Mechanics of Innistrad [D&D 3.5e] (PEACH)

[DMofDarkness]

Innistrad is plane where the most recent Magic: the Gathering expansions are taking place. It is also the most friendly set to convert into Dungeons and Dragons ever. The plane, while filled with a large variety of different creatures, are mostly constrained to examples of Werewolves, Vampires, Zombies, Spirits, and Humans, with a bunch of different skills that can be summarized as PC class levels. Aside from the ease of conversion, it's also, to be honest, an awesome setting for a D&D campaign. So, I'm going to stat out as much of Innistrad as I can, in the hopes of inspiring games run in the plane. And now, the mechanics!

Feats of Innistrad:

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New Feats

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Slayer of the Undead[Ceremony]
You have studied the undead, and have learned prayers to Avacyn to help you combat the unholy threat.
Prerequisite: Knowledge (Religion) 4 ranks
Benefit: You gain access to ceremonies based on your ranks in Knowledge (Religion). Each ceremony allows you to provide up to five allies with defenses against the undead. Each ceremony takes 1 minute and requires a torch prepared with special herbs and incenses worth a certain minimum gold piece value (see below). All participants stand in a circle facing inward and together hold the torch. The effect of each ceremony lasts for 24 hours. Smite the Monstrous (4 ranks): You invoke prayers to Avacyn, calling out to the Angel to bless your companions and your weapons so that you may be her sword against the undead. Each participant in the ritual gains a +1 Sacred bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls against undead, as well as to saving throws against the attacks of undead as long as they remain within 60ft of a holy symbol of Avacyn. This ritual requires special herbs and incenses worth 20gp. Fearless Warrior (8 ranks): You invoke prayers to Avacyn, calling out her name and reciting her deeds, to quench the fears of your companions. Each participant of the ritual gains a +4 Sacred bonus on saving throws against fear effects as long as they can see a holy symbol of Innistrad. This ritual requires special herbs and incenses worth 100 gp. Avenge the Fallen (13 ranks): You invoke prayers to Avacyn, strengthening the bonds between you and your companions, so that you may share each other's strengths. If at anytime during the next 24 hours, any participant is reduced to -1 or fewer hit points by the attack, breath weapon, spell, spell-like ability, or other ability of an undead creature, all other participants gain a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls and damage rolls against undead, as well as on saving throws against the attacks of undead. These bonuses last for the next 10 rounds or until the wounded character is restored to 0 or more hit points, whichever comes first. If at least half of the participants in the ritual have been defeated in this manner, the bonus increases to +5. This ritual requires special herbs and incenses worth 500 gp.

Blessing of Avacyn [Ceremony]:
As the Ritual Blessing feat, except as noted.
Each blessing affects a number of participants up to the number of ranks in Knowledge (Religion) you have.
Anoint (4 ranks): When you or any other cleric or paladin of Avacyn casts a cure spell on the recipient, he heals an extra 2 points of damage.

Corpsecrafter:
As the feat of the same name, except as otherwise noted.
Special: If you have the Undead Mastery special ability, undead you create to not get a +4 enhancement bonus to Strength from this feat; instead, they gain a +4 enhancement bonus to Dexterity.

Ghoulcaller:
You have studied the art of Ghoulcalling under the masters of Innistrad, and have learned how to call forth human zombies of greater power.
Prerequisites: Corpsecrafter
Benefit: Humanoid Zombies you create may take full-round actions each round, instead of standard or move actions. They may not use this ability to take a standard action and a move action, or two move actions, or the run action. In addition, they gain an intelligence score of 2. This means that they are no longer mindless, and are not deprived a will save from Command Undead. Finally, when you animate humanoid Zombies, you may treat them as if they had a number of hit dice equal to 1/2 your character level or the level they had in life, whichever is lower. Finally, you may use the use the Strength and Dexterity scores of the humanoids you reanimate rather than the base scores of their race for calculating their stats as a zombie.

Skabaren:
You have long studied the ways of Necro-Alchemy, and have mastered the art of creating life from death.
Prerequisites: Knowledge (Arcana) 9 ranks, Knowledge (Religion) 9 ranks, Caster Level 6.
Benefit: You may create Skaabs, as noted in the Zombie entry in Monsters of Innistrad.

Curseweaver:
You have harnessed your hate and bitterness towards the outside world, and your hexes follow people, no matter where they hide.
Prerequisite: Able to cast Bestow Curse
Benefit: As long as you have a piece of hair or liquid blood of the target, you can cast Bestow Curse as though you were touching the target. In addition, you automatically know whether the target succeeded on it's saving throw. After you successfully curse a target this way, all blood and hair from that target not attached to them dries and turns to dust.

Recommended Feats

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These are feats that many characters in specific roles have; they are being called out as common in Innistrad, to help DMs build NPCs, or inspire PCs' feat choices.

Song of the White Raven (ToB): Many Inquisitors are multiclass Bard/Crusaders, and often take this feat.

Awesome Smite (CC): Many Paladins of Avacyn take this feat, as it gives them a number of options to use with their smite attacks.

Clarion Commander (ToB): Inquisitors are often focused on team-based tactics, and this offers several maneuvers which focus on teamwork and efficiency.

Faith Unswerving (ToB): Many Inquisitors, especially Parish-Blades, focus on the defense of their townsmen above all else, and are focused on making sure that threats to their town do not escape.

Holy Potency (CC): Some Paladins and Clerics of Avacyn have gained skill in channeling positive energy to enhance their combat skill, and use it to great effect.

Monsters of Innistrad:

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Zombies

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Most Ghoulcallers have the Ghoulcaller and Corpsecrafter feats, and likely other feats in the Corpsecrafter line. This causes Zombies to be a huge threat to low-level commoners or adventurers, but also some mid-level characters by themselves, and en mass, when created by high-level ghoulcallers, especially with the Destructive Retribution feat, they can pose a threat even to high-level inquisitors! Zombies remain a challenge throughout a campaign, unlike in most other settings.

Skaab:
(Formatting and balancing help appreciated!)
Skaab are huge, specialized undead creatures that Skabaren create, often with the goal of creating life. The creation of a Skaab is by no means inexpensive or easy; it takes years of training to create even one. However, they are powerful and dangerous creatures, and, unlike other zombies, keenly intelligent. Creating a Skaab requires the following materials:

• Corpses. Skaab are created from the body parts of a variety of different creatures, all stitched together. To create an undead, a Skabaren needs at least 12 HD of dead creatures, often across multiple bodies. (Disregard class levels for the HD needed.) To buy these corpses off the black market is often expensive, with corpses going at the rate of 50 gp/HD, plus 50 gp/HD for each +1 strength modifier bonus the creature has. A Skabaren cannot create a Skaab with a greater HD than twice his caster level.
• Rune-bonds, aka 'Binding Plates' costing 3000 gp market price, (DC 25 Craft (Runebinding) check to make) plus 300gp for every two hit dice above 12 the Skaab has.
• Three spells cast over the constructed body of the Skaab: Animate Dead (if the number of HD used to create the skaab is less than 16), Create Undead (if the number of HD used to create the skaab is less than 32), or Create Greater Undead; Suggestion (if the number of HD used to create the skaab is less than 16), or Geas/Quest; Awaken Undead. These spells may be cast from scrolls, if need be.

Creating the Skaab:

• Creating the Skaab's stats. To find the Skaab's strength score, use a base of 10+1/2 the Skaab's HD. Then, add the sum of all of the strength modifiers of the corpses used in the creation of the skaab. The dexterity score of the Skaab has a base of 14. As an undead creature, it has no Con score. For each of the Skaab's mental stats, roll 4d6, in order, and sum the best 3 numbers.
• Determine the Skaab's size. The size of the Skaab is based off of the HD of the Skaab: It is Large if the Skaab has less than 16 HD, Huge if the Skaab has between 16 and 32 HD, and Gargantuan if the Skaab has more than 32 HD. Apply size modifiers to the Skaab's stats.
• Determine base land speed of the Skaab. This is 30ft if the Skaab is Large, 40ft if it's Huge, and 50ft if it's Gargantuan.
• Determine the Skaab's saving throws. The Skaab's fortitude and will saves are 1/2 it's HD +2, and it's reflex saving throw is 1/3 it's HD. Then apply bonuses or penalties based on it's stats.
• Base attacks. The Skaab has a base attack bonus equal to 1/2 it's HD, and a slam attack that deals normal damage for it's size
• Add Special abilities. The Skaab has one special ability for every 6 HD the Skaab has. Choose from the following list:
  • Armor plating: This Skaab gains a +1 Natural Armor bonus to AC for every 4 HD it has. This bonus may be selected multiple times.
  • Reinforced Flesh: This Skaab has twice the HD it normally would. (This does not prevent the Skabaren from creating it.) However, it is restricted to taking a single move action or standard action in a round, as a Zombie would.
  • Wings: The Skaab gains a pair of wings, that have a fly speed of twice it's base land speed with Clumsy maneuverability. Applying this trait requires wings from a creature the size of the Skaab.
  • Scything Claws: This Skaab replaced it's base slam attack with a Primary Natural Scythe attack that does damage as a slam attack of a Skaab of one size larger would, dealing Piercing/Slashing damage, with a critical range of (19-20/x3). For each additional time this trait is selected, it gains an additional Scythe attack, resulting in another attack at the Skaab's highest base attack bonus with this weapon at the start of it's turn. This trait may be taken no more than 3 times.
  • Bite: This Skaab gains a Bite attack of a creature of it's size normally would as a Secondary Natural Attack. This trait may be selected up to 3 times.
  • Thick Hide: The Skaab gains Damage Reduction X/-, where X is 1/4 it's HD.
  In addition, they have Vulnerability to Fire, as most of the Ichor sustaining them is made from lamp oil.

The Skaab's attitude towards it's creator is always Helpful.

Werewolves

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Werewolves in Innistrad are different from werewolves in the normal D&D setting; it is never a benefit to a human to have a werewolf side. Lycanthropy is spread through the natural Bite attacks of werewolves; anyone hit by it must make a DC 15 fortitude save or become a werewolf themselves. When someone fails this saving throw, if not purged of the disease by the next full moon (Requiring a successful fortitude save after being the target of a Cure Disease spell), they permanently become a werewolf, gaining the following special ability:
Alternate Form (Ex): Whenever the full moon shows in the skies of Innistrad, or when a werewolf is placed under extreme emotional distress (and they fail a DC 20 Wisdom check), the Werewolf changes into it's wolf form. In this form, the Werewolf becomes Large size, gains a +8 bonus to Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity (after the size modifiers are applied), their Int score is set to 2, and the Werewolf gains two primary natural claw attacks and a primary secondary bite attack, that deal damage as normal for their new size. Finally, they gain Damage Reduction 5/Silver. The werewolf is unable to use any artificial weapons in this alternate form, but they retain any combat-focused abilities that the Werewolf has in it's normal form. The Werewolf's alignment shifts to Chaotic Evil while in this form, and it attacks humans whenever it can. Finally, the werewolf gains 4 Animal HD, giving it additional HP equal to 4d8+ 4x it's con modifier, and +3 BAB. The Werewolf's CR is treated as 4 higher while in this form.

Some werewolves, embracing their Wolf side, gain special powers while in their werewolf form, which are treated as a template while they have while in their alternate form:
Pack Leader: This trait causes all werewolves within 60ft of the Pack Leader to gain a +4 bonus to Strength and Constitution. Alternatively, the Pack Hunter might give a +6 Strength bonus, if they so choose. A werewolf with this trait is treated as having a CR of 2 higher than normal.
Fast Hunter: This trait causes all werewolves within 60ft of the Fast Hunter to gain the benefits of a Haste effect. A werewolf with this trait is treated as having a CR of 2 higher than normal.
Moonscarred: This trait gives the werewolf the spellcasting ability of a 5th level druid. It can only be applied to a Werewolf with a Wis score of at least 13. A werewolf with this trait is treated as having a CR of 1 higher than normal.
Primordial: This trait causes the werewolf to gain Regeneration 10/Silver. A werewolf with this trait is treated as having a CR of 1 higher than normal.

Vampires

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Vampires in Innistrad are treated as a base race. Only exceptional individuals are turned into Vampires, and they often have several class levels.

Vampire racial stats:
Humanoid (Augmented): Vampires in Innistrad are not actually undead, though they might seem it at times.
Base Land Speed 30ft. Vampires are just as fast on their feet as humans are.
+4 Str, +4 Cha, -2 Wis: Vampires are exceptionally strong and self-confidant, and they lose many of the inhibitions they had before.
Glamour: As a standard action at will, a Vampire may use Disguise Self as a Spell-Like ability.
Aura of Silence: A vampire is constantly surrounded by a 3' radius area of silence. They may activate or deactivate this power as a free action.
+4 Racial bonus to Hide checks: Vampires are a stealthy race.
Vampire Vulnerabilities: Vampires are unsettled in the presence of silver, imposing a -1 penalty on attack rolls, damage rolls, saving throws, and skill checks while able to see naked silver. they are also unable to cross running water with the moon reflected in it.
Blood Frenzy: A Vampire must feed on the blood of humans to survive. Doing this requires them to succeed in pinning the victim in a grapple check, or the human being helpless to resist. Each round, the Vampire deal 1d4 points of constitution damage to the victim. They must deal at least 10 points of constitution damage each month in this way to survive. After dealing at least 5 points of constitution damage in this way, the Vampire gains a +2 bonus to Str and Con for one day.
Immortal: The Vampire does not age at all; it does not accrue penalties to physcial ability scores, nor bonuses to mental ability scores as time goes on.
Blood Line abilities: Vampires, as they grow stronger, gain supernatural powers from their bloodline, manifesting in special powers unique to each bloodline.
Markov Bloodline:

• At 5th level, a Vampire with the Markov bloodline gains the ability to use Charm Person as a spell like ability 3 times per day (DC = 11+Cha score).
• At 10th level, the Vampire may use Charm Person at will, and the DC is improved to 14+ the Vampire's charisma score.
• At 15th level, the Vampire gains a +2 bonus to Charisma, and may use Dominating Gaze (as the vampire entry in the SRD) for a number of rounds each day equal to their character level.
• At 20th level, the Vampire may use Dominate Monster 1/day (DC = 19+Cha modifier).

Falkenrath Bloodline:

• At 5th level, the Vampire gains a fly speed of 30ft with Poor maneuverability.
• At 10th level, the Vampire's fly speed increases to 60ft with Average Maneuverability.
• At 15th level, the Vampire's fly speed increases to 90ft with Good maneuverability, and they gain a +2 bonus to strength.
• At 20th level, the Vampire's fly speed increases to 120ft with Perfect Maneuverability.

Voldaren Bloodline:

• At 5th level, the Vampire gains a Rat, Cat, and Bat alternate form.
• At 10th level, the Vampire gain the ability to wildshape as a 5th level druid.
• At 15th level, the Vampire gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity, and can use Gaseous Form 3/day as a spell-like ability.
• At 20th level, the Vampire may use Wildshape as a 10th level druid.

Stromkirk Bloodline:

• At 5th level, the Vampire gains Minor Change Shape ability, as a changeling does.
• At 10th level, the Vampire may use Greater Invisibility, as the spell, for a total of 1 round per day per character level they have. They may activate or deactivate the ability as a swift action.
• At 15th level, the Vampire gains a +2 bonus to Dexterity and Sneak Attack +2d6, as the rogue ability.
• At 20th level, the Vampire's racial sneak attack improves to +5d6.

Vampires have a Level Adjustment of +1

The Church of Avacyn

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The Church of Avacyn is of huge importance to the setting; they are the driving force behind much of the setting, protecting the humans from the monsters of the world, controlling the politics of the human lands, and leading inquisitions against the monsters in the world.

Classes of the Church

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Within the church, there are relatively few classes used by the clergymen. Most of them, of course, are divine classes. However, there is segregation based on the different roles that different classes play.

Priests of Avacyn- Most, if not all, of the clerics in the Church of Avacyn are Cloistered Clerics- those that preach Avacyn's word to the masses and do not lead the fight to the monsters are mostly untrained in fighting, trained instead to be learned, devout spellcasters.

Cathars: Cathars' classes are mostly dependant on their roles.
Runechanters and Lunar-Smiths are almost always clerics, with the occasional Sorcerers or even Wizards finding their way into the ranks.
Inquisitors are the most martial characters within the church, acting as hired defense for the parishes in Innistrad, or exterminators to purge a werewolf infested town. For the most part, they are Paladins and Crusaders (and occasionally Crusader/Bards), with one non-cloistered Clerics to magical backup. There are, however, a few Wizards, Sorcerers, and Warblades within their ranks as well.
Parish-Blades are the defenders of the church with the most variety of classes. They run the gamut of everything from Barbarians to Wizards, and everything in between.

Inquisitor
Class: Paladin
Level: 6
Replaces: If you take this class feature, you do not gain Remove Disease 1/week, or any additional uses of that ability.
Benefit: At 6th level, and every 3 levels thereafter, you gain a Paladin bonus feat. This feat can be any Divine feat, Fighter Bonus feat, or feat from the following list: Awesome Smite, Battle Blessing, Extra Smite, Blessing of Avacyn, Slayer of Undead, or Armor of Scales*.

*The paladin need not have the Dragonblood subtype to take this feat.

Champion of Avacyn
Class: Paladin
Level: 5
Replaces: If you take this ACF, you lost your paladin mount.
Benefit: You gain a number of benefits, depending on your class level:
5th Level: Smite the Monstrous (Su)- You may Turn Undead as a Cleric of your Paladin level. In addition, you may use your Smite attack once per encounter without expending a daily use of the ability against any Undead, Werewolf, or Vampire. You gain one additional smite smite in this way every 6 levels.
7th Level: Mettle (Ex)- Whenever a Paladin makes a successful Will or Fortitude save against an attack that normally would have a lesser effect on a successful save (such as any spell with a saving throw entry of Will half or Fortitude partial), he instead completely negates the effect. Even an unconscious or sleeping Paladin gains the benefit of mettle, and is immediately woken by the effect.
9th Level: Improved Divine Grace (Ex)- At 9th level, the Paladin's Divine Grace improves. Now, they may add their Charisma modifier as a Sacred bonus to each of their other ability scores.
11th Level: Holy Vengeance (Su)- At 11th level, the Paladin may expend one of their daily Smite Evil attempts as a free action to gain the benefits of the Haste spell for a number of rounds equal to 1d4+their Charisma modifier. In addition, while in this state, they gain a bonus on attack and damage rolls against Undead, Vampires, and Werewolves equal to the paladin's Charisma modifier.
13th Level: Inexorable Justice (Su)- At 13th level, the Paladin is constantly affected by a Freedom of Movement effect, and gains Spell Resistance equal to 10+their paladin level+ their charisma modifier.
15th Level: Blessing of the Angels (Sp)- At 15th level, the Paladin gains the blessings of the Angels of Innistrad. You may, 1/week, use Gate, as the spell, to call forth Avacyn's Host. When you do, you may call a number of Angels or Archons, up to a maximum HD of twice your character level, to aid you in battle. No angels called this way may have more HD than you. At 20th level, you may use this power to call Avacyn herself, wherever she is, to your location, but when you do, you cannot use this power for a year afterwards.
17th Level: What Cannot Be Destroyed Must Be Bound (Su)- Paladins of this level have ascended the duties of regular Inquisitors, and become listed among Avacyn's Elite, tasked with binding the most powerful evils in Innistrad, such as Liches and Demons, so that their evil may be contained forever, rather than merely obliterating lesser evil. By expending a daily Smite Evil attempt, the paladin may attempt to bind an enemy after it's been weakened. Resolve this as a Banishing spell, with the Paladin's Holy Symbol being treated as Hated and Feared by the enemy (+4 bonus to DC and bypassing SR), and an additional +2 if the creature's HP is under 1/4 of what it started at. This ability cannot be used unless the creature is under half health.
19th Level: Undying Honor (Ex)- At 19th level, for a number of rounds per day equal to their paladin level, divided up as the Paladin chooses, a Paladin of Avacyn may be treated as though they were under the effects of Delay Death, though they treat themselves as though they were at their full hit points for all purposes, including against the effects of a Power Word spell. This prevents the paladin from being effected by the Dead, Dying, and Disabled conditions from a low hit point total. Activating this power is an immediate action, and ending it is a free action; however, activating the power for less than a round still counts as a round of use of the ability.
20th Level: Blessing of Avacyn (Su)- At 20th level, the Paladin of Avacyn has become so powerful that they may call upon Avacyn by name, and evoke her full power. Once per day, the Paladin of Avacyn may use Miracle, as the spell, paying all experience costs as normal. The effect is carried out by Avacyn herself, and she will almost always grant it as intended by the Paladin.

Services of the Church

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The Church has a role in the daily life of almost every citizen in Gavony, leading masses daily and blessing Innistrad's Civilians. However, they require daily tithes from every civilian for their services, and attendance in churches is mandatory. What is the money used for?

During each service, Priests of Avacyn use the rituals granted by the Blessing of Avacyn feat on the attendants of the church. In addition, the church receives special tithes from wealthy inhabitants for the benefits of more expensive Ceremony feats, at twice the cost of performing it.

However, the most important function of the daily Masses of Avacyn is that they grant Ritual feats. Ritual Feats, first introduced in the Player's Guide to Eberron, work as temporary feats that last for a week after they are obtained, usually through a church service. Before Avacyn left, these feats were automatically granted to each attendant of the church on the day the ritual feat was granted. Now, however, it takes a DC 15 Concentration check made during the masses to receive the bonuses; on a failed check, you do not gain the bonuses, and cannot try again for a week. The rituals are each performed once per mass, a different one for each day in the week. However, clerics hold a special service for inquisitors and travelers on the day they leave, giving them each all of the rituals for the week in one service. The rituals are described below.

Warding from Evil [Ritual]
Benefit: When rolling for random encounters, if you roll an actual encounter, you roll again. (An actual encounter occurs if you do not roll 'no encounter' on the random encounter chart.) If a character is looking for an encounter in the wilderness, be it to find food or just to pass the time, the benefit of this feat is lost.

Ritual of Vitality [Ritual]
Benefit: You gain a +1 Resistance bonus on saving throws against Disease and Poison. If you willingly ingest poison, or seek to contract a disease, such as Lycanthropy, you lose the benefit of this feat.
*More feats to be added later*

Magic of Innistrad

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Spells of Innistrad

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Animate Cadaver
Necromancy
Sorcerer/Wizard 2, Dread Necromancer 2
Targets: One Humanoid corpse

As the spell Animate Dead, except as noted.
Material Component: 15gp of Onyx dust, sprinkled onto the corpse.

Buying Spells

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Curses
In Innistrad, amongst the practitioners of dark magic, cursing is an art. Witches of Innistrad have had centuries to hone their art, and have developed a large number of unique curses that they wield against their foes, or the foes of whoever has enough coin. Each Witch, as those who specialize in curses are known as, has a unique repertoire that they offer for coin.

When commissioning a curse, the price of it is dependent on a number of factors. Curses have a base price of approximately 500gp- quite expensive for the vast majority of the population, though within the price range of most vampires. However, the price can vary- the base curses, as shown in the spell description, can cost as low as 450 gp, while the price of the uses described in the Book of Vile Darkness can cost up to 600 gp. Truly unique curses tailored to specific individuals can cost up to 700-750gp, or even more, depending on how powerful the curse is. However, these unique curses often are harder to dispel than regular curses- if the person purchasing a curse has a personal vendetta against the cursed target, the curse they buy is not able to be removed by a Break Enchantment or Remove Curse spell- it requires some task of penance to be performed, or such magic as Limited Wish, Wish, or Miracle. Tasks of penance are the most common way such curses are resolved- and the tasks require vary on the curse. For example, a curse that causes someone and all of their companions to take a -2 penalty on attack and damage rolls might require the cursed individual to spend a week alone, without coming within 30ft of another living human, and a curse that makes an individual immune to healing spells may have to spend a month doing community service for the curse to wear off. The way to remove a curse is automatically revealed after a Remove Curse spell is cast upon the cursed individual.

Any contributions/ideas/whatever you want to throw out there would be really appreciated.

[Daverin]

This? This is awesome, and you are awesome for doing this. Can't wait to see it completed!

[Dsurion]

Originally Posted by DMofDarkness

9th Level: Improved Divine Grace (Ex)- At 9th level, the Paladin's Divine Grace improves. Now, they may add their Charisma modifier as a Sacred bonus to each of their other ability scores.

This is a really powerful constant buff. And awesome

Most of the paladin class features there are pretty cool, too. Awesome work.

[Malacode]

Favourite'd, sending to all of my friends. This is incredibly awesome.

[DMofDarkness]

Okay, just added a few small changes and the beginning of the Magic of Innistrad section. However, there are a few things that I could use help with:

1. Does anyone have any idea how to put a CR on the Skaabs? In general, they're probably going to be used more by the DM than the players, but I'm stumped as to how to CR them.

2. Are the Vampires balanced for +1 LA? It felt right, but with the scaling abilities, I'm not entirely sure...

3. I'm not entirely sold on the idea of Werewolves as I have them; it's easy to use, but it just doesn't seem right. Anyone have any ideas, or know if they seem balanced at that CR?

4. I'm running dry on the ideas for Ritual feats that don't overlap with the Blessing of Avacyn feat, any ideas?

5. I have absolutely no idea how to stat up the geists and still have them feel the same way as they do in Innistrad. That is, fragile and easy to kill, but able to move right through your defenses and wreck up your blockers. For the Niblis, I had the idea of a Stun attack, but I'm not sure...

Also, any contributions you guys have would be really appreciated.

[emeraldblaze]

Wow thats just awesome!

[Callos_DeTerran]

First off, let me say that I whole-heartedly approve of this endeavor in ever capacity. I love the Innistrad setting and I had been debating doing something like this myself for some time.

Minor Nitpicks:
Innistrad Werewolves actually don't transmit their lycanthropy via bite like normal. Instead there's a ritual (of sorts) where a prospective werewolf is stalked by the members of a howlpack and, over the course of the hunt, becomes a werewolf by the rise of the first full moon. It seems more akin to a pagan ritual then a disease though many in Innistrad believe that lycanthropy is passed via bites.

Suggestions:
You seem to have a good handle on how to handle skaabs but, if I might make a suggestion, you may want to take a look at the Alchemist class from Pathfinder and, more specifically, an archtype/alternate class features for it that deal with an alchemist creating the undead with their tonics, concoctions and so on. It'd only take minor effort to reverse engineer it into a 3.5 class that would ideally represent necro-alchemists and/or Skabaren like Geralf and Ludevic. The Alchemist class in general fits Innistrad honestly.

On Geists, these will be the easiest creatures to handle actually. Geists are simply various kinds of incorperal undead gathered under a single name. Maybe create some more kinds, unique to the setting, but honestly incorperal undead perfectly represent geists. The problem will be how to represent geist-mages, those who use/trap geists for personal power. It's also worth noting that magical items in Innistrad seem to be created by binding geists into items.

[DMofDarkness]

Originally Posted by Callos_DeTerran

On Geists, these will be the easiest creatures to handle actually. Geists are simply various kinds of incorperal undead gathered under a single name. Maybe create some more kinds, unique to the setting, but honestly incorperal undead perfectly represent geists. The problem will be how to represent geist-mages, those who use/trap geists for personal power. It's also worth noting that magical items in Innistrad seem to be created by binding geists into items.

I was thinking about this, but the problem is that the incorporeal undead in D&D and Innistrad are completely different, mechanically. Translating incorporeal undead in D&D to Magic would be a Gloom Surgeon with Infect, and possibly less power. They are hard to touch in the first place, but easy to kill when you can hit them. They wither down your defenses and weaken you, and are a pain to deal with in general. The Innistrad geists are nothing like that. They either explode out of nowhere in seemingly random ways (A la Geistflame/Wrack with Madness/Burning Vengeance) or have a solid body that phases in and out of existence (Which can be done, with things like Lantern Spirit being equated to low-level Ghosts) or have Niblis effects (which basically prevent you from stopping them when they try to get through- which I might try out as a moving-people-out-of-the-way effect) or just be like Chapel Geist or Fettergeist that are just huge flying monsters that are easily interacted with and killable, but can fly and do other ghostly things. I don't think D&D's array of incorporeal undead would fit with that description, and I don't have any experience statting out new monsters.

Originally Posted by Callos_DeTerran

Suggestions:
You seem to have a good handle on how to handle skaabs but, if I might make a suggestion, you may want to take a look at the Alchemist class from Pathfinder and, more specifically, an archtype/alternate class features for it that deal with an alchemist creating the undead with their tonics, concoctions and so on. It'd only take minor effort to reverse engineer it into a 3.5 class that would ideally represent necro-alchemists and/or Skabaren like Geralf and Ludevic. The Alchemist class in general fits Innistrad honestly.

I'll look into this, and see if that works out. Another feature would also work for the geist-mages of Innistrad.