Immersive Ink

Questions and Answers regarding the 2014 House Rules

What is the new Normal/Heroic: section in the character sheet, how do we become Heroic and what does it do for us?

heartless wrote:What is the new Normal/Heroic: section in the character sheet, how do we become Heroic and what does it do for us?

Heroic means the character has enough experience that they have achieved a bit of fame. In some cases, they get a bit of a name change, based on what kinds of heroic feats they may have performed that generates fame.

In other words, survive to 4th level.

Don't recall exactly what technical benefits we receive at that point, but I think there might be one or two. Something about not allowing creatures with high hit dice from making multiple attacks, maybe?

The distinction between normal and heroic tier characters is not really "new"; it's actually one of the very original features of D&D that has been washed out of more recent editions

The technical definitions (insofar as we are concerned) are given here:
http://ddo.immersiveink.com/dd.html#normal-types
http://ddo.immersiveink.com/dd.html#heroic-types
and also
http://ddo.immersiveink.com/dd.html#superheroic-types

Basically, anyone with fewer than 3 hit dice is "normal".
Anyone with 3 or more hit dice is "heroic".

Members of different classes will achieve heroic status at different levels based on the HD progression of their class. I.e., fighters are heroic at 3rd level, clerics and M-Us at 4th level, and thieves at 5th level.

In game terms, a heroes' exploits are generally known about and are the subject of gossip. A hero has something of a reputation in the game.

In terms of game mechanics, tier is quite important:

1) There are a bunch of spells that will affect normals and heroes differently. E.g., low level spells typically affect normals automatically but not heroes, or allow heroes a saving throw.

2) There are a bunch of monster abilities that affect only normals. E.g., ghoul paralysis doesn't affect heroes, dragon fear only affects normals, and so on.

3) There are a bunch of monsters that are not subject to normal missiles and/or normal weapons. As soon as a PC is heroic he overcomes this limitation.

4) It's also true that heroes are not subject to one attack (as a one hit die monster) per monster hit die each turn.

5) Additionally, normal types will always attack other normal types before they will attack heroes.

6) Finally, a character's attack matrix improves at each tier (see the coarse grained advancement on table 2.8 here).


It's also worth noting, perhaps, that the tier of a character is also a general guide as to the kinds of challenges that character is equipped to deal with. I.e., normals shouldn't expect to measure up to heroic challenges

Briefly, what are the rules for "cashing in" experience points?

flightcommander wrote:Briefly, what are the rules for "cashing in" experience points?

You mean when can characters with enough XP to level take their new level and benefits? I think the easiest way to put it is that we need to rest overnight in a place where we don't have to do a night watch, where we're basically safe.

So, it would have to be... A town like Ket (if it were not occupied by snarks and wargs and giants), the Elven village, maybe The Boar's camp. None of those is really very close, so... maybe a larger homestead or farm? Might be possible to use the orb to see if anything that fits the bill is close by?

flightcommander wrote:Briefly, what are the rules for "cashing in" experience points?

You need a minimum of one full night's rest and recuperation at a safe haven.

Generally this would occur at a friendly town when the game shifts into "campaign time". I.e., where a turn is a week long (or whatever remains of the current week).

Last time this occurred was at the Elf outpost. Not sure when it will occur next time thou... you need to find a safe haven of some kind.

Ways, would you mind describing for me the rules you've used in the past when mages want to research new spells?

Having only run non-spell casters in your campaigns until now, I've never paid close attention to them.

I think it would be fair to say it has been a largely subjective process.

Basically, the player messages me a proposed spell description, then I evaluate it in comparision to similar existing spells (including AD&D sources), and then usually "simplify" the new spell into OD&D terms. Most of the player spells we've had so far have been "remakes" of existing material, so this has been quite straight forward.

When something wildly left field comes up, I'll consider it on its own merits I think most of us have a pretty reasonable notion of how powerful a spell "should" be, so it isn't too difficult to get it about right

I meant more along the lines of what it costs and how much time it takes.

I remember Ulric and others going into Ket and visiting the library. They'd spend some time there, and you'd make some rolls, and depending on the rolls they'd spend X days researching and X gold on supplies, and then poof, they'd come out with a new spell.

I want to know more about how you calculate the X's, if you don't mind me asking.