d20 UKG Publishing SFX Skills - Enochian Theurgy.pdf - UKG Publishing - R5700

Written by

F. J. Eastman

Editor

Jeremy Peterson

Cover Art

Walt Robillard

Interior Art

Walt Robillard/John Milner

Layout

John Milner

Requires the use of the d20 Modern Roleplaying Game, published by Wizards of the Coast, Inc.

d20 Modern and Wizards of the Coast are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. in the United States and

other countries and are used with permission

‘d20 System’ and the ‘d20 System’ logo are trademarks of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and are used according to the

terms of the d20 System License version 6.0. A copy of this License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.

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Chapter One: SFX Skills

number of ranks in that skill. Skill uses or abilities that

are associated with a particular skill rank are not available

until a character has paid for and attained those ranks,

regardless of what his actual bonuses to skill checks may

be. Thus a character with 2 Ranks in an SFX Skill which

grants a rank-based beneﬁ t at 3 Ranks cannot access that

beneﬁ t, even if bonuses from high ability scores or feats

raise his ﬁ nal skill check bonus above +3.

SFX Skills

SFX Skills differ rather widely from the ordinary skills

most characters utilize over the course of their careers.

Possessing ranks in SFX Skills reﬂ ects an awakening

knowledge or growing mastery of forces outside the

experience of most men; magical spells, innate psychic

potential, and other abilities. Characters without the

appropriate SFX feat or feats, representing exceptional

training or natural ability, cannot learn or use SFX Skills at

all. During game play, SFX Skills function mechanically

much like ordinary skills, though they often have additional

parameters associated with them.

Actions

Using an SFX Skill usually takes an amount of time

noted in the skill’s description, unless modiﬁ ed by a feat

or other outside effect. Most SFX Skills require at least

a standard action in combat. Other SFX Skills require a

full-round action or more. All SFX Skills are subject to

the normal rules regarding actions in combat. To use

an SFX Skill, the character must be able to speak (if the

skill has a verbal component), gesture (if it has a somatic

component), and manipulate some material (if it has a

material component) or focus (if any).

Class vs. Cross-Class

SFX Skills are class skills only for members of the

SFX Adept Advanced Class, or some other Advanced

or Prestige classes. Whether or not these classes are

available (or available for PCs) is up to the GM. For

characters of all other classes SFX Skills are cross-class

skills. Possessing the proper SFX feat does not allow

characters to learn SFX Skills as class skills. SFX feats

only permit the learning and use of SFX Skills.

Most SFX Skills requiring a standard action or more

to perform provoke Attacks of Opportunity, just as

any other skill. SFX Skill users are allowed to make a

Concentration check to use their skills on the defensive.

Skill Checks

Characters make skill checks with SFX Skills just as they

do with ordinary skills unless noted otherwise in the skill

description. The player rolls one d20 die and adds his

Rank in the SFX Skill, as well as adding (or subtracting) any

applicable ability modiﬁ ers (as well as any circumstance

bonuses the GM may decide are applicable). The DC

of most SFX Skills are listed in the description of the

skill itself, while some skills automatically succeed (with

ranks determining some aspect of the skill effect). Users

can Take 10 on most SFX Skill attempts, following the

normal rules for Taking 10 with skills. Most SFX Skills

cannot be used by Taking 20, as there are costs associated

with their use and direct penalties for their failure. If a

user were able to Take 20 on an SFX Skill attempt, he

would be forced to pay all costs associated with that SFX

Skill x 20.

SFX Skills and Concentration

Using SFX Skills requires some amount of concentration

to successfully perform and maintain. Thus, SFX

Skill users may ﬁ nd their skill checks interrupted or

foiled by injury and environmental distractions (see the

Concentration skill description). SFX Skill users are also

allowed to make a Concentration check as part of their

skill check action in order to use the skill on the defensive.

If a character’s Concentration check fails, the SFX Skill

check fails just as if the character had not met the DC:

The Strain and any other costs for the attempt are still

paid.

Characters can attempt to use various SFX Skills on one

another to disrupt each other’s skill checks. The DC of

the skill check is set as normal, or the normal save DC

of the SFX Skill, whichever is greater. SFX Skills that

normally do not allow a save should use the system for

Rank-Based Beneﬁ ts

Some SFX skills have additional abilities or beneﬁ ts

which become available when a user possesses a particular

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determining save DC laid out below.

Variant: Nonlethal Damage

The standard method for tracking Strain with SFX Skills involves

a variant form of nonlethal damage that differs from the standard

nonlethal rules found in the d20 Modern Rulebook in that it

accrues over time, much like normal hit-point damage.

Saving Throws

SFX Skills that affect other creatures often allow a saving

throw to negate or reduce their effects. This is generally

a Will or Fortitude saving throw, and unless otherwise

noted the DC of the save is equal to 10, plus half the

character’s ranks in the SFX Skill (rounded down), plus

the skill’s key ability score modiﬁ er.

Dealing Nonlethal Damage

Certain attacks deal nonlethal damage. Other effects, such as

heat or being exhausted, also deal nonlethal damage. When you

take nonlethal damage, keep a running total of how much you’ve

accumulated. Do not deduct the nonlethal damage number from

your current hit points. It is not “real” damage. Instead, when your

nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you’re staggered,

and when it exceeds your current hit points, you fall unconscious.

It doesn’t matter whether the nonlethal damage equals or exceeds

your current hit points because the nonlethal damage has gone up

or because your current hit points have gone down.

Strain

Using SFX Skills is invariably taxing. Each use of an

SFX Skill weakens its user in some way, which is known

as Strain. Strain is usually expressed in one of several

different forms, one of which is chosen by the GM at the

beginning of game play.

If you take nonlethal damage from a single attack that is equal

to or exceeds your Massive Damage Threshold, you must make

a Fortitude save (DC 15). If you succeed at this save you are

Stunned for one round. If you fail this save you are rendered

unconscious for 1d4+1 rounds.

Strain as Nonlethal Damage

Strain can be represented as differing amounts of a

variant type of nonlethal damage (See Sidebar). This

nonlethal damage is usually listed in the SFX Skill

description as an unmodiﬁ ed positive number. Strain as

nonlethal damage will be used as the default in SFX Skill

descriptions and other notation used throughout this and

other SFX Skill publications.

Nonlethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals

Lethal Damage

You can use a melee weapon that deals lethal damage to deal

nonlethal damage instead, but you take a -4 penalty on your attack

roll.

Lethal Damage with a Weapon that Deals

Nonlethal Damage

You can use a weapon that deals nonlethal damage, including an

unarmed strike, to deal lethal damage instead, but you take a -4

penalty on your attack roll.

If a character takes nonlethal damage in a single round

from Strain equal to, or exceeding, his Massive Damage

Threshold he must immediately make a Fortitude saving

throw (DC 15). If he succeeds at this saving throw he

is Stunned for one round and Fatigued, if he fails this

saving throw he immediately falls unconscious for 1d4+1

rounds and awakens Fatigued. A Fatigued character who

would become Fatigued again becomes Exhausted. If

the Strain from using an SFX Skill causes the user to

become unconscious the skill effect still occurs as under

the skill description, but cannot be maintained (if the skill

can normally be maintained).

Staggered and Unconscious

When your nonlethal damage equals your current hit points, you’re

staggered. You can only take a standard action or a move action

in each round. You cease being staggered when your current hit

points once again exceed your nonlethal damage.

When your nonlethal damage exceeds your current hit points, you

fall unconscious. While unconscious, you are helpless.

Healing Nonlethal Damage

You heal nonlethal damage at the rate of 1 hit point per hour per

character level.

The Strain of some SFX Skill use is determined by the

circumstances of the skill roll. Certain feats may also

affect the amount of Strain caused by using SFX Skills.

The character takes the Strain regardless of whether the

SFX Skill check is successful, and the damage happens

When a spell or a magical power cures hit point damage, it also

removes an equal amount of nonlethal damage.

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each time a skill is retried, as well.

Feats and Occupations

Controlling access to SFX skills is most easily done via

SFX Feats. The standard method for accessing the SFX

Feats themselves, however, is by taking the SFX Aptness

feat. By requiring two feats to access the powers associated

with SFX Skills, a GM can introduce the concept of

magical abilities to his campaign without making them

common, even among Heroic Classed NPCs and Player

Characters.

When using nonlethal damage to represent Strain, keep

in mind that characters will generally increase their ability

to cast a number of spells in succession as they gain levels

(and thus gain Hit Points), nonlethal damage will heal at

a greater rate as levels increase, as well.

Strain as Ability Damage

Strain can also be represented as Ability Damage. The

most common type of Ability Damage associated with

Strain is Strength, though if a GM wishes to make SFX

use in his campaign more lethal, he can use Constitution.

Ability damage accrued in this fashion will affect characters

as normal, and will heal normally as well. When using

Ability Damage to represent Strain, note that a character

will, in general, be able to cast slightly more spells in a

short period at very early levels, but the amount of

Strain they can withstand will never increase (or increase

very slowly). Ability damage heals at a slower rate than

nonlethal damage, and characters will only be able to cast

a few spells a week, as opposed to a few spells a day.

If a GM would like magical ability to be more common

in his campaign, however, the SFX Aptness requirement

can be removed from SFX feats, or only require the feat

once. This allows characters to take SFX feats without as

much initial outlay, and allows characters to take multiple

SFX feats more easily, creating “dabbler” characters who

have access to the skills of several magical traditions.

SFX Aptness (General)

The character has an aptitude for some form of SFX.

This aptitude can be an inborn talent, the result of

exposure to some external stimuli, or the result of study.

Alternates: Variable Strain

To make Strain more unpredictable, you can replace the ﬂ at

Strain number found in SFX Skill descriptions with a die roll.

In general, it is suggested that the maximum number on the die,

divided by 2, should be equal to the normal Strain used for the

skill (see Table 1.A).

Beneﬁ t : The character has access to one (1) SFX feat

of his or her choice. This SFX feat need not be taken

at the same time as SFX Aptness, and can be taken at

any time there-after.

Normal : SFX feats are unavailable to characters

without levels in the SFX Adept advanced class.

Strain

Die

Spell Burn

Special : This feat may be taken multiple times; each

time it is taken it allows access to one (1) more SFX

feat of the character’s choice.

d12

d20

Dabbler (General)

You have an interest in some aspect of occult power,

and have picked up a little bit of ability in it. You have

the potential to learn and use one SFX Skill.

Table 1.A

Strain to Spell Burn

Strain numbers can be converted to the Spell Burn system found

in BadAxe Game’s Grim Tales campaign toolkit. As most Strain

numbers are divisible by 3, a d6-based Spell Burn system integrates

easily into an SFX Skills system with minimal adjustments. Simply

use the number of dice whose average result is closest to the

original Strain number (as seen on Table 1.A)

Beneﬁ t : You may substitute Dabbler for SFX

Aptness and one other SFX feat as prerequisites for

learning one SFX Skill. You cannot access any other

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SFX Skills.

Skills : Choose three of the following skills as

permanent class skills. If a skill you select is already

a class skill, you receive a +1 competence bonus on

checks using that skill. Concentration, Decipher

Script, Gather Information, Knowledge (arcane lore,

art, behavioral sciences, earth and life sciences, history,

physical sciences, tactics, or theology and philosophy),

Research, or add a new Read/Write Language or a new

Speak Language.

Special : You can take this feat more than once. Each

time, it applies to a different SFX Skill.

Note : Dabbler does not make the selected skill a class

skill, merely allows you to obtain ranks in it.

Arcane Scholar

Arcane Scholars are individuals who have dedicated their

lives to the discovery and study of occult phenomena and

learning, spending their time pouring through ancient

tomes or religious tracts to learn all they can about the

world’s hidden things.

Bonus Feat : Select either Dabbler or Educated.

Wealth Bonus : +1.

Prerequisite : Age 20+.

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d20 UKG Publishing SFX Skills - Enochian Theurgy.pdf

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