BRCS Chapter 2- The Bloodline

[Ariadne]

Creating the blood ability as something like a 7th ability score is a great idea for 3rd Edition. Further the blood abilities designed as "bonus spells" are really good. A crying eye for me is the +..ECL for blooded scions with greater than a minor bloodline, but it might be nessesary for game balance (I still would prefer to role it without ECL). Great are the new additional parts for some blood abilities (the new great version for protection from evil for example).

My special thanks to the members who designed the "role your abilities" part. A true BR lover doesn't want too choose them...

Something I don't read (may be I over read it) is how the ability score for bloodlines is defined. Rolling/ additional points giving as if creating "normal" abilities? If you want to enhance your bloodline strength (from minor to major for example) you get the ECL then, but not other advantages. What is meant by this? IMO you get "bonus abilities" through your score, not your strength. There should be no difference, did I forget something?

[Cobos]

Ariadne wrote:

>This post was generated by the Birthright.net message forum.
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> Ariadne wrote:
> Creating the blood ability as something like a 7th ability score is a great idea for 3rd Edition. Further the blood abilities designed as "bonus spells" are really good. A crying eye for me is the +..ECL for blooded scions with greater than a minor bloodline, but it might be nessesary for game balance (I still would prefer to role it without ECL). Great are the new additional parts for some blood abilities (the new great version for protection from evil for example).
>
>
Actually I beleive the ECL is only valid if you can choose your blood
abilites as you can feats...
If you role on the table you very well might end up with almost useless
abilities or very specific ones which
does not warrant a +2ECL...

>My special thanks to the members who designed the "role your abilities" part. A true BR lover doesn`t want too choose them...
>
>Something I don`t read (may be I over read it) is how the ability score for bloodlines is defined. Rolling/ additional points giving as if creating "normal" abilities? If you want to enhance your bloodline strength (from minor to major for example) you get the ECL then, but not other advantages. What is meant by this? IMO you get "bonus abilities" through your score, not your strength. There should be no difference, did I forget something?
>
>
>
Sindre

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[irdeggman]

The "other" advantages referenced in the text for when the scion's bloodline strength increases is refering to the bonus to his/her ability score. Minor template gets +0, Major +4, Great +8. So if a scion meets the requirements to increase his strength from minor to major he/she gains the +1 ECl but doesn't gain the +4 to his/her blood ability score.

In regard to whether or not the ECL modifier works for randomly generated blood abilities - yes it is no where near as clear as when the abilities are chosen, but there are still other things that come into play:

Whether or not an actual ECL is applied to scions, the DM must invoke a virtual one to make up for their increased power as compared to other (non-blooded) characters. This is important when determining the appropriate CR for encounters. There are 3 things that contribute to the increased power of scions; (1) blood abilities, (2) increased hit points and (3) better starting equipment (e.g., starting magic items) {if that variant in Chapt 8 is used}.

Individually none of these, except for higher power (great and some major) blood abilities, provide enough of an increase to warrant an ECL on their own. When combined, however, the effect is such that an ECL is necessary in order to maintain the correct balance. A scion with only the minor scion template (no actual template, but the scion must use his extra ability roll for this purpose) does not gain an ECL, but also doesn’t gain any blood abilities greater than minor nor do they gain better starting equipment or bonus hit points.

Regardless of the method used to determine the blood abilities, the scion will gain the hit point bonus, and if the variant in Chapt 8 is used (I really don't see it not being used, myself) he/she gains better starting equipment (probably a magic item). While the latter benefit has a decreasing benefit as levels progress the hit point bonus actually increases as level increase. If the random method is used and a character ends up with less than usable abilities I recommend using the sliding CR scale in the DMG to adjust his/her ECL accordingly, again this is situational and up to the DM. In general I think that the ECLs will work when all things are taken into consideration, but this can change if there is a concerted decision to make it so.