Unnecessary Evil: House Rules

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This lists some of the house rules that were created specifically for the Unnecessary Evil campaign in 4th edition D&D.

Player Race Components

Each race gains some of the following advantages, based on its cosmological make-up. For more information about the cosmological components of races, refer to the "Creatures" section of Cosmology. When reviewing the list of races below, reference the racial component list to see the mechanical effect of their Energy, Substance, Mind, Thriving, and Feeding configuration.

Energies

Life Energy: 5 + 1/2 level Radiant resistance, +2 Int or +2 Wis Life Thriver: +2 Diplomacy, low-light vision, +1 healing surge

Heat Energy: 5 + 1/2 level Fire resistance, +2 Cha or +2 Int Heat Thriver: +2 Intimidate, +5 to Fear saves, +2 initiative

Light Energy: 5 + 1/2 level Lightning resistance, +2 Cha or +2 Wis Light Thriver: +2 Perception, +5 to Blindness saves, when surprised do not grant combat advantage and can take a move action

Death Energy: 5 + 1/2 level Necrotic resistance, +2 Int or +2 Wis Death Thriver: +2 Bluff, Death Mark power (below)

Cold Energy: 5 + 1/2 level Cold resistance, +2 Cha or +2 Int Cold Thriver: +2 Insight, Ignores difficult terrain when shifting, reduces forced movement distance by 1, can make an immediate save to avoid the prone status effect

Dark Energy: 5 + 1/2 level Shadow resistance, +2 Cha or +2 Wis Dark Thriver: +2 Stealth, Darkvision

Death Mark

At-will; Minor Action; Special restriction

Mark any enemy. If that enemy is slain, you may spend a healing surge. The mark lasts until the end of the encounter, the enemy is slain, or you apply the mark to another creature. You may only spend two healing surges in this way each encounter.

Substances

Flesh Substance: Healing Surges heal surge value + Con modifier damage, +2 Str, Dex, or Con, receives +5 to death saves and do not automatically die until reaching negative full health Flesh Eater: +2 Heal, May use Second Wind twice per encounter

Stone Substance: 5 + 1/2 level Force resistance, +2 Str or Con Stone Eater: +2 Endurance, +1 AC defense

Water Substance: 5 + 1/2 level Acid resistance, +2 Dex or Con Water Eater: +2 Athletics and +1 Will defense (if also water breather gain Swim speed of 6)

Wind Substance: 5 + 1/2 level Thunder resistance, Incorporeal, Weakened Wind Eater: +2 Acrobatics, +1 Reflex defense

Wood Substance: 5 + 1/2 level Poison resistance, +2 Str or Dex Wood Eater: +2 Nature, +1 Fortitude defense

Minds

Instinct Mind: 5 + 1/2 level Psychic resistance, Immune to Diplomacy, Bluff effects, +5 to Dominate, Charm, Sleep save effects.

Dream Mind: Arcane Training (classes which grant this grant Arcane Focus instead), does not sleep

Memory Mind: History Training (classes which grant this grant History Focus instead), does not age

Reason Mind: +1 Skill Training

Player Races

Human

• Life Energy (Thrives in Light and Heat)
• Flesh Substance (Feeds on Flesh and Wood)
• Reason Mind

High Men Variety: +1 starting feat, +1 at-will power at first level.

Halfling Variety: +2 versus opportunity attacks. Second Chance. Encounter; Immediate Interrupt; Enemy must reroll an attack roll, using the second roll.

Wood Elf

• Life Energy (Thrives in Light and Heat)
• Wood Substance (Feeds on Wind and Water)
• Dream Mind

Evergreen Variety: +1 Speed. Elven Accuracy. Encounter; Immediate Reaction; Reroll a failed attack roll, using the second roll.

Eladrin Variety: +5 to Charm saves, Feystep. Encounter; Move; Teleport 5 squares. You must have line of sight to the destination. Others cannot teleport with you.

Stone Dwarf

• Life Energy (Thrives in Dark and Heat)
• Stone Substance (Feeds on Stone and Water)
• Reason Mind

Mountain Variety: Reduce forced movement distances by 1 square, +5 Poison saves, Second Wind is a minor action.

Deep Variety: +2 Dungeoneering, Ironhide. Encounter; Minor Action; Gain 5 Resist to all damage until the start of your next turn.

Western Goliath

• Life Energy (Thrives in Dark and Cold)
• Stone Substance (Feeds on Flesh and Stone)
• Reason Mind

Granite Variety: +1 Will defense, Damage Resist 1, Move is unaffected by load or armor.

Gorukar

• Heat Energy (Thrives in Death and Heat)
• Flesh Substance (Feeds on Flesh and Stone)
• Reason Mind

High Orc Variety: Gem Biter. Encounter; Move action; The High Orc may consume a gem of at least 50gp value for one the following effects, depending on the gem consumed: Ruby +2 power bonus to hit until the end of the next turn; Diamond +2 power bonus to AC until end of the next turn; Emerald spend a healing surge; Topaz +2 damage until the end of next turn; Amethyst +2 to Fortitude, Reflex, Will until the end of next turn; Sapphire +2 to skill rolls until end of next turn; Opal +2 to saves until end of next turn; Onyx +1 minor action until end of next turn; Tiger's Eye +2 speed until end of next turn. Consuming a gem of 100gp value or higher doubles these power bonuses.

Blood Orc Variety: +5 to saves versus slow and immobilize, Savage Strike. Encounter; Free action; After rolling an attack roll, you gain a bonus to hit and damage equal to your Cha modifier.

Goblin Variety: Goblin Tactics. At-will; Immediate Reaction; When missed by a melee attack, the goblin may shift 1 square.

Fire Dragonkin

• Heat Energy (Thrives in Dark and Heat)
• Flesh Substance (Feeds on Flesh and Stone)
• Reason Mind

Drakeling Variety: +2 defenses against traps, Shifty. At-will; Minor action; The Drakeling shifts 1 square.

Ghoul

• Death Energy (Thrives in Life and Death)
• Flesh Substance (Feeds on Flesh and Stone)
• Reason Mind

Flesh Sleeper Variety: 1d6 unarmed attack, Flesh Sleeper Claw. At-will; Standard action; Necrotic; Melee unarmed; Str vs. AC; Target 1 creature; Hit: Deal 1W + Str Mod damage and the target is slowed (save ends). At level 6 the status effect increases to immobilized (save ends).

Butcher Variety: 1d6 unarmed blade attack, Tendon Render. Encounter; Standard action; Necrotic; Melee blade; Str vs. AC; Target 1 creature; Hit: Deal 2W + Str Mod damage and the target is weakened (save ends). At level 11 the status effect increases to weakened and slowed (save ends both).

Blood Drinker Variety: +1 attack vs. bloodied enemies, 1d6 unarmed attack, Drink Deep. Encounter; Minor Action; When adjacent to a bloodied enemy the Ghoul may spend a healing surge at + Con Mod value.

Fiendling

• Dark Energy (Thrives in Dark)
• Flesh Substance (Feeds on Flesh, Water, Wind)
• Reason Mind

Vashar

• Dark Energy (Thrives in Dark and Light)
• Flesh Substance (Feeds on Flesh and Water)
• Reason Mind

Feats

As the 4th edition player's handbook + errata, with the following additions / alterations / subtractions:

Arcane Accuracy

Requirements: Wizard

Choose one of the following keywords: Poison, Fire, Cold, Charm, Psychic, Radiant, Thunder, Lightning, Force, Necrotic, Acid. Arcane Powers you have with that keyword gain a +1 feat bonus to attack rolls. This feat can be taken multiple times, choosing a different keyword each time. Since each bonus is a feat bonus, they do not stack. Selecting this feat multiple times only expands the powers that gain the benefit of this feat.

Fast Step

Requirements: 14 Dexterity

Encounter, Minor Action. Shift 4 squares.

Light and Dark Token Powers

These powers are used as meta-mechanics for the players and GM to affect the story outside of their characters own capabilities. Each power states whether the Players or GM spend light tokens or accumulate dark tokens to activate the power. The GM may spend dark tokens on any power for which the Players spend light tokens, allowing the affect to benefit the enemies of the players.

Fatal Mistake

At-will, Interrupt

The party may accept 1 dark token to turn an attack roll just made by an enemy into a 1.

Fear's End

Once / Level, Standard

The wielder of the shield may spend 2 light tokens to remove all negative status effects for all allies, renders each ally immune to all powers with the Fear keyword until the end of the encounter, and allows each ally to spend a healing surge at +10 value

Fickle Fate

Encounter, Interrupt

The party may accept 1 dark token to prevents a rechargeable power from being recharged by an enemy during the current turn.

Friends in Need

Daily, Free

The party may spend 5 light tokens to summon allies which guarantee victory in the current battle.

Improbable Survival

Daily, Free

The party may spend 2 light tokens or accumulate 3 dark tokens to return 1 dead player character to life.

Items Lost

GM, Narrative

The GM may spend 2 dark tokens to remove all non-artifact items from the party's possession.

Just Strike

Encounter, Interrupt

The party may spend 1 light token or accumulate 1 dark token to turn an attack roll an ally just made to a 20.

Purging the Dark

At-will, Free

The party may spend 1 light token to lose one 1 dark token.

Talisman of Tears

Encounter, Standard

The party may accept 2 dark tokens to summon a Tear of Umbrus into combat. The Tear is a Close Blast 2 zone that appears adjacent to the wearer of the amulet. Any creature entering or starting in the zone takes 3d8+7 damage which ignores Resists. A creature starting in the zone is dazed. A creature who becomes bloodied in the zone is weakened (se). A creature who drops to 0 hp in the zone vanishes and cannot be returned. The damage of the sphere increases the more often it is summoned. The wearer of the amulet can move the zone 4 squares with a standard action.

Whispering Crystal

Session / Daily, Free

The party may spend 1 light token to choose to ask one question. If the Whispering Crystal is able to answer, it will do so truthfully. If it is unable to answer, it will utter obvious nonsense and the party is refunded the light token spent on this power. Note: The Crystal may only answer one question per day, and the power may only be activated once per game session.

Action Points

Characters will receive 1 action point per encounter, instead of 1 action point per milestone. Action points can be saved from encounter to encounter, but are lost at the end of a milestone (which in the campaign translates to the fully planned content of a session).

Hits and Misses

Hitting

Hit damage is not rolled, it always deals "standard mean damage". This term is determined by adding: 1/2 maximum variable damage + static damage. For example, if a power does 1d8 + 4 standard damage it would deal 8 standard mean damage. Of course the word "mean" here is not entirely accurate, since the mean of any even-sided polyedral die is going to be .5, but for simplicity this mean rounds down.

Damage with no variable component is still considered part of the "standard mean damage" expression, it simply uses the static standard damage portion of the term. For example, a hit that deals 5 damage deals 5 standard mean damage.

When a character rolls a hit on an attack roll, it is considered a "heavy hit" and deals 2/3 standard mean damage, in addition to full normal hit side benefits.

Missing

When a character rolls a miss on an attack roll, it is considered a "light hit" and deals 1/3 standard mean damage, in addition to either diminished or no hit side benefits.

Whiff Tokens

While the Miss system described above reduces the negative consequences of bad rolls, it does not cure the inevitable run of bad luck. Whiff tokens are designed to further increase a player's ability to feel effective in a heroic campaign. To that end, when a character rolls a "light hit" on an attack roll, they additionally may choose of the following:

1. Generate a Whiff Token*, expend the power normally, and generate any Effect and Miss consequences normally.
2. Generate a Whiff Token*, retain the power as if it were Reliable**, and do not generate any Effect or Miss consequences.

• Fine print for OA's and multiple targets, see below

• • To compensate powers which are already Reliable, those powers will receive a +2 accuracy bonus to all of their attack rolls.

Whiff Token fine print:

• Can only be gained on attacks during your own turn
• Can only be gained when a single, primary attack is a light hit or when over half of multiple primary attacks are light hits

In combat, a character can spend whiff tokens in the following ways:

1. Whiff token can be spent after an attack to upgrade a light hit into a heavy hit for any single attack
2. Whiff tokens can be spent before an attack generate a heavy hit against half of the targets of a mulitiple target primary attack. Player chooses which targets receive heavy hits, the rest receive light hits.
3. Whiff tokens can be spent after an attack to upgrade a heavy hit to a critical hit
4. Whiff tokens can be spent after an attack to upgrade a light hit to a critical hit

Abstract Naval Combat Options

• Lead (Any social skill) Bonus to remaining crew rolls.
• Weapon (Athletics or Perception) Bonus to hit or recharge weapon.
• Speed (Athletics or Acrobatics) Increase accelleration or braking; also defense.
• Manuever (Athletics or Endurance) Increase max face changes and defense.
• Repair (Nature) Restore hull points or undo damage to systems.
• Bilge (Athletics or Endurance) Nullify bloodied penalties
• Medic (Heal with Easy DC or Social with Hard DC) Restore downed crew.

Skill Challenges

Since the skill challenges of the standard 4th edition D&D are mathematically daft, this campaign will make (frequent) use of the Obsidian skill challenge system, including the Amethyst tactical addition.

Creatures

Solo and Elite Creatures

To correct what is perceived to be a flaw in the economy of actions with respect to solo creatures, it is deemed that they should be less suscpetible to status effects. To achieve this desired result, one of two options (but not both at the same time) may be employed during the campaign for solo or elite creatures.

Shrug-off effect: As a minor action a solo creature can make a saving throw against one negative status effect it is experiencing (even if it does not normally allow a save). As a standard action, the solo creature can make a saving throw against each such effect.

Ignore effect: When a negative status effect is applied, the creature may make an immediate saving throw to prevent it from being applied.

Neither of these abilities can be applied to effects that last until the end of the encounter, as those should have been balanced for such a duration.

Super Minions

To offer a wider range of "squishy" opponents, this campaign may make use of an enhanced version of minions. Regular minions will still exist and be utilized regularly. An enhanced minion is based more precisely on a fraction of a single creature. For example, instead of having 1 hp each, like a regular minion, an enhanced minion would have (full creature hp * 1/n) where n is the number of enhanced minions representing the creature. If a single minion is killed with an excess of damage, that damage is dealt evenly to the remaining minions, but never reducing the remaining minions below 1 hp.

Similarly, the damage of an enhanced minion will be 1/n * avg damage of the single creature. This could create damage that is higher than a standard minion, but could also create damage that is lower than a standard minion (particularly in cases where a single creature is represented by a large number of enahnced minions).

These minions will offer a wider range of options for "squishy" combatants, while preserving the rough tactical worth of a single creature. They will also not suffer from strange special-case rules, such as minions being immune to miss effect damage. These minions would not have that immunity.

Combat Acceleration

Combats in 4e of an appropriate challenge level tend to take much too long. They also tend to end with a laborious whimper instead of an appropriately cinematic BANG! To cure both of these things we have chosen to implement a combat acceleration mechanic.

Ding Tokens

Because everything is fixed with tokens, we start the mechanic by describing Ding Tokens. These are acquired by the party during the first half of the fight (see Turning Point, below). Here is the current chart of Ding Token accumulation (this may be tweaked over time as the mechanic is refined):

• 2 for a party member becoming bloodied for the first time
• 2 for a party member dropping (0 hp or less) for the first time
• 2 for a previously dropped party member dropping again, having become unbloodied befoer doing so

Turning Point

The turning point is when these Ding Tokens can be turned in for some serious ass beating potential. What defines a turning point can vary from encounter to encounter, and the GM is likely to fudge the point for narrative appropriateness, and level of interest in the players. Generally, it occurs when either half of the XP value of the encounter is dropped, or all of the XP value of the encounter is bloodied, or some combination thereof.

Acceleration Powers

Once the party reaches the turning point they can choose to purchase one of the Acceleration Powers.

Crit Accelerator: By sacrificing healing surges equal to the number of Ding Tokens, the whole party gains this power until the end of the encounter. Once during each player's turn, that player generates 5 whiff tokens as a free action.

Hit Accelerator: By sacrificing healing surges equal to half the number of Ding Tokens (rounding down), the whole party gains this power until the end of the encounter. Once during each player's turn, that player generates 2 whiff tokens as a free action.

The sacrifice of healing surges is performed by the whole party as an aggregate, not by each individual player. Also, any player can elect to pay some or all of the healing surges, allowing the party to spread the damage around however they wish.

God's Gift Powers

These powers are meant to give the PC's a mechanical adjustment when a character is missing from the session. It seems to work rather well. The fights stay in the same range of difficulty, regardless of how many PC's are present or absent, and they do not require major retooling.

Active Use Powers (AP)

Using these powers is a free action during a character's turn. Each power can only be used once during their turn. These powers all need to be rolled to be retained for use later in the encounter. To see if a power is retained, roll d20 and apply the modifier specified. If the roll is 10 or higher, the power is retained. Each subsequent use of the power during that encounter incurs a -5 to the retention roll.

Static Powers (SP)

These are always on and do not need to be used.

Lucidus

Inner Strength of the Distant Sun (AP+10)

Spend surge to heal value +15, and your or 1 ally can roll a save against an ongoing effect.

Warbeast

Gift of Feral Might (SP)

Enemies have 40% hit points, as your attacks grow even more vicious and deadly.

Aedifica

Perfect Synchronicity (AP)

Gain combat advantage against 1 target ent or slide 1 target 5.

Suentius

Quid Pro Quo (SP)

Enemies deal 40% damage.

Weigh the Options (AP)

A-Burst within 10, each enemy is immobilized etnt.

Umbrus

Always in Motion (AP)

Shift all allies 3.

R, F: One ally can spend a healing surge at +12 value, first retain roll automatically succeeds

E, F: All allies make a save and gain 10 thp