (and what they aren't doing) to make it better. Though some things they did very well (Dragon Disciple, and points pools for Monk and Barbarian abilities, though they should have gone farther and given points pools to the Paladin too). I wish you the best of luck.

[Icewalker]

Sounds like something someone should get to homebrewing...

Beast of Luck...yeah, homebrew is the first thing that came to my mind as well. Probably won't be doing it myself though.

Yeah, this looks like an awesome project. So, the basic plan is to rework balance and the overall options of 3.x, rather than rewriting the actual game mechanics, at least for the most part, right? This would make it pretty much fully compatible with 3.5 creations/homebrew.

I'm quite interested, and if I ever have the time, I'd love to help you playtest this stuff. I could probably write up some quick adventures, or adapt ones I'm working to to have Rebirth equivalents.

[LurkerInPlayground]

*Pokes and indicates the Warlord link above* That's what you're looking for - it's Fax's Fighter FixTM that makes the Fighter into a leader of men ALONGSIDE being a good melee combatant.

No, I mean a fighter. A guy who smashes stuff and does it well. I won't bite the "just play a warrior" quip. A player should be able to play a guy who relies on hitting things well without having to play a class that's non-heroic by definition. You know, a character that you're supposed to be able to play it straight out of PhB without it being broken.

[UserClone]

I have to agree with Lurker, actually. That warlord is not a fighter, he's a warlord. I want a guy whose whole schtick is hitting things, and the variability from one to the other being how they go about it. Warlord as a single set of build choices on a fighter is fine by me. but doesn't adequately do the job that WoTC attempted to (and failed).

[Shadow_Elf]

Play a Barbarian?

[UserClone]

But the barbarian is really just a fighter whose schtick is that his combat prowess comes from his rage. with 1 extra hp/level and a bit of DR.

[Icewalker]

You can always fluff a barbarian's rage as entering a combat ready meditation-esque battle something or other. If you don't want to be 'that angry guy.'