House Rules

NOTE: The two, main House Rules files for my campaigns are attached, in Adobe PDF format, to the bottom of this webpage. These files represent the large majority of my house rules. Further enhancements to those House Rules are no longer kept in document form; instead, they are listed here, on this webpage, for ease of editing.

Official House Rules (Appendix II: House Rules Webpage)

Clarification: Are Demon Lords and Arch Devils actually deities? And who grants them their Clerical spells?

Those demons and devils who are lucky (or devious) enough to have gathered immense powers ---typically by devouring the souls and essences of other powerful beings whom they have defeated--- are few and far-between, and are called demon lords and arch devils by mortal men. They are typically the greatest of their kind (advanced to maximum HD) and are likely to have the Paragon Template, as well as class levels in the epic range, and possibly even Divine Rank.

Those who hold Divine Rank 0, or whom have no Divine Rank at all, are known as Demon Lords (demons) or Arch Fiends(devils.) These creatures do not typically rule an entire plane or layer; they simply don't possess enough power to do so. These creatures do not usually have followers, nor can they grant spells to anyone who actually does follow them. In fact, most Demon Lords and Archfiends act as "Lieutenants" to various evil-aligned deities, doing their bidding without hesitation, although most of them are biding their time for the day when they can seize enough power to become autonomous. Demon Lords and Arch Fiends who possess Cleric levels typically get their spells from the deities they serve. One example of a Demon Lord is Yeenoghu, The Demon Lord of Gnolls, who is actually the Lieutenant of Erythnul. Although many gnoll clerics revere and worship Yeenoghu as a deity, their spells are actually granted by Erythnul.

However, those rare individuals who actually possess Divine Rank 1 or greater are known as Demon Princes, or Arch Devils, and these powerful beings are usually in control of at least one plane or layer. Demon Princes and Arch Devils have followers, and are able to grant spells to these followers, just as any other deity does. Typically, Demon Princes and Arch Devils have very low Divine Rank, most commonly having only 1 or 2 Divine Ranks, although certain individuals (Graz'zt, and Asmodeus, for example) have 3 or even 4 Divine Ranks.

However, the power of these creatures is held in check by other, competing, evil-aligned deities, as well as by internal, political conflicts, conflicts with celestial powers, and by the Blood War (demons vs. devils,) all of which serve to limit their ability to become truly (in the deitific sense) powerful. Demon Princes and Arch Devils have supreme dominion on their own planes / layers, although deities of sufficient power can (and often do) make demands of them to which they must comply; such demands often include tribute paid to the deity, hospitality for the deity's minions, access to resources, and use of lesser beings as soldiers, messengers, and/or labor forces.

Another thing that serves to check their power is the fact that certain deities have actual dominion over entire sub-sets of planes where Demon Princes / Arch Devils abide; one such example is the goddess Hel, who has dominion over the Nine Hells; Asmodeus and the other Arch Devils owe her absolute obedience, in the same manner as an Earl or a Duke owes obedience to his Queen. The goddess is the only being that the Arch Devils actually fear, because of her ability to completely strip them of their Divine Rank.

Lastly, the power levels of Demon Princes and Arch Devils are limited by the fact that the mainstream deities of the various pantheons have already staked their claim, so-to-speak; for example, while a devil living on the layer ruled by Asmodeus could worship and receive spells from him, an evil-aligned, mortal wizard living on the Prime Material who wanted to worship Asmodeus would actually have his spells granted by the goddess Hel. This is because Hel has dominion over the Nine Hells, and by worshiping Asmodeus, the mortal is actually worshiping an aspect of her power. The only way that a mortal could actually worship and receive spells from Asmodeus himself would be for the mortal to travel to and reside on Asmodeus' layer, where the power of the Arch Devil is actually manifest. If that mortal traveled to another plane, he would either lose the ability to cast spells (since Asmodeus' power cannot reach onto another deity's domain) or his spells would be granted by Hel, if she were willing to do so.

Clarification on Chosen Template / Divine Bonus granted Spell-Like Abilities:

Spell-Like Abilities which are granted as the result of the Chosen template, or as the result of a Divine Bonus, are handled in the following manner: The equivalent caster level is always 20th, no matter what level or hit dice the creature actually has. The DC for the spell is as normal (10+Spell Level+Relevant Ability.) For example, the Chosen of Thor casts his Quickened Maximized Lightning Bolt as a 20th level caster, and the DC for that spell is 27. (10+3+14.) This supersedes the old ruling (in which the spell DC for Thor's chosen was 20.)

Full-Blooded Orc Lifespans For Player Characters:

Starting Base Age (Adulthood): 18

(Use Half-Orc class variables.)

Middle Age: 45 Years, Old Age: 60 Years, Venerable: 85 Years, Maximum Age = Venerable + 3d20.

Full-blooded Orcs are sturdier and longer-lived than Humans; the one downfall of being a Half-Orc is that this sturdiness is lost.

Half-Celestial and Half-Fiend ("Half-Creatures") Lifespans For Player Characters:

True Celestials and True Fiends are immortal; those creatures who carry only a partial immortal spark typically have a life expectancy which spans approximately one and a half millennia.

Half-Creatures use the same base adulthood and random starting age as their base creature type (See PHB, pp. 93, Table 6-4.)

However, their total lifespan far outshines that of any and all mortal races; their age chart is as follows:

Middle Age = 350, Old Age = 600, Venerable Age = 850,

Maximum age = Venerable + 6d% (Max age = 850 + 600 = 1,450 years.)

Becoming An Outsider: Exactly What Does It Entail?

When a character achieves outsider status through a function of templates, or class powers (e.g. being born a Half-Celestial, or achieving high level as a Monk) or is granted outsider status as a result of being given Divine Rank (e.g. the Hero Template), what happens to the character, with regard to his racial and creature type statistics? In my campaign, becoming an outsider (known as Conferred Outsider Status) has the following effects:

1) The character's type becomes "Outsider." [This is important when considering spells and magical effects.] The character can be called by spells such as Gate; this includes being compelled to step into the portal and being controlled by the spell's caster. Note that characters who possess Divine Rank 0 or greater, or whom are The Chosen of their respective deity, are considered to be unique beings, and therefore cannot be compelled or controlled by the spell. Having Mind Blank in some fashion (either from an item, or from an innate ability) will also protect the character from being compelled or controlled by the spell. IMPORTANT CAVEAT: If a character is not considered unique, but is protected by Mind Blank, and decides to step through the portal of his own free will, he will remain uncontrolled only for as long as the Mind Blank effect lasts; if the caster recognizes that the Mind Blank effect is the result of an item, and somehow Dispels, Suppresses, or Disjoins the item, the character would then be subject to the caster's control!

2) The character's race becomes "Former [nnn]" (where [nnn] = their former race.) e.g., "Former Gray Elf."

3) The character's sub-type becomes "Native."

4) Thus, following the above changes, a Gray Elf who achieved Outsider status would become: "Outsider, Native Sub-Type [Former Gray Elf.]"

The "powers and abilities" of Conferred Outsider Status are:

The character gains Darkvision 60 ft. distance.

Divine Ranked Outsiders: If the character becomes an Outsider as the result of conference of Divine Rank, his or her skill points gained per level will hereafter (regardless of class) be equal to 8 + Int Modifier. The character's class skill list remains the same. This is because the gift of divinity greatly expands the character's mind and consciousness.

Non-Divine-Ranked Outsiders: Skills do not change.

Hit Die Type is hereafter d8, regardless of class. Previous Hit Dice stay as they were.

The character's base attack bonus becomes +1 per HD, as a Fighter, regardless of class. Thus, a 30th level character who is an Outsider would have a +30 base attack bonus. That means that he would have 4 attacks, starting with +30 as the highest, i.e., his total base attack numbers would be: +30 / +25 / +20 / +15.

DM NOTE: This ruling will fix the "Attack Roll Deficiency" problem for epic characters vs. epic monsters; no longer will there be such a large disparity between their ability to hit each other in physical combat. The playing field will be level. Monks will find their fighting skills vastly improved. Even Wizards and other non-melee classes will be able to compete in combat. This will allow players to develop sword-carrying Wizards who aren't paper tigers (ala Gandalf.) Thus, Outsider status will become not only a mark of prestige, but will also serve to elevate a given character to "the next level" in terms of combat effectiveness.

The character's base saving throws become those of an Outsider, using the same progression as a Monk. (i.e., all saving throws are considered "good" saving throws.) At 21st level and above (21+ HD), Outsiders use the Epic Saving Throw Progression like any other creature. For easy reference, a 20th level Monk (and hence, a 20HD or 20th level Outsider) has a base saving throw array of +12 Fort / +12 Reflex / +12 Willpower.

Native Sub-Type Outsiders still need to eat, sleep, and breathe.

Native Sub-Type Outsiders still age normally, as if they were still a member of their former race.

Native Sub-Type Outsiders still die of old age, at the appropriate time.

Native Sub-Type Outsiders (Unlike other types of Outsiders) can be raised, resurrected, and reincarnated.

DM NOTE: We will need to apply this update to almost all of the Epic level characters in the 3.0 Epic Campaign. Character file names will bear the [FIXED EPIC MAR 2015] tag once they have been updated.

Additional Power for Chosen of Kord:

Upon further consideration, I have decided to add the following power to the Chosen of Kord: in regard to FORTITUDE (ONLY) saves, a result of 1 on the d20 does not indicate automatic failure. For example, let's pretend that Player A has a Fort save bonus of +37. He is required to make a Fort save, vs. DC 18. Normally, the rule would be, "Just don't roll a 1, and you'll make it." But for the Chosen of Kord, a 1 is not treated as automatic failure. A result of 1 is just a 1. So the Chosen of Kord would add the 1 to his 37 bonus, for a total of 38. In this manner, the Chosen of Kord cannot fail any Fort save that has a DC of less than (or equal to) his Fort save bonus +1. Going by the example above, that person could not fail a Fort save with a DC of less than 38, because 38 is the minimum result possible.

Divine Bonuses

Optional Rule # 4: If a divine bonus is applied to skills, it applies to a group of skills, i.e., all knowledge skills, all strength-based skills, all dexterity-based skills, etc., or to a specific list (decided upon by the DM) of related skills. If used in this manner, it grants the following bonus, depending upon the original value of the divine bonus being handed out:

Original Value Skill Bonus

+1 +1 to all ___ skills.

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+2 +2 to all ___ skills.

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+3 +4 to all ___ skills.

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+4 +6 to all ___ skills.

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+5 +8 to all ___ skills.

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+6 +10 to all ___ skills.

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DM ADVICE: It's really not worth it to use a Divine Bonus to gain a bonus to skills, unless the Divine Bonus is of a +3 or greater original value.

Epic Usage For Knowledge Skills And Spellcraft:

NOTE: Mind Blank will foil the last two uses for each of these skills (DC 75 and DC 85) but it cannot prevent the DC 65 ability from functioning.

Knowledge (The Planes):

DC 65: You can feel it ("A disturbance in The Force...") when a creature of substantial power (Demon Lord, Solar, Marut, Demigod, Lich, LeShay, etc.) arrives on the same plane as you.

DC 75: You can tell the exact sort of creature that has arrived, and get a good idea of its location, within a margin of +/- 100 miles. (i.e., within 100 miles of Greyhawk, or within this particular 3-hex area, etc.)

DC 85: You know the name and class(es) [if any] of the being who just arrived, and you know exactly where to find him or her.

Knowledge (Arcana):

DC 65: You know when an item of power or a spell of power has been created on the same plane as you. (i.e., epic spell, epic magic item, or artifact.)

DC 75: You can tell the exact sort of item or spell that has been created, and get a good idea of its location, within a margin of +/- 100 miles. (i.e., within 100 miles of Greyhawk, or within this particular 3-hex area, etc.)

DC 85: You know the exact powers / parameters of the item or spell, its exact location, and the name of its creator. (This does not allow you to learn an epic spell,merely to know what the newly created epic spell does.)

Spellcraft:

DC 65: You know when a high level spell (an epic spell, or a normal spell heightened to 10th level or more) is cast on the same plane as you.

DC 75: You can tell the exact spell which has been cast (or, in the case of a unique spell, the exact effects and parameters,) and get a good idea of its location, within a margin of +/- 100 miles.

DC 85: You know the exact spell and/or effects, the exact location of the casting, and the name of the spellcaster.

Other Epic Uses:

Spellcraft:

DC 75 + 10 Per active spell: You can sense the number and type of active spells on a given subject creature. For example, if a creature were Hasted, and protected by the Shield spell, and protected by a Contingency spell, the DC to know all of this would be 105. Any success over 85, but failing to reach the target DC, will detect the presence of one or more active spells, although exact number and type will remain unclear. For instance, if the subject were running three spells as with the example above, and the result was a 90, the wizard would know that there are two, possibly more, spells active on the subject creature, but the exact number and type would not be known. EPIC PARTY NOTE: Sphynx can detect the number and type for up to the first 8 active spells on a subject creature (DC 155) by simply taking a 10 on his roll (150+10 = 160.) Hawke can sense number and type for up to 3 spells (DC 105) by taking 10 (103+10 = 113,) and Nimbar can sense number and type for up to the first 8 spells (DC 155) by taking 10 (148+10 = 158.) Sensing this information requires a single round of concentration for each subject creature examined. (i.e., examining two creatures would require 2 rounds.)

Spellcraft:

Closing a keyed portal: DC 50 + 10 pts. DC for every section removed (Transitive [Astral / Ethereal], Inner, and Outer Planes) + key creator's caster level.

For example, assume that the key creator is a 20th level caster. If he created three keys (One for the Astral, one for the Plane of Fire, and one for The Abyss,) then in order to close a portal which was created by one of these keys, your DC would be:

Astral: 50 + 10 + 20 = DC 80.

Plane of Fire: 50 + 10 + 10 + 20 = DC 90.

The Abyss: 50 + 10 + 10 + 10 + 20 = DC 100.

Closing a portal is a standard action.

Spellcraft:

Casting the "Contact Other Plane" spell (Epic Use): A Wizard can use his Spellcraft skill in conjunction with the Contact Other Plane spell to contact specific deitific entities that he or she is familiar with; Consult the chart below for the DC. This use of the Spellcraft skill applies only to the Outer Planar uses of the spell (i.e., demideity or above.)

The Wizard knows whether or not the check succeeded; if the check fails, all that happens is that the spell functions as normal. (The Wizard still has a chance to get the desired outcome.) If the check succeeds, the Wizard knows that he or she is talking to entities which are trustworthy. Of course, there still exists the possibility that the entity contacted might refuse the spell, or simply doesn't know the answer to the caster's question; the DM simply decides upon the entity's refusal or acceptance, then rolls on the chart as normal, and treats "Lie" and "Random Answer" results as if they were "Don't Know" results. Also, if the caster is skilled enough to use the spell to contact his or her patron deity (or agents thereof) as if a Clerical Commune spell were being used, then the DM should simply consult that particular spell (3.5 PHB, pp. 211.) Specific DCs for contacting of patron deities by epic characters: Bast (Lesser Deity, Divine Rank 8 = DC 68), Thoth (Intermediate Deity, Divine Rank 13 = DC 83.) Sphynx cannot fail to use the Contact Other Plane spell as if it were a Commune spell, when he is attempting to contact either Bast or Thoth. NOTE: Wizards who convert Contact Other Plane into a Commune spell must burn 10 times the listed XP, because of the lack of holy water and incense. (i.e., xp cost = 1,000.) ALSO: A patron deity is a deity that you actively worship and/or serve, or have a special relationship with. If you do not worship / serve / have relationship with a particular deity, then you must use the first column ("deity of same alignment"), i.e., you cannot Commune with a deity whom you have no connection to. ALSO: Converting this spell to be used as Commune still carries with it the risk of Int/Cha decrease, as normal. (See 3.5 PHB, pp. 213.)

Using A Staff of the Magi: A Wizard with high enough Spellcraft can tell what's coming at him or her, when it comes to spell levels being cast by an opponent. The DC to know what's coming is Base 35, plus 1 point of DC per spell level. For example, an opponent casts maximized Meteor Swarm at the Wizard (12 spell levels; 9 for the spell, 3 for being maximized) ; the Wizard who is trying to absorb spell levels with a Staff of the Magi would need to roll a Spellcraft check, DC 47 (35+12) to know that his or her opponent just threw 12 spell levels worth of magical energy in their direction. Epic spells, no matter how many die of damage they inflict, etc., count as 10 levels worth of spell energy. This check is made as a free action; Wizards with high Spellcraft ability are simply used to looking at / dealing with magical energies.

Gather Information:

Beings with large networks of contacts can use the Gather Information skill to achieve far more than the normal application of the skill would allow for. In order for this to be possible, the being must meet one of the following criteria:

He must be the head of a secret organization (a wizard's guild, a thieve's guild, an assassin's guild, an artisan's guild [i.e., the guild of stonemasons, for example,] or an epic organization, such as described in the Epic Level Handbook, beginning on page 231.)

He must be the head of a widespread, non-secret organization (a merchant's guild, a church, an academic fraternal order, a social fraternal order, etc.)

He must be in a position of power (a monarch, the general of an army, the adviser of a monarch, or some other sort of leadership position.)

He must be the Chosen of his deity, and therefore have access to the deity's network of subservient beings. (Solars, Aasimon, Elementals, Djinn, etc.) USING THIS NETWORK REQUIRES ASKING THE DEITY'S PERMISSION FIRST.

Once one of these criterion have been met, the being may make Gather Information attempts WITHIN THE SCOPE OF THEIR NETWORK, thereby increasing the range of their gathering ability, from the local (which is the normal scope of this skill) to anywhere where the network is (the Epic use of this skill.)

For instance, a monarch can Gather Information in any city within his kingdom, or within any fortification. The head of a Wizard's Guild could attempt to find information on any wizard (whether a member or non-member of the guild) who operates within any kingdom that the guild has a presence in; that's because wizards tend to know one another, or at least know of one another, and it's hard to be a wizard without the conveniences offered by guilds, such as the availability for purchase of various spell components, or use of the guild's research lab and/or library. If a wizard is reclusive or secretive, and refuses to join his local guild, this often subjects him to more scrutiny, not less, from other wizards.

It is up to the DM's judgment as to the actual extent of influence enjoyed by a given network. But once that determination has been made, the being can use the following chart to discover anything that would be known within the scope of his network's influence:

Converting Old School (AD&D) Magic Resistance to 3rd Edition Spell Resistance

Considering that AD&D advised that characters stopped advancing at 20th level, and considering that magic resistance was based on a percentage, we should look at it in the following manner: in 3rd ed D&D, the best possible result that a 20th level Wizard could achieve (without feats) on a caster level check to break spell resistance would be a 40. In AD&D, 100% magic resistance meant that the creature was immune to magic; a 20th level Wizard had no hope of affecting it. Thus, in 3rd edition, we could break down the die roll by 5's, and if we do, we come up with:

Result Equals These Percentages

(SR)

21 .....0-4

22 .....5-9

23 .....10-14

24 .....15-19

25 .....20-24

26 .....25-29

27 .....30-34

28 .....35-39

29 .....40-44

30 .....45-49

31 .....50-54

32 .....55-59

33 .....60-64

34 .....65-69

35 .....70-74

36 .....75-79

37 .....80-84

38 .....85-89

39 .....90-94

40 .....95-99

41 .....100

Thus, in 3rd edition, we see that creatures who were once immune to magic in AD&D, are now simply highly resistant; a 30th level mage will break SR 41 (MR 100%) on an 11 or better, i.e., 45% of the time. A 40th level Wizard in 3rd Edition would smash through MR 100% (SR 41) every time. Of course, in 3rd Edition, deities such as Boccob have an SR of 69; it seems that 3rd Edition has re-vamped the parameters of what it considers to be "immune to magic." A Wizard cannot hope to break Boccob's SR until he is at least 49th level.

Dragonhide Armor Ruling

I believe that the third edition version of Dragonhide is almost perfect. I am just going to tweak it a little bit. Dragonhide is the best type of hide armor you can get. Nothing compares to its flexibility and resilience. Consult the chart below:

Normal Hide Armor:

+3 AC, +4 Max Dex, -3 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 20%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 25 Lbs.

Masterwork Hide Armor (Also: Dragonhide Hide Armor, according to Base 3rd Edition Rules):

+3 AC, +4 Max Dex, -2 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 20%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 25 Lbs.

My Version of MW Dragonhide Hide Armor:

+3 AC, +5 Max Dex, -2 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 10%, Speed (30) = 30', Speed (20) = 20', Weight 15 Lbs.

(Difference: My Dragonhide has 1 point better Max Dex, 10% Better Spell Failure, and weighs 10 Lbs. less. Also, my version of Dragonhide is considered to be Light armor, therefore allowing you to sleep in it, and also allowing you to move more freely, hence no decrease in movement speed.)

The reason I made this adjustment is because Dragonhide isn't as stiff as normal hide armor (Even the book says this); it's more flexible, and more supple. That's what makes it have a higher Max Dex and weigh 10 Lbs. less.) Also, since Dragons are heavy users of magic, their hide has evolved over the eons to be more "in-tune" with the weave, and therefore, it has less of a chance of interfering with Arcane Spells.

Thus, for larger dragons, the same is true:

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Base Rules Masterwork Banded Mail:

+6 AC, +1 Max Dex, -5 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 35%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 35 Lbs.

My MW Dragonhide Banded Mail Armor:

+6 AC, +2 Max Dex, -5 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 25%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 25 Lbs.

Considered as Medium armor. (You can't sleep in this kind of Dragonhide. Decreased speed applies.)

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Base Rules Masterwork Half-Plate:

+7 AC, +0 Max Dex, -6 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 40%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 50 Lbs.

My MW Dragonhide Half-Plate Armor:

+7 AC, +1 Max Dex, -6 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 30%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 40 Lbs.

Considered as Medium armor. (You can't sleep in this kind of Dragonhide. Decreased speed applies.)

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Base Rules Masterwork Breastplate:

+5 AC, +3 Max Dex, -3 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 25%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 30 Lbs.

My MW Dragonhide Breastplate Armor:

+5 AC, +4 Max Dex, -3 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 15%, Speed (30) = 30', Speed (20) = 20', Weight 20 Lbs.

Considered as Light armor. (The wearer can sleep in this version of Dragonhide. No speed loss.)

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Base Rules Masterwork Full Plate:

+8 AC, +1 Max Dex, -5 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 35%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 50 Lbs.

My MW Dragonhide Full Plate Armor:

+8 AC, +2 Max Dex, -5 Armor Check Penalty, Spell Failure 25%, Speed (30) = 20', Speed (20) = 15', Weight 40 Lbs.

Considered as Medium armor. (You can't sleep in this kind of Dragonhide. Decreased speed applies.)

Notes On Mind Blank:

When Mind Blank is granted by a spell or by a permanent magic item, it can be dispelled / suppressed by any sufficiently powerful Dispel effect (i.e., Dispel Magic, Greater Dispelling, or Superb Dispelling.)

When Mind Blank is granted by a spell or by a permanent magic item, it can be bypassed completely and automatically (treat the subject as if they didn't have Mind Blank at all) by any deity or divine ranked being (demon lords, etc.) that possesses the Magic or Mental Power domains.

When Mind Blank is granted by a deity, it can be suppressed by any sufficiently powerful Epic Dispel effect (i.e., Superb Dispelling.)

When Mind Blank is granted by a deity, it can be bypassed completely and automatically (treat the subject as if they didn't have Mind Blank at all) by any deity or divine ranked being (demon lords, etc.) that possesses the Magic domain, AND whose divine rank must equal or exceed that of the granting deity; for example, although Vecna is divine rank 10, and has the Magic domain, he would still be unable to bypass the Mind Blank of Thor's chosen, because Thor is divine rank 18. However, he could still attempt to suppress it with an Epic Dispel effect.

When Mind Blank is granted by a deity, it can be bypassed completely and automatically (treat the subject as if they didn't have Mind Blank at all) by any deity or divine ranked being (demon lords, etc.) that possesses the Mental Power domain, no matter what divine rank the granting deity happens to be. For example, despite the fact that Thor is divine rank 18, the Mind Blank of his chosen could be bypassed by Xan Yae, who is only divine rank 10, because she possesses the Mental Power domain.

When Mind Blank is granted by a deity that possesses the Mental Power domain, it cannot be suppressed by any magical means, Epic or otherwise. Not even an artifact has the power necessary to suppress it.

When Mind Blank is granted by a deity that possesses the Mental Power domain, it can be bypassed completely and automatically (treat the subject as if they didn't have Mind Blank at all) by any deity or divine ranked being (demon lords, etc.) that possesses the Mental Power domain, AND whose divine rank must equal or exceed that of the granting deity; for example, the Mind Blank of Xan Yae's chosen could only be bypassed by another deity who possessed the Mental Power domain, and who possessed a divine rank of 10 or greater.

Mind Blank (whether mortal magic or divinely granted) completely protects its subject from the Mind Blast (sp) ability of Mind Flayers.

It is also worth noting that Xan Yae and her chosen are the only beings in the cosmos who are immune to Vecna's ability to learn and know secrets about their strengths, weaknesses, powers, activities, plans, etc.

OTHER EPIC SKILL USAGES:

SEARCH: According to the 3.5e PHB, pp. 81, it takes a full round action (6 seconds) to search a 5 x 5 area. The typical dungeon uses 10 x 10 squares. Look at the illustration below:

NORMAL (BY THE BOOK): That means that the typical dungeon square would take 4 rounds (24 seconds) to search. This is a quick, but thorough visual inspection. Untrained searchers can find things (secret doors, simple traps) whose DC is 20 or below. Trained searchers (Rogues, and Dwarves who are inspecting stonework) can find more difficult things, whose DC is 21+.

NORMAL (HOUSE RULE): Any searcher who takes their time will gain a +5 Caution Bonus to their skill check. HOWEVER, searchers still can't find things they're not trained to find; no matter the bonus, unskilled searchers still can't find difficult (Rogue only, or Dwarf only) things. Taking one's time is defined as taking 20 minutes per square; 5 minutes each to search floor, ceiling, left wall, and right wall. An untrained (non-Rogue / non-Dwarf) searcher taking their time would have the following Search DCs: Ransack (5), Typical Secret Door (15), Simple Trap (15), Well-hidden Secret Door (25); this kind of careful searching is usually performed in situations where the party has some means of stealth or of otherwise remaining undiscovered, or in situations where most of the inhabitants of the dungeon have already been killed.

EPIC (HOUSE RULE): Any searcher who needs to search even more quickly can add +10 to the DC for each round of reduction, down to 1 round; THUS: To search a 10-foot square in 3 rounds [instead of 4], the Search DC would go up by +10, to search it in 2 rounds, the Search DC would go up by +20, and to search it in only 1 round, the Search DC would go up by +30. Thus, if a masterwork trap (Search DC 30) was in a given square, and an Epic Level Rogue was in a hurry, and spent only 1 round searching the square, his chance to find that trap would be Search DC 60.

EPIC (HOUSE RULE): Any searcher who needs to search a square as a free action (less than a second!) can do so by adding +60 to the Search DC. Thus, the DC for the Epic Rogue in the example above would be Search DC 90!

Alternate Skill Usages:

Sense Motive: (Read Aura): If you have the Detect Evil or Detect Good spells at will, as the result of a class feature, you can use Sense Motive to read a person's aura. The DC for reading auras starts with general impressions (DC 25) and increases from that point, as per the chart below, which includes examples:

DC 25 General Impression This person has the foul taint of murder upon them! (within the last 24 hours.) [Evil]

This person has shown mercy to someone recently. (within the last 24 hours.) [Good]

DC 35 Specific Information This person has murdered 3 innocent people within the last 24 hours. [Evil]

This person has healed 3 injured people within the last 24 hours. [Good]

DC 45 Exact Information This person murdered Bob The Butcher, Larry The Lamplighter, and Fred

The Fishmonger yesterday at 11:15 AM, while they slept. [Evil]

This person cast Cure Disease upon a sick child (named Alice) yesterday at 1:00 pm,

and then (less than an hour later) healed two town guardsmen (Sergei and Wilhelm)

who were injured the previous day in a bandit raid. [Good]

Note that reading auras requires 4 rounds (24 seconds) of concentration upon the subject being examined. Failure to achieve the DC indicates that no further information (besides what the spell has already revealed) is discernible. Events which are discernible will be limited to the previous 24 (+/-) hours; after that, the residue of the deed will have faded from the aura. (At the DM's prerogative, the residue of certain significant deeds might linger a bit longer than 24 hours; examples include: the murder of a unicorn [Evil deed] or the resurrection of a brave knight who died defending the town from a dragon [Good deed.] Such deeds might leave residual aura traces which last 48 hours or more.)

Half-Giant (Stone Giant) Template

Template Cost: +6 Level Adjustment

Size: Large (Base Height = 96 inches, plus 6d8 inches; between 8'6" and 12'0" tall.) Weight = 9 lbs. per inch. (Between 918 and 1,296 Lbs.)

Size Modifiers: -1 AC, -1 To-Hit, +4 Grapple, -4 to Hide, 10' (2 square) reach. Lifting and carrying limits are double those of Medium characters. Uses large-size weapons. Takes up 2 x 2 area on tac-map. Base hit points @ 1st level: 20 + Con mod.

Ability Modifiers: +8 Str, +4 Con, +2 Dex, +1 Wis.

Ability Generation: 5d6 six times, count 1's as 2's, arrange to taste.

Base Speed: 40 feet.

Special Abilities: Darkvision 60 ft., Low-light vision, +5 Natural Armor.

Favored Class: Fighter.

Favored Weapon: Bastard Sword.

Free Feats: Exotic Weapon (Large Bastard Sword), Weapon Focus (Large Bastard Sword), Improved Initiative, Quickdraw, Quicksheath, Iron Will, Power Attack.

Racial Skill Bonuses: +2 to Climb, Hide, Jump, and Spot.

Automatic Languages: Giant, Common, and Draconic.

Half-Stone Giants are not the product of a union between Stone Giants and Humans; they are the result of tampering by Wizards of ages past, who sought (by magical means) to combine the physical prowess of giant-kin, with the ingenuity and perseverance of mankind. These Wizards attempted to "weed out" the Stone Giants' tendencies toward crude weaponry such as clubs and rocks, as well as their playfulness and fondness for games of strength; they instead tried to implant tendencies toward discipline, single-mindedness, and dedication to goals and objectives. They instilled in them a love of all things steel, from armor, to blades, and even as far as jewelry and sculpture. Their attempts to create the perfect soldier very nearly came to fruition, until the Half-Stone Giants revolted, and gained their autonomy. This half-race now makes its home in the Sulhaut Mountains. They are indeed everything the Wizards hoped they would be, with two extra differences: an indomitable spirit, and a strong sense of independence. These giants are on friendly terms with other Stone Giants, although they rarely interact, because of their geographical distance from one another.

Interchangeability Between Spellcraft & Use Magical Device

Because the skills Use Magical Device and Spellcraft are so closely related, a character with UMD can use that knowledge to make checks as if he or she possessed the Spellcraft skill; NOTE: This is an epic usage. To do so, the character must possess epic level knowledge (24 or more RANKS) in UMD. If this requirement is met, the character can make a UMD check in place of a Spellcraft check, by increasing the DC by 20 points. Thus, if something requires a DC 25 Spellcraft check, the character could learn the same information by making a DC 45 UMD check.

Effects of Wish Spells and Miracles Upon Die Rolls

You can cast a Limited Wish, Wish, or Miracle spell as a "helper" spell, to give some other action or spell either a bonus or a penalty to its completion. The bonus or penalty is +1 per spell level; that means that a Limited Wish can grant either a +7 or a -7 to a single roll, and the Wish and Miracle spells can each grant either +9 or -9. If any of these spells is cast as a heightened spell, then the bonus / penalty is equal to the new heightened level. Thus, a Limited Wish heightened to 14th level would grant either a +14 or a -14 to a single roll.

Examples of wish wording for these bonuses / penalties:

"I wish that Delbin's next spell would be much harder to resist than normal." (That would give the victim a save penalty.)

"I wish that Venger's next spell would be much easier to resist than normal." (This would give the victim a save bonus.)

"I wish that Delbin would have a sudden, helpful inspiration on his next skill check." (This would give the recipient a bonus.)

"I wish that Venger would fumble his next skill check." (This would give the victim a penalty.)

Etc.

Magic Items That Grant Feats: GENERAL GUIDELINES (DM Adhoc may also apply.)

When you create a magical item that grants a feat, you must either follow the standard cost (if the feat duplicates a spell or listed ability of an existing magic item) or you must consult the chart below:

Base 25,000 gp. for granting a feat, plus prerequisite costs:

x 2 Base Cost (50,000 gp.) for Epic Feats.

+15,000 gp. per additional normal feat required as prerequisite.

+30,000 gp. per additional epic feat required as prerequisite.

+100 gp. per point of ability required (Example: Dex 19 would be +1,900 gp.)

+1,000 gp. per: Class Level / Caster Level / Point of BAB required.

+2,500 gp. for Class Feature. (Example: Ability to turn or rebuke undead, or proficiency with armor, weapon, etc.)

+1,000 gp. per Skill Rank required.

+1,000 gp. per Spell Level of spell duplicated (Example: Spell Stowaway Time Stop would be +9,000 gp.)

METAMAGIC:

(Flat Costs):

Empower Spell +25,000 gp.

Enlarge Spell +25,000 gp.

Extend Spell +25,000 gp.

Heighten Spell +75,000 gp.

Maximize Spell +50,000 gp.

Quicken Spell +50,000 gp.

Silent Spell +25,000 gp.

Still Spell +25,000 gp.

Widen Spell +25,000 gp.

Existing Rulings on Custom Items:

Item that grants Spell Stowaway: Time Stop feat: Market Value: 345,000 gp.

(Base 50,000 + 24,000 Spellcraft + 12,000 Caster + 9,000 Spell Level Duplicated + 250,000 DM Adhoc for Time Stop.)

If this power were part of an item that granted additional unrelated powers, cost would jump by (x1.5) to 517,500 gp.

New Arcane Feats

Cantrip Adept - Requirements: Ability to cast 5th Level Arcane spells (i.e., Bard of 14th (13th) level, Sorcerer of 10th level, or Wizard of 9th level.) Benefit: You may cast any cantrip (0-Level Spell) that you know, as a standard action, once per round, without needing to memorize the spell and/or use up 0-Level spell slots. Normal: Normally, an arcane caster can only cast a limited number of 0-Level spells per day, as determined by their number of 0-Level spell slots, and for Wizards, the additional requirement of selecting which spells to memorize. There is also a Divine Magic version of this feat, which is called Orison Adept, which works in an identical manner.

Clarifications on Mithral and Alchemical Silver

Alchemical Silver Weapons

I go by the book for non-magical Alchemical Silver Weapons; they have a -1 to damage (1 pt. minimum.)

[3.5 DMG, pp. 284-285.]

So, a Masterwork Alchemical Weapon would have +1 to hit, -1 to damage.

HOWEVER, if you then take that Masterwork Alchemical Weapon and enchant it, then the -1 to damage is dropped; so if you have a Magical +1 Alchemical Weapon, it is +1 to hit and damage, period. No damage penalty. This is because the enchantment process strengthens the bond of the silver to the metal.

Is Mithral Silver?

Yes, it is. Mithral is an ultra-pure form of silver that can be worked into some amazing armor and weapons. It counts as Silver for the purposes of overcoming Damage Reduction: Silver. And unlike Alchemical Silver, there is no damage penalty for non-magical Mithral. Because of its purity, it is far and away superior to Alchemical Silver in every way.

Skill Synergies For Professions:

Five Ranks In...

Hunter: +2 to Hide, Move Silently, Listen, Spot, and Survival.

Divine Template: Mortal Disciple

If a mortal manages to permanently kill or destroy an Outsider that possesses a divine portfolio, then they receive the opportunity to acquire that portfolio for themselves. If their alignment is different, then they are allowed to take positive aspects; for example, if the portfolio is Lies and Deceit, a good-aligned mortal could use the portfolio to promote its opposite, i.e., Truth and Honesty. Portfolios are listed with their various aspects for all three alignment types (good, neutral, evil.)

Dorinda The Damned, Daughter of Graz'zt, Princess of Desteran (a minor realm on the 33rd layer, ruled by a Balor of the same name. PORTFOLIO: Lies, Deceit, and Treachery. (Evil Aspect); Truth, Honesty, and Loyalty (Good Aspect); Truth, Honesty, and Allegiance (Neutral Aspect.)

EVIL ASPECT: +10 Bluff, +10 Disguise, +10 Sleight of Hand, +10 Forgery

GOOD & NEUTRAL ASPECTS: +10 Sense Motive, +10 Diplomacy, +10 Gather Information, +10 Spot

Traits:

+2 to all ability scores. (Permanent Divine Bonus.)

All HD are now maximum.

Darkvision 60 feet.

Gain DR 5 / Magic.

Gain SR equal to total HD + 11.

+10 to Base Speed (land and air.)

Deflection Bonus to AC equal to CHA modifier.

Divine Bonus to AC (+1)

Natural Armor Bonus to AC (HD/4, Round Down.)

Divine Bonus to Attack Rolls, Ability Checks, Skill Checks, Caster Level Checks, Turning Checks, Initiative Rolls, and Saving Throws (+1)

+1 Normal feat of your choice. (Must meet pre-requisite.)

Epic Will (+4 to Will Save)

Great Charisma x2 (+2 to CHA)

Extended Lifespan x2 (Human: +40 years to Middle Age, Old, and Venerable categories.)

Allegiance to a greater power. (Lathir = Mielikki)

Enmity with a greater power. (Lathir = Graz'zt)

Revised Nature Sense

Since 3.5 rolled up the 3rd ed Nature Sense ability into the Knowledge (Nature) and Survival skill checks, I have made the following chart to allow for the tasks that were present in the 3rd Ed version, since 3.5 makes no mention of them.

Using either skill, Survival, or Knowledge (Nature), the DCs are as follows:

Identify Plants and Animals (Specific Species and Special Traits) [BASIC] DC: 15

(Unlike Identify Monsters, the DC is NOT dependent upon Hit Dice.)

Analyze Water (Safe To Drink? Polluted? Poisoned? Otherwise Unfit For Consumption?) [BASIC] DC: 15

Notes on Damage Reduction

Magic = +1 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Magic)

Infused = +2 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Infused)

Enspelled = +3 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Enspelled)

Ancient = +4 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Ancient)

Runic = +5 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Runic)

Epic, Minor = +6 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Epic, Minor)

Epic, Major = +10 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Epic, Major)

Epic, Exalted = +15 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Epic, Exalted)

Epic, True = +20 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Epic, True)

Epic, Legendary = +25 or better needed to bypass DR. (Example: 5/Epic, Legendary)

NOTES: A character who can penetrate a given level of Epic DR can penetrate the top of that range. For example, a character who can penetrate Epic, Minor DR can penetrate +9 or lower (since +10 is the start of the next level.)

It is not possible to exceed the Epic, Legendary level of number-based DR. A character who can penetrate Epic, Legendary DR can penetrate any number-based DR, whether it's +25, or +100, or +1,000; there are no limits to magical enhancements at the epic level (except, perhaps, the wealth and caster level of the creator,) but past a certain point (+25) the resistance ability of DR levels out. i.e., once you're dealing with +25 or greater weapons, things like DR simply don't apply, unless they are based on something other than a number (Lawful, Iron, Adamantine, etc.)

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