Demogorgon

Various Monsters

Clay Colossus

Revising Epic Feats

Weapons (Final Fantasy)

New Feats (and Spell System)

Crown Naga

Revising Salient Divine Abilities

Talos

Epic Tarrasque

King Ghidorah

Godzilla

Conversion Table 2: Divine Rank by HD/Levels

Conversion Table 1: Divine Rank by Comparisons

Revising Salient Divine Abilities (in Deities & Demigods)

Having studied the Salient Divine Abilities (henceforth refered to as SDAs) in that book for some time now, I will proffer the following suggested changes so as to better balance each ability with those found in the Immortals Handbook. I have included changes to 22 SDAs, although most are fairly minor changes. As I mentioned in my review of Deities & Demigods most of the SDAs were pretty well balanced.

The best way to balance SDAs is to try and weigh them equivalent to about 5 feats/epic feats.

Some of the following suggestions refer to treating the ability as cosmic rather than divine. Essentially a cosmic ability takes up 4 divine ability slots instead of 1.

UPDATE (5th September 2005): Added ten more suggested abilities for revision, primarily to remove their absolutes. Updates to the list are underlined.

1. Alter Reality

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: Basically what this boils down to is, wish at will with no EXP cost. The offshoot of this being the deity and all its servants (eventually) get maxed out inherent bonuses to all ability scores among other things for no cost.

Suggestion: Still factor EXP costs.

2. Alter Size

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: The deity gains all the positive aspects for gaining eight size categories and none of the negative. Added to which the original treatment of size above colossal in the core rulebooks is flawed.

Suggestion: Every time Alter Size is taken allow the deity to change its size up or down one category.

3. Annihilating Strike

Verdict: Broken.

Reason: Basically this gives the deity a 1 hit kill policy on any other being.

eg. Using the stats for Odin in D&Dg (which are so un-optimised for combat that we can assume even an epic fighter worth his salt would eclipse them) we can see that he has (on average) a 55% chance of slaying deities with one hit. Moradin (who is slightly better optimised for combat) has a 160% chance. Thor, who admittedly is very well optimised, has a 480% chance.

Suggestion: Delete.

4. Automatic Meta-magic

Verdict: Undervalued slightly when applied to lower level Meta-magic.

Reason: Some Meta-magic feats are better than others.

Suggestion: Allow the deity to take up to five levels of Meta-magic.

eg. You could take Quicken Spell and Silent Spell, or Enlarge Spell plus Maximise Spell etc.

5. Avatar

Verdict: Broken.

Reason: Allows the deity to create virtual carbon copies of itself for no cost. Amazingly any two Avatars would likely be more powerful than the deity itself, yet the deity is allowed to create an unlimited number of these Avatars.

Suggestion: Delete.

A. Battlesense

Verdict: Absolute (Cannot be surprised...except by deity of a higher rank).

Reason: Infinite abilities are (for all intents and purposes) unbalanced, and lead to a 'one-upmanship' that is detrimental to the game.

Suggestion: Deities with this ability gain a +15 insight bonus to Spot and Listen checks.

NB. This change should not interfere with any other aspects of this ability.

6. Divine Armour Mastery

Verdict: Underpowered slightly.

Reason: The ability to wear medium armour is going to be next to pointless when compared with the benefits of wearing bracers of armour.

Suggestion: Allow this to encompass Heavy Armour as well.

7. Divine Battle Mastery

Verdict: Underpowered.

Reason: Pretty much a combination of two epic feats, the average we are trying to balance against is 5 feats = 1 SDA.

Suggestion: Use the epic feats instead.

8. Divine Blast

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: Bypasses any defence (except Divine Shield); deals 1d12 damage times Divine Rank plus Charisma Bonus and has a range in miles. Of course this is difficult to judge since it not only increases in power, but actually increases on two fronts. However, the average boon is 19d12.

Suggestion: Cosmic ability as written. If you wanted a set figure I would suggest 10d20. Allow it to stack up to a maximum of the deities HD/Level.

9. Divine Celerity

Verdict: Underpowered.

Reason: There is no reason why this power couldn’t be constant.

Suggestion: Deity is constantly hasted.

10. Divine Dodge

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: Effectively doubles (or better) a characters hit points.

Suggestion: Treat as a Cosmic Ability

B. Divine Fire Mastery

Verdict: Absolute (immunity to fire)

Reason: Infinite abilities are (for all intents and purposes) unbalanced, and lead to a 'one-upmanship' that is detrimental to the game.

Suggestion: Adds Fire Resistance of either 50, 100 (single Fire Portfolio) or 150 (double Fire Portfolio).

NB. This change should not interfere with any other aspects of this ability.

11. Divine Monk

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: Vorpal Strike should be a Divine Ability all by itself.

Suggestion: In totality slightly too weak for a Cosmic Ability. Much better to break the components into divine abilities and feats.

Vorpal Strike = Divine Ability
+5 Enchantment Bonus = Divine Ability
Keen Strike = Feat
Righteous Strike = Feat

12. Divine Recall

Verdict: Underpowered.

Reason: Needs a mechanical benefit as well as a philosophical one.

Suggestion: The deity does not forget spells after they cast them, meaning the deity can cast the spells it knows at will.

13. Divine Rogue

Verdict: Broken and Overpowered.

Reason: Specifically the evasion facet of this ability is broken. It is far too easy to avoid attacks because damage does not automatically increase with level (unlike Reflex save). Also it makes no logical sense why you would roll a Reflex save against damage anyway.

Suggestion: Cosmic Ability (the evasion facet that is), also change the Reflex save DC to the Attack score rather than the Damage score.

14. Divine Splendour

Verdict: Broken and Overpowered.

Reason: Totally crushes mortal (even epic mortal) and divine interaction.

Suggestion: Allow a saving throw.

15. Divine Weapon Focus

Verdict: Underpowered.

Reason: Slightly complicated this one, however, given that epic prowess works with all attacks (not just one weapon), epic weapon focus should be twice that (and indeed is), while divine weapon focus should be five times that.

Suggestion: The bonus should be +10.

16. Divine Weapon Specialisation

Verdict: Underpowered at lower Divine Ranks.

Reason: Similar reason as Divine Weapon Focus.

Suggestion: The bonus should be set at +20.

C. Extra Energy Immunity

Verdict: Absolute (energy immunity)

Reason: Infinite abilities are (for all intents and purposes) unbalanced, and lead to a 'one-upmanship' that is detrimental to the game.

Suggestion: Replace with Extra Energy Immunity.

17. Hand of Death

Verdict: Slightly overpowered.

Reason: The name seems something of a misnomer, and in light of the proposed changes to Life and Death, and Mass Life and Death it should be a touch attack.

Suggestion: Make this a touch attack.

D. Increased Damage Reduction

Verdict: Minor Change.

Reason: Simply to bring this into line with the Damage Reduction epic feat revision.

Suggestion: This ability adds 10 to the creatures damage reduction. The damage reduction is of the same type as the deity currently posesses.

eg. If the deity has DR 20/epic and lawful, then gaining this ability will make it DR 30/epic and lawful.

E. Increased Energy Resistance

Verdict: Underpowered.

Reason: With an average of 5 feats for every one divine ability, the net worth of this ability should be equal to five Energy Resistance (epic) feats.

Suggestion: This ability adds energy resistance 50 to one type of energy.

18. Increased Spell Resistance

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: Equivalent to 10 epic feats, when the average we are aiming for is 5.

Suggestion: The bonus should be +10.

19. Irresistible Blows

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: The ability to ignore Armour and Natural Armour is vastly more powerful than even the revised divine weapon focus above.

Suggestion: Treat as a Cosmic Ability

F. Irresistable Blow (Addendum to the above suggestion)

Verdict: Absolute (ignores any amount of natural armour).

Reason: Infinite abilities are (for all intents and purposes) unbalanced, and lead to a 'one-upmanship' that is detrimental to the game.

Suggestion: This ability reduces natural armour by 20 points (and you do not gain the stunning ability).

NB. A brilliant energy weapon should ignore the first 16 points of natural armour, but be able to deal damage to constructs and undead.

20. Life and Death

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: Again allows no saving throw for mortals (even epic characters).

Suggestion: Allow a saving throw.

21. Mass Life and Death

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: Allows the deity to kill any number of mortals with no saving throw, destroying any mortal/immortal interaction.

Suggestion: Allow a saving throw.

G. Power of Truth

Verdict: Absolute (always knows the truth...except when faced with a higher ranked deity).

Reason: Infinite abilities are (for all intents and purposes) unbalanced, and lead to a 'one-upmanship' that is detrimental to the game.

Suggestion: The deity can discern the truth by making a successful Sense Motive check.

NB. This also means that rings of truth and spells with similar effects should not be all encompassing.

22. Rejuvenation

Verdict: Overpowered.

Reason: Basically removes any substantial threat from weaker beings.

Suggestion: Treat as a Cosmic Ability.

H. Supreme Initiative

Verdict: Absolute (always acts first).

Reason: Infinite abilities are (for all intents and purposes) unbalanced, and lead to a 'one-upmanship' that is detrimental to the game.

Suggestion: This ability should provide a +20 bonus to Initiative that stacks with Improved Initiative and Superior Initiative feats.

I. True Knowledge

Verdict: Absolute (never fails a bardic knowledge or lore check).

Reason: Infinite abilities are (for all intents and purposes) unbalanced, and lead to a 'one-upmanship' that is detrimental to the game.

Suggestion: The deity recieves a +15 competence bonus to all Knowledge checks.

J. Undead Mastery

Verdict: Absolute (command/destroy any undead creature - no save)

Reason: Infinite abilities are (for all intents and purposes) unbalanced, and lead to a 'one-upmanship' that is detrimental to the game.

Suggestion: The deity turns undead as if they were 10 levels higher.