Classes

  1. Barbarians
    -Follow the same literacy rules as all the other classes
     
  2. Bards
    -Can ignore arcane spell failure from wearing light armor.
    -The bard abilities inspire courage, inspire competence, and inspire greatness can affect the bard herself as well as her allies.
     
  3. Clerics
    -Their selection of spells will be limited in a similar way as the sorcerer, only more generous.  A table of cleric spells known per level can be found here.  In addition to the spells in that table clerics will know the spells from each of their domains as they can cast them. (For example at 1st level a cleric will know 2 spells plus the 1st level spell from each of their domains for a total of 4 spells known.)
    -Clerics can now prepare domain spells in normal spell slots as well as their extra domain slot. (They still have to fill their extra domain slot with a domain spell.)
    -Clerics can still spontaneously cast cure or inflict spells as appropriate even if they don't know those spells (although if they don't know them they cannot prepare them and will always have to use a full round action to cast them.)  If a cleric does know a cure or inflict spell they may spontaneously cast that spell as a standard action.
     
  4. Druids
    -Their selection of spells will be limited in a similar way as the sorcerer, only more generous.  A table of druid spells known per level can be found here.
    -In addition to the spells known from this table, all druids know the spell animal friendship at 1st level.
     
  5. Fighters
    -Get intimidate as a class skill.
     
  6. Monks
    -Have no special multi-classing restrictions.
    -Can substitute their unarmed damage for base weapon damage (if superior) when using monk weapons.  For example a 6th level monk using a +1 kama would deal 1d8+1 points of damage, not 1d6+1 (assuming no strength bonus).
    -The quarter staff is now a monk weapon.
     
  7. Paladins
    -Are replaced with the Holy Warrior class from The Book of the Righteous.  This class allows paladin-like characters for any of the non-evil churches with different powers based on that churches domains.  Holy Warriors have no special multi-classing restrictions. More details can be found here.
     
  8. Rangers
    -No longer get the Ambidexterity and Two Weapon Fighting virtual feats at first level.
    -Instead they get a bonus feat at 2nd level and 4th level that can be chosen from the following list: [Alertness, Two Weapon Fighting, Improved Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Focus, Weapon Finesse, Skill Focus (wilderness lore or knowledge-nature), Point Blank Shot, Far Shot, Precise Shot or Rapid Shot]  These feats are actual feats that work in any armor but the character must meet their prerequisites.
    -Rangers now have a limited spells known in a similar way as the sorcerer. A table of ranger spells known per level can be found here.
    -In addition to the spells known from this table, all rangers know the spell animal friendship starting at 4th level.
     
  9. Sorcerers
    -Get Diplomacy as a class skill.

Skills

  1. Knowledge-We will use the D&D 3.5 version of the skill. It gives more information about what each of the knowledge categories encompass  and more advice on how to adjudicate their use. Click here to see the new text for this skill as it appears in the 3.5 SRD.
  2. Tumble- The DC to tumble through a threatened area while avoiding attacks of opportunity are now 10 + the base attack bonus of the creature threatening the area.  The DC for avoiding attacks of opportunity while moving through areas occupied by enemies is now 20 + the base attack bonus of the creature occupying the area.
  3. Ancient Languages- Each of the five great races (humans, dwarves, elves, gnomes and halflings) spoke their own racial language in the third epoch of history. All modern languages are thought to be descended from these five ancient languages. They persist in the current time only in ancient texts and inscriptions and knowing them is generally the realm of scholars (think hieroglyphics today).  These languages are as follows:
     
    1. Humanis (ancient human)
    2. Dervish (ancient dwarvish)
    3. Espruar (ancient elvish)
    4. Nimmin (ancient gnomish)
    5. Helfish (ancient halfling)

    Unlike normal languages these are treated like normal skills that you gain ranks in. The relevant ability score is Intelligence and they are considered a class skill for all classes. Different passages written in each language will be more or less difficult to decipher. To determine whether a character understands a given passage they will have to roll their appropriate language skill against a DC determined by how difficult the passage is to decipher.  PCs can trade in bonus languages from race or high intelligence for ranks in one or more of these ancient languages on a one bonus language for one rank basis.

Feats

  1. Skill Focus is now a +3 bonus to skill checks with selected skill
  2. Combat Casting is a +5 bonus to concentration checks made to cast on the defensive.
  3. Ambidexterity and Two Weapon Fighting are combined into one feat, called Two Weapon Fighting, that gives the benefits of both.
  4. Weapon Finesse now applies to all appropriate weapons instead of just one.
  5. Dodge now provides a flat +1 dodge bonus to AC.
  6. Deflect Arrows- You no longer need to have one hand free to take advantage of this feat (you can deflect arrows with a shield or weapon). Improved Unarmed Strike is also no longer a prerequisite. The DC for reflex save to deflect the ranged weapon is now 10 + the attackers base attack bonus. You must still have one hand free to use the Snatch Arrows feat from Sword and Fist and Snatch Arrows still requires Improved Unarmed Strike.
  7. Endurance will now give +4 on all checks for: Swim checks, Forced March checks, Starvation and Thirst checks, Hot and Cold environment checks, and suffocation checks against non-Lethal damage, +4 on checks to continue running, and you may sleep in Light or Medium armor without becoming fatigued.
     
    8.

Equipment

  1. Shields now give a "shield" bonus to AC instead of an "armor" bonus to AC.  This means that physical shields will be able to benefit those using mage armor or bracers of armor.
    2.

Magic

  1. Arcane Magic- Not a house rule but I want to point out that one of the reasons divine casters are more limited in this campaign rules wise is that there will be role playing challenges in acquiring new spells for arcane casters. More details are available in the introduction of the world section.
  2. Spontaneous Casters- Bards and Sorcerers will be considered magicians that are practical casters, i.e. they now how to cast spells by memorizing the incantations and gestures but do not necessarily understand the theory behind spell casting. They do not necessarily have more of an affinity for magic than a wizard, they just follow a different tradition.
    3.

Spells

  1. Shield- This spell now provides a flat +4 shield bonus to AC that works in all directions instead of the directional +7 cover bonus.
  2. Harm/Heal- Both allow a Fort save for half damage and have a damage/healing cap of 10x the caster level.
  3. Detect [Alignment]- These spells and spell-like abilities only work on races or creatures that have an absolute alignment (i.e. no souls). So for example detect evil would detect a troll or a demon (who are both spawns of evil), but not an evil human merchant. The World section of the site will provide some more information about souls and free will and who have them and who does not.
    4.