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Questions from a noob
Sun, 01/06/2013 - 9:32pm | 
dutch206
OK. I bought BBF, Keranak Kingdoms and both adventure modules; I'm all in. I love the rules (and the lack thereof) and the setting. However, my first read-through has sparked a few questions:
1) Does using a shield add +20 to the dodge check?
2) Why do elementals have an alignment of evil? Shouldn't it be neutral?
3) Why do clerics only have six spells? (That kind of seems like a bust as a profession.)
All in all, I have to give you guys props. You did a great job!
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1) Yes. The dodge check is a physical resistance check.
2 and 3 are design choices that Larry and Bill should handle.
If you post this in the Q&A section, Bill & Larry can give official answers for others to view.
Like Ascent said, these were design choices. Your more than welcome to change the alignment of elementals to your liking. Perhaps a race of good earth elemental's who follow Yoshimir protect a mountain pass for those who give allegiance to the late King Rahvan Keranak III.
We gave clerics spells that fit the cleric archetype. I can see a GM allowing the use of spells on a limited basis to fit with older version of D&D. Something like Transform for things like Animal Growth or Offensive Strike for Blade Barrier.
We're glad you like and game. :-)
Let's us know what you come up with.
The beauty of the system... all of those things are easily house ruled however you like without breaking the system. I've even considered removing "spells" for clerics altogether and just let them pray for an effect. The god either follows through if the prayer is appropriate, or denies them. (For instance, a God of nature might heal, Entangle and Weather Control, but wouldn't allow Telekinesis or Illusion and he would do other things based on the type of prayer.)
In my home campaign, elementals are all neutral as they are a force of nature and I don't use other planes of existance beyond Heaven and Hell, or my equivalents thereof. Good and Evil don't really apply to them. Old school D&D they were (pretty much) evil. That's really more a setting thing I think.
+1 to Neolithicwolf for cleric miracles. That is exactly how I would do it.
One more question: What effect does holy water have?
Since the exact proporties of Holy Water aren't catelogued in the rules, I imagine you're free to create your own. If I was running a game, I would allow holy water to be used to...
damage/repel undead/unholy enemies
cure pervasive status effects
sanctify an area
etc
I guess you could treat a flask of Holy Water as an enchanted item with a spell effect.
Here's a fun thing I've been doing with my games to get people in the right mood:
"Truth Cards".
Give the players an index card. Every time the players want to make something up that should be true for the world or setting they just write it on their card and, BAM, it's a truth for the world that everyone should know. The players can put 2 Truths at first level and then one additional Truth for every level after that. The DM has the final say on whether a Truth can be added or not as all truths should fall into the realm of "Common Knowledge".
Example: Billy is an Elf Cleric. Billy thinks that elves in this setting only need 4 hours of sleep to be fully rested since they are beings of Fey so he asked the DM for approval and then writes "Elves only need 4 hours of sleep" on his Truth card. Later, Billy's party is fighting a very powerful vampire when he remembers that he has a flask of Holy Water on his persons at all times. Things get desperate and Billy says that Holy Water repels and damages undead creatures like vampires. The DM thinks it's a good idea but thinks that Billy should choose from one effect or the other, so Billy chooses that "Holy Water damages Undead" and adds it to his Truth Card. Billy has only one level in Cleric at the moment so he has used up his starting allotment of Truths and must wait until he spends the DP to gain a level in a Skill to gain more Truths.
Nice way to allow player participation in world creation OFTHEHILLPEOPLE! I like!
But what do you mean by level? Are we talking skill levels or are you talking about some other game?
OFTHEHILLPEOPLE,
You gave me a new idea for Decahedron. Ideas ideas that aren't full articles could be GAME TIPS in boxes in the layout.
Coo?
dutch206
Whatever effect you give holy water, remember that someone with the cleric skill can use "bless" to turn water holy. How much, how often is up to you.
Yes, every time they buy a new level in a skill they would get another Truth available to them. I know, it's confusing how I typed it but I use it for different systems.
Larry: Yeah, that sounds like fun.