Expanding Craft Points for Spell Research and Animal Training

[Knight Otu]

The following rules are meant as an addition to the current craft point system. They are pretty bare-boned at the moment, so any additions are welcome. Especially the training portion still requires work.

Researching Original Spells
A spellcaster of any type can research original spells. Doing so requiress access to a well-stocked library (such as the Orussus library, which is open to everyone in the Red Dragon Inn), and costs 1000 gold pieces and 100 Craft Points per level of the spell. After that, the character must succeed at a Spellcraft check (DC 10 plus the spell's level). If the roll succeeds and the spell has been approved previously, the character learns the spell. Otherwise, the character must go through the research process again.

Spontaneous casters such as bards and sorcerers cannot exceed their spells known limit by researching a new spell. For 0 level spells, the costs are 500 gold pieces and 50 Craft Points.

Assisting in Spell Research
Characters can cooperate in spell research using the normal rules for assisting. Spellcasters are considered trained assistants, while non-spellcasters count as untrained assistants.


Feat: Research Specialist [General]
You have a knack for researching original spells
Prerequisites: Must have researched at least one original spell.
Benefits: You gain 500 (1000?) craft points, (half of?) which may only be used to research original spells. In addition, spontaneous spellcasters gain an extra spell known of the level they can currently cast minus one, or lower. That spell must be a spell they researched themselves.
You gain a +2 bonus to Spellcraft checks made to research original spells.
Special: You may select this feat multiple times. Each time you select it, you gain an additional 500 craft points. The other benefits do not stack.
A wizard may select this feat as one of her bonus feats gained at every 5th level.


Training Animals
Training or rearing animals is a dangerous and time-consuming task.
Teach an Animal a Trick: 50
Train an Animal for a Purpose: 50 x the number of weeks required
Rear a Wild Animal: ????

Dire Animals and Dinosaurs (and other special animals): Above value x 1.5?
Non-Animals with Int 1 or 2: Above value x 2?

 

[Rae ArdGaoth]

Since some (a lot, I think) animals have a CR of less than 1, squaring that value would always make the craft point cost miniscule. I would suggest rounding those up to 1. Or using HD instead. HD, I think, is a better choice.

Also, how exactly would training an animal fit with the craft point system? The CPS says something like "It's assumed that you're always working on various things and when you actually spend craft points, you instantly get the item since you just finished it." But are you expected to be walking dogs and training hawks all the time? Is the time spent training an animal waived as well? Things to think about.

A few thoughts about the CPS in general. Personally, I feel like there shouldn't be such a limit to how many things you can craft, I feel like it's too confining, you have to save up craft points and such. I like that you can get more craft points with feats, that's important, but I think... maybe gaining ranks in a craft skill should give you more CPs too. Just a thought?

Why are aquatic and flying creatures more expensive?

 

[Knight Otu]

Since some (a lot, I think) animals have a CR of less than 1, squaring that value would always make the craft point cost miniscule. I would suggest rounding those up to 1. Or using HD instead. HD, I think, is a better choice.

Rounding up is what I'm doing already. That's what the "Minimum 1" is supposed to mean, anyway. I'm not sure about HD - many animals also have fractional hit dice.

Also, how exactly would training an animal fit with the craft point system?

Well, it's the system we use for some downtime activities (all crafting), given that the nature of LEW makes it hard to use actual downtime, and training animals is also a downtime activity. It is admittedly a stretch considering the name, but why add a new system?

But are you expected to be walking dogs and training hawks all the time? Is the time spent training an animal waived as well? Things to think about.

Well, for the most time, using craft points is only possible between adventures, so as lng as you are out of an adventure, you're assumed to train the animals/research your new spell/craft you masterwork weapon. Some things make less sense during an adventure, but ifyou bring that falcon along, or if you are a druid or ranger, it could be possible.

Just a thought?

That's been a known disadvantage from the start. We hope to introduce more ways to get Craft points.

Why are aquatic and flying creatures more expensive?

Oops, wanted to add an explanation for that. Basically, it's the different environment the animal inhabits from the one the trainer inhabits. But in retrospect, it may have been a bad thought...

 

[fuzzy]

Do psionics work the same way as spontanious casting? Also, you really should get to work on a way to replenish craft points, seeing as some casters, especially wizards will be having custom spells and item creation feats. Do spontanious casters have to develop spells while leveling so they have an open spell known slot?

 

[Knight Otu]

Swift Bump.

 

[Knight Otu]

Revised the animal training costs to use a single value, instead of a CR-based formula. Unusual creatures still increase the craft point cost, though.