Alignment System Changes
Alignments in Alvena: In Alvena the power of good, evil, law, and chaos can be harnessed into real tangible powers. These are similar to prime fundamentals of consciousness, and several beings either are born from these prime elements, or embody them through particularly strong devotions. Alignments are generally viewed based on traits they exhibit.
Good = Altruism, Love, and Kindness
Evil = Selfishness, Hate, and Cruelty
Law = Justice, Order, and Logic
Chaos = Freedom, Change, and Emotion
Certain creatures are naturally tied to these primal traits. Succubi for example are born of raw chaos and evil, and exhibit strong traits of selfishness, cruelty, emotion, freedoms, and so forth. Such creatures may break away from their fundamental aspects; such as a "Fallen Angel" acting with evil traits or even becoming a champion of darkness (see creature alignments, below).
Creature Alignments: Creatures without alignment subtypes are for all intents and purposes neutral. While a character may exhibit strong traits of the prime alignments, they lack enough of a connection for it to manifest in a way that reacts strongly to magic and effects based on alignment. For this reason, most humanoids will not register on spells such as detect evil; and likewise are only half-affected by effects that target extreme alignments. Characters who gain an alignment subtype (such as Paladins) are so strongly connected to the primal essence of that alignment that it manifests in physical ways (such being able to overcome damage reductions, and being detected by spells such as detect good).
Characters are therefor encouraged to play their characters as they feel is appropriate.
Class Alignment Restrictions: Barbarians, Bards, Monks, and Paladins do not have alignment or multiclassing restrictions. In the case of the Paladin and Monk, see their entries below.
Spells
Spells with alignment descriptors may be cast by characters of any alignment, even if they could not previously. A lawful good cleric may for example cast Deathwatch or Protection from Law. With the removal of this mechanical limitation it creates role-playing opportunities where characters have access to certain powers that may or may not be permitted by their own orders; and opens up opportunities for social intrigues - including rival churches subverting or infiltrating one another.
Casting spells with aligned descriptors merely reflects mechanical portions. They do not make you more or less of a particular alignment mechanically. The summon monster spells likewise may be used to summon creatures outside your given alignment at the caster's choice; but with social or religious repercussions as appropriate. For example, summoning fiends or undead within the Omas Region is strictly forbidden; regardless of intentions.
Clerics
Aura:A cleric's Aura class feature now grants them the appropriate alignment subtypes. This means the character is treated as being of that alignment for the purposes of spells and effects, and likewise the character's natural weapons and any weapon she wields are treated as aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Channel Energy: Clerics choose whether they channel positive or negative energy at 1st level. Those that channel positive energy can spontaneously cast cure spells, while those that channel negative energy can spontaneously cast inflict spells. The cleric's alignment does not dictate the energy type they channel. Each time the cleric gains a level, he may alter this choice if desired. The feats Command Undead and Turn Undead may be swapped when doing so.
Other Notes: Clerics may cast any spell on their spell list regardless of alignment. Some spells (such as blasphemy) carry social taboos or taboos within their own belief systems which result in clerics treating them as forbidden, and viewing those that do cast such spells to be walking a very dangerous path or slipping away from their ideals. It is rather hard to justify to your colleagues how casting blasphemy is a good idea, when you're supposed to be protecting the interests of good, for example.
Paladins
Alignment / Multiclassing: Paladins are not restricted to Lawful Good, but must have at least one non-neutral alignment (such as Chaos, Evil, Good, or Law) which determine the effects of several of the Paladin's abilities. Paladins must still adhere to a Paladin code (see below). Paladins may multi-class freely as desired.
Aura: Paladins gain an Aura associated with their alignment just like a cleric. This means the paladin is treated as being of that alignment for the purposes of spells and effects, and likewise the paladin's natural weapons and any weapon she wields are treated as aligned for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction.
Smite Enemy: Paladins have Smite Evil replaced with Smite Enemy. It functions in every way as Smite Evil except that it functions against the paladin's opposed alignments.
Lawful Paladins deal full smite damage against Chaotic enemies.
Good Paladins deal full smite damage against Evil enemies.
Chaotic Paladins deal full smite damage against Lawful enemies.
Evil Paladins deal full smite damage against Good enemies.
Lay on Hands, Channel Energy, and Mercies: Paladins must choose whether their Lay on Hands ability channels positive energy or with negative energy. If positive the paladin heals living creatures and harms undead, channels positive energy, and gains mercies normally. If negative energy, the paladin's lay on hands functions like an antipaladin's Touch of Corruption feature, channels negative energy, and gains cruelties as an antipaladin. In either case, the Paladin may always use her Lay on Hands (but not channel energy) to heal herself, regardless of the energy type.
Paladin Auras: Paladins may now choose between paladin and antipaladin auras as they gain levels. A paladin may change out one of their auras whenever they gain a level. The selectable auras are listed below for your convenience. In any case, a lower level aura may be taken in place of a higher level aura.
At 3rd level, a Paladin may select Aura of Courage or Aura of Cowardice.
At 8th level, a Paladin may select Aura of Resolve or Aura of Dispair.
At 11th level, a Paladin may select Aura of Justice or Aura of Vengeance.
At 14th level, a Paladin may select Aura of Faith or Aura of Sin.
At 17th level, a Paladin may select Aura of Righteousness or Aura of Depravity.
At 20th level, a Paladin chooses either Holy Champion or Unholy Champion. A Paladin that has Aura of Faith or Aura of Righteousness cannot take Unholy Champion. A Paladin that has Aura of Sin or Aura of Depravity cannot take Holy Champion.
Paladin Spells: Add the following spells to the Paladin's spell list (at the indicated spell level): inflict light wounds (1st), inflict moderate wounds (3rd), inflict serious wounds (4th). If the Paladin has an Aura of Chaos, add protection from law (1st) and magic circle against law (3rd), but remove protection from chaos and magic circle against chaos. If the Paladin has an Aura of Evil, add protection from good (1st) and magic circle against good (3rd), but remove protection from evil and magic circle against evil.
Paladin Code: All paladins must follow a particular code of conduct. The two sample codes of conduct are listed below. A Paladin may have a unique code of conduct, using the codes below as a guideline, subject to GM discretion. In general, a code of conduct is not something that the Paladin should attempt to bend or twist the meaning (such attempts automatically cause the Paladin to become a fallen Paladin and require atonement) and should not be so vague as to lack meaning.
Code of Conduct (Lawful Good): A paladin must be of lawful good alignment and loses all class features except proficiencies if she ever willingly commits an evil act. Additionally, a paladin's code requires that she respect legitimate authority, act with honor (not lying, not cheating, not using poison, and so forth), help those in need (provided they do not use the help for evil or chaotic ends), and punish those who harm or threaten innocents.
Code of Conduct (Chaotic Evil): An antipaladin must be of chaotic evil alignment and loses all class features except proficiencies if he willingly and altruistically commits good acts. This does not mean that an antipaladin cannot take actions someone else might qualify as good, only that such actions must always be in service of his own dark ends. An antipaladin’s code requires that he place his own interests and desires above all else, as well as impose tyranny, take advantage whenever possible, and punish the good and just, provided such actions don’t interfere with his goals.
Monk
Since monks are no longer required to be of lawful alignment, they receive the following change to their Ki Pool ability.
Ki Pool (Su): At 10th level, a monk may choose an alignment subtype. As long as he has at least 1 point in his ki pool, he may overcome damage reductions as if he possessed the chosen alignment subtype.
Sorcerer: Sorcerers in HoA have the same rate of spell advancement as wizards; gaining a new level of spells known and spells per day and spells known at 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th, 11th, 13th, 15th, and 17th as a wizard. The sorcerer treats her level as 1 higher for the purpose of determining spells per day and spells known. In addition, the sorcerer gains 5 9th level spells per day at 19th level, and 6 at 20th; correcting the spell progression (which jumps from 4 to 6 in the core progression arbitrarily).
Craft: When using the Craft skill, multiply your result using gold pieces instead of silver pieces for a week of worth, and silver pieces instead of copper pieces for work by the day.
Full Attack: Full-attacks are standard actions.
Iterative Attacks: Whenever a character gains an additional attack from a high BAB, each additional attack is made at the character's BAB -5.
Example: A 20th level fighter has 3 additional attacks from a high base attack bonus. Her attack routine is +20/+15/+15/+15.
A 20th level cleric has 2 additional attacks from a high base attack bonus. His attack routine is +15/+10/+10.
A 20th level wizard has 1 additional attack from a high base attack bonus. Her attack routine is +10/+5.
Extra Actions: Unless noted otherwise, a character cannot gain more than two standard actions in the same round from abilities or effects.
Example: A character that is allowed an extra standard action via a class feature, a spell effect, a racial quality, and a magic item can still only take up to 2 standard actions per round. Everything else is likely redundant.
Sundering: See Magic Item Adjustments, “Sundering Magic Weapons” below (under Magic Item Changes).
Threat Ranges: When calculating threat ranges for weapons and attacks, follow the normal rules for dealing with multipliers. Begin with the highest multiplier, with each additional multiplier adding to the previous with a -1 penalty. Unless otherwise noted, static threat adjustments are applied after multipliers.
Example: Valoren is an 8th level Elf Fighter. His favored weapon is a +1 keen scimitar, and he has the Improved Critical (Scimitar) feat. A scimitar's base threat range is 18-20 (1-3 numbers). The Keen weapon enhancement doubles the threat range for the weapon, as does Improved Critical. Valoren has a critical threat of 12-20 (keen + improved critical result in a x3 as per multiplier rules, resulting in 1-9 numbers on the d20).
Valoren later gains an additional +2 to his weapon threat range from a Prestige Class. This modifier is applied after multipliers, for a total threat range of 10-20.
Weapon Sizes: Weapon have a size category ranging from fine to colossal as characters do. A character may wield a weapon that matches his or her size category as a one handed weapon. A character may wield a weapon up to one size category larger with two hands. A character may wield weapons below his or her size category as light one handed weapons.
When converting weapons from the system reference document, a weapon indicated as a light weapon is a size category smaller than its intended wielder, and a weapon indicated as two-handed is a size category larger.
Characters suffer no penalties for wielding weapons that are within their light, one-handed, and two-handed ranges. A character cannot wield a weapon more than one size category larger than themselves.
Reach weapons provide reach as long as they are within the light, one-handed, and two-handed range for weapons of the indicated creature, and are no more than one size category smaller or larger than the creature.
Example: Sandra the Human (a medium race) Paladin typically wields a medium longsword and a heavy shield. She later defeats the ogre blackguard Gorthan and loots his large +1 longsword. She may wield it in two hands, effectively serving as a great-sword.
Having contented with the ogre's natural reach, she instead sells the +1 longsword and purchases a +1 medium long-spear which she can wield in one hand with her shield while retaining her reach advantage. A large long-spear normally inflicts 1d8 damage, but she has purchased a medium version that deals 1d6; she could have gone further and purchased a small long-spear that would have dealt 1d4 and functioned as a light weapon.
If Sandra was a Halfling (a small race) she couldn't have wielded the ogre's sword at all, and would need to buy a small long-spear (the 1d4 version) to wield it as a one-handed weapon, or a tiny version (1d3) to wield it as a light weapon.
Shield Properties: Most shields provide higher base values to a character's armor class, and may be able to apply their shield bonus as a dodge bonus against touch attacks. Shield AC values are shown here:
| Shield Type |
AC Bonus |
| Buckler |
+1 |
| Light Shield 1 |
+2 |
| Heavy Shield 1 |
+4 |
| Tower Shield 1 |
+6 |
1: This shield grants 1/2 its Shield bonus as a Dodge bonus against Touch attacks.
Sundering Magic Items: A creature cannot damage or destroy a magic item unless the sundering weapon or attack has at an equal or greater enhancement bonus. Non-weapon or armor magic items are treated as having an enhancement bonus equal to 1/4th the caster level of the item rounded down.
Example: A mundane weapon cannot sunder a +1 weapon, nor can a +1 weapon sunder a +2 weapon; however a +2 weapon may sunder another +2 weapon, a +1 weapon, or a normal weapon.
A CL 15 wondrous item has an effective enhancement bonus of +3, and thus requires a +3 or better weapon to destroy it.
Keen Weapon Enhancement: The keen weapon enhancement doubles the threat range of the enhanced weapon and stacks with other effects that improve critical threat range; such as with the Improved Critical feat. See Combat Adjustments, “Threat Ranges” above. Furthermore, the keen enchantment is no longer limited to slashing type weapons.
Stacking Enhancements: Weapon enhancements such as acidic, flaming, frost, shocking, and sonic may stack with themselves to provide a more powerful burst of energy. Elemental burst weapons such as acid burst, fiery burst, icy burst, shocking burst, and sonic burst, may also stack with themselves. In either case such enhancements cannot stack beyond +5 points of combined enhancement bonus.
Example: Sandra the Paladin may wield a +1 triple-flaming longsword, which deals an extra +3d6 fire damage on each successful hit. The weapon is priced as a +4 magic weapon (+1 enhancement, +3 from flaming).
Valoren the Fighter may wield a +1 double-icy burst keen scimitar. The weapon deals an additional +2d6 cold damage on each hit, and an additional +2d10 cold damage on a successful critical hit. The weapon is priced as a +6 magic weapon (+1 enhancement, +4 from icy burst, +1 from keen).
Later Sandra decides to upgrade her longsword to a +1 quintuple flaming longsword for a total of +5d6 fire damage per hit. She cannot however apply the flaming enhancement any further because the combined enhancement would be greater than +5.
Defending Weapons: A defending weapon provides a dodge bonus to the wielder's AC. A character may gain the benefit from only one defending weapon at a time; this supersedes the normal rule for dodge bonuses stacking.
Aligned Weapons: Weapons with the anarchic, axiomatic, holy, and unholy weapon enhancements now deal half their bonus damage against creatures who are neutral on the appropriate alignment axis.
Example: Sandra the Paladin has a +1 holy dagger. When she strikes a evil creature she deals an extra +2d6 damage. Should she strike a creature who is neutral on the good/evil axis (such as a lawful neutral, true neutral, or chaotic neutral) she deals +1d6 damage instead.
Gorthan the Blackguard has a +1 anarchic morning star. When he strikes a lawful creature he deals an extra +2d6 damage. Should he strike a creature who is neutral on the law/chaos axis (such as a neutral good, true neutral, or neutral evil) he deals +1d6 damage instead.
Vorpal Weapons: Weapons with the vorpal enhancement now function as a Slaying weapon (see New Item Qualities, “Slaying Weapons” below) that function against all creature types except construct, ooze, and undead.
Removed Enhancements: The following weapon and armor enhancements have been removed from the game and are no longer available.
- Animated shield enhancement.
- Disruption weapon enhancement. See New Item Qualities, “Slaying Weapons” below.
Slaying Weapons: Slaying weapons are specifically enhanced to kill or destroy a particular type of creature. Against the chosen creature type, a slaying weapon forces a DC 12 Fortitude save or be slain. Valid creature types for the slaying enhancement are identical to those of the bane enhancement. Market Price: +2 modifier. This enhancement can only be applied to melee weapons.
Example: Sandra encounters her old nemesis Gorthan again in bitter combat. She has prepared for him this time with a +1 longsword of Giant Slaying. Each time she hits him, Gorthan must make a DC 12 fortitude save or die. While Gorthan may sport a fortitude save higher than the DC, he still has a 5% chance per hit of succumbing to the sword's power (by rolling a natural 1 on his saving throw).
Acid and Sonic Weapons: Acid and sonic weapons function similar to the flaming weapon property, adding energy damage to each attack. Acid weapons deal an extra 1d4 acid damage on each hit. Sonic weapons deal an extra 1d4 sonic damage on each hit. Acid and sonic weapons also come in burst versions which function like the fiery burst property, except their bonus damage dice are d8s instead of d10s.
Removed Magic Sub-schools: The following sub-schools have been removed from the game.
Healing. Replaced with the Positive subtype.
Added Magic Subtypes: The following subtypes have been added to the game.
- Positive. Spells that make use of positive energy such as with cure spells. Positive energy heals living creatures and harms undead creatures. Spells that provide beneficial effects such as with the raise dead spell do not function on undead creatures, and may harm the undead as detailed in the individual spell.
- Negative. Spells that make use of negative energy such as with inflict spells. Negative energy heals undead creatures and harms living creatures. Spells that provide harmful effects such as with the enervate spell do not function on undead creatures, and may benefit the undead as detailed in the individual spell.
Spell Adjustments
Positive and Negative Energy Powered Spells
Spells that belong to the Healing sub-school loose that sub-school and now sport the Positive energy descriptor. Spells that are called out to use negative energy gain the Negative energy descriptor.
Damage Reduction, Magic: Creatures with DR/Magic now have varying strengths of damage reduction, which require stronger magical weapons to overcome. Such damage reductions are identified with the required enhancement bonus to overcome the damage reduction. If converting creatures from existing material and want to determine what the enhancement requirement for their magic damage reduction should be, set it as their DR amount / 5 and rounded down (so DR 10/Magic becomes DR 10/+2 Magic).
Example: Sandra is has conquered many magical creatures with her +1 long-spear. However, against a powerful dragon she has found her weapon lacking and unable to effectively harm the formidable creature. She instead draws a +1 dragon-bane longsword which is treated as a +3 weapon against dragons, allowing her to carve her name into its hide.
Action Points: PCs in Heroes of Alvena get action points. An action point may be spent on your turn to take one additional standard, move, or swift action as needed by the player. All characters begin with 1 action point per day, and receive an additional action point at 5th, 10th, 15th, and 20th experience level. Unused action points are lost when action points are regained.
Average Healing: When a player uses a healing spell or effect, such as a cure light wounds spell, a wand of cure critical wounds, channel positive energy, etc; the owner of the effect (the caster or person using the item) may choose to take the average result of the healing instead of rolling (thus 1d8+1 becomes 5hp automatically).
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Skill Changes |
Combat Changes |
Equipment Changes |
Magic Item Changes |
Magic System Changes |
Special Qualities or Abilities |
Other Rules |
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Craft Skill |
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Sundering Magic Items |
Magic Subschools |
Magic Damage Reduction |
Action Points |
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