Book Reorganization
Problem
The Rise core book is almost 500 pages long. It is a vast tome, and not well designed as an introduction for new players to learn the system. As a comprehensive repository of all rules, it explains edge cases and unusual situations in detail before it can introduce core system concepts. Although it has some lighter text to weave sections together and try to summarize the system, it is still not well structured as an introduction.
In addition, many players simply don't need to know all of the rules of Rise. By far the most complicated parts of Rise relate to character creation, and many players don't create their own characters from scratch. People can play pregenerated characters, or make general choices about how they want their character to work that the GM or another experienced player can translate into Rise's specific rules. Those players still need to know how to play Rise, and how to use a character sheet, but not the full details of how to make their own sheet.
Solution
Split up the Rise player-facing book into two books: a new, smaller introduction book, and the "Tome of Creation". The core book is now only 29 pages long - still long for an introduction, but much more reasonable to understand. It has a summary of all of Rise's core concepts, and the minimum information needed to sit down at a table of Rise and participate. The Tome of Creation contains comprehensive details of Rise's character creation process, combat rules, and so on, much like the old core book. Maintaining a single comprehensive rulebook means it is still over 400 pages long. However, that is easier to use than requiring frequent cross-book references, and the intimidating size is less relevant if it is no longer the first thing a new player sees.
This will take some iteration, and this first version of the core book is incomplete. In particular, it would benefit from having a guide to how to use the character sheet, which will come in a future release.
Removing Damage Types
Problem
Currently, a creature that is immune to electricity damage has no special protection against non-damaging effects from the Electromancy mystic sphere, such as Shocking Discharge. This is narratively odd, because that spell is clearly using electricity to accomplish its effects, but there is technically no rule saying that it is an electricity-based effect.
Similarly, although a fire elemental is immune to fire damage, there is no good way to indicate that an earth elemental should be resistant to effects from the Terramancy mystic sphere, or that an air elemental should be vulnerable to those effects. Aeromancy, Aquamancy, and Terramancy have a clear narrative theme and associated elements, but mechanically they just do various types of physical damage. That means it's not easy to tie them into immunities or vulnerabilities.
The rules for resolving multiple damage types are also non-obvious. They are fairly consistent - adding an extra damage type is always good for the attacker - but not particularly intuitive for new players. It's reasonable to assume that a fire elemental would have some special defenses against a player using a Flaming sword, but in practice that is not true.
Solution
Damage types no longer exist. Instead, abilities that previously had damage types now have relevant tags, like Fire or Earth. Immunities and vulnerabilities are based on tags, not damage types. Physical damage is no longer typed.
This does require change the balance of power between offense and defense for tagged abilities. Previously, if an effect did "damage of all types", that was a strictly positive effect. Now, if an effect somehow had every individual tag, a creature with some immunities and no vulnerabilities would be immune to that effect. For that reason, there are no effects that simply add a large number of tags.
Specific changes
- New tags added: Acid, Air, Cold, Earth, Electricity, Fire, Poison, Water
- Every ability that previously did damage of a specific type now has an appropriate tag instead
- Many abilities have additional tags to emphasize a more tag-based system
General changes
- The standard damage scaling progressions have been redesigned to rely more heavily on power, and to avoid dividing power by 3 wherever possible. Non-power scaling damage values also increased.
- This should be a buff for most characters.
- Previously, there were three damage scaling "groups": normal scaling, high power scaling, and non-power scaling. This update removed the "high power scaling" group and increased the power scaling of the normal group.
- Power scaling changes by rank:
- Rank 2: Previously 1d8 + half power, now 1d6 + power
- Rank 4: Previously 1d6 + 1d6 per 3 power, now 1d6 per 2 power
- Rank 5: Previously 1d8 + 1d8 per 3 power, now 1d6 + 1d6 per 2 power
- Rank 6: Previously 2d8 + 1d8 per 3 power, now 1d8 + 1d8 per 2 power
- Rank 7: Previously 2d8 + 1d8 per 2 power, now 1d10 + 1d10 per 2 power
- Non-power scaling changes by rank:
* - Many individual abilities from classes and feats that use nonstandard damage scalings were also buffed
- All abilities which previously had "Strike" in their names and which made a strike have been renamed
- This should avoid confusion between a strike (the standard individual weapon attack) and a maneuver (which may or may not cause you to make one or more strikes)
Characters
- You can now attune to abilities on behalf of creatures without attunement points, such as animals
Combat
- The Auditory and Visual tags now have more clear rules about how they apply to people who are trying to stop themselves from seeing or hearing
- Making dual strikes now imposes a -2 accuracy penalty instead of -1. Having 4 Dex reduces that penalty to -1 instead of removing it.
- Being vulnerable now explicitly overrides being impervious or immune. If you would be both vulnerable and immune to an attack with multiple tags, you are simply vulnerable.
- The Dirty Trick universal ability has been removed
- Objects can be thrown up to ten times the normal limit if they are particularly easy to throw, like a baseball
- Falling damage is now slightly lower, and has much slower scaling with higher weight classes
Classes
- Barbarian: Resilient Strike is now Resilient Blow, Enraged Strike is now Aggravated Violence, and Feral Strike is now Feral Ferocity
- Cleric:
- Precise Spell now gives +2 accuracy instead of +1
- Smiting Spell now grants a +2 power bonus instead of changing damage type
- Miracles now have more clear powers and limitations
- Divine Aid now scales more strongly with power
- Bless the Worthy now restores more damage resistance
- Destructive Strike is now Demolish, and it deals more damage.
- Fire domain mastery has been redesigned
- Druid:
- Elemental Strike is now Elemental Infusion. It also deals more damage and has different tag rules.
- Elemental Strike+ has been redesigned as Elemental Tranquility
- Airborne Spell now grants the spell the Air tag
- Flooding Spell now grants the spell the Water tag
- Grounded Spell now grants +2 accuracy instead of +1 and grants the spell the Earth tag
- Incendiary Spell now has a -2 accuracy penalty on the repeated attack, can repeat on any number of creatures, and grants the spell the Fire tag
- Form of the Hawk now has a 30 foot height limit instead of 60 foot
- Shifting Strike is now Shifting Claw, and has stronger scaling
- Fighter:
- Disciplined Strike is now Disciplined Blow, and has stronger scaling
- Armored Strike is now Armored Crush, and Guarding Strike is now Sentinel's Challenge
- Monk:
- Aerial Strike is now Death from Above, and has stronger scaling
- Invested Strike is now Invested Blow
- Paladin:
- Smite now has simpler damage scaling
- Detect Anathema now has clearer wording for its rank 5 upgrade
- Pass Judgment is now Subtle
- Ranger:
- Tag-Team Takedown now has stronger scaling
- Ambush has redesigned and generally stronger scaling
- Rogue:
- Bardic Lore now does not grant class skills and is rank 2
- Bardic Performances can now be done with one of four performance styles: dance, instrumental, manipulation, or vocal. Each style imposes a different penalty on the bard.
- Vocal bardic performances now prevent talking and verbal components instead of gaining the Speech tag
- Dirge of Doom now only affects creatures
- Sorcerer:
- Dragonbreath Spell now also doubles the spell's area
- Precise Spell now grants a +2 accuracy bonus instead of +1
- Powerful Spell has been replaced with Energetic Spell, which grants a +2 power bonus and adds either the Cold, Fire, or Electricity tag
- Warlock:
- Abyssal Rebuke now has stronger damage scaling
- Banish to the Abyss now has stronger damage scaling
- Hellfire+ now grants a +3 power bonus instead of +2
- Secret of Bloodsharing now grants more healing at rank 7
- Wizard:
- Portable Workshop+ now increases the number of simulataneous items to 8, instead of matching archetype rank
Skills
- Climb: Creature Climb now only imposes a -2 accuracy penalty instead of -4
- Endurance: Maintaining exertion now has clearer rules
- Perform: Now has dance, instrumental, manipulation, and vocal performances defined
Equipment
- Nets are difficulty value 8 to escape, rather than 10
- The special standard action attacks granted by magic weapons are now explicitly mundane in nature, so they use your Strength
- Discuss: should these be magical attacks that explicitly use mundane power instead of magical power?
- Magic mplements:
- Bloodfrenzy Staff is now stronger and higher rank
- Staff of Energy Conversion has been redesigned
- Weapons:
- Hook swords now have +1 accuracy instead of Sweeping (1)
- Magic weapons:
- Bloodfrenzy is now higher rank
- Bloodfuel now adds more damage
- The lowest rank version of Vibrating has been removed
- Tools:
- Thunderstones now only affect creatures
- Sending stones now more explicitly can't be used by Null characters
Combat Styles
- Blunt Force:
- Renamed to Brute Force, and its maneuvers no longer require bludgeoning weapons
- Armorcrusher has been removed, and Armorcrusher+ is now Armorcrusher
- Ground Stomp, Ground Slam, and Leap Slam now have the Earth tag
- Concussive Strike is now Concussion
- Boneshatter has been redesigned
- Overhand Smash has been redesigned
- All-In Smash has been removed
- Erupting Bonedrum has been buffed
- Dirty Fighting:
- Alchemical Strike is now Alchemical Admixture
- Eye-Averting Strike is now Eyebite
- Fake-Out Assault is now Fake Out, and is slightly weaker
- Ebb and Flow:
- Sacrificial Strike is now All-In
- Sacrificial Flurry is now All-In Flurry
- Momentum Strike is now Momentous Impact
- Certain Strike is now Pure Precision
- Power Strike is now Pure Power
- Hunting Strike is now Begin the Hunt
- Flurry of Blows:
- Double Strike is now Double Flurry
- Triple Strike is now Triple Flurry
- Frenzied Strike is now Frenzy
- Static Strike is now Static Shock
- Herald of War:
- All of the shout-themed maneuvers now have the Auditory tag and no longer affect objects
- Challenging Strike is now Challenge
- Awe-Inspiring Strike is now Inspire Awe
- Mobile Assault:
- Now named Mobile Hunter
- Rushed Strike is now Rushdown
- Retreating Strike is now Fall Back
- Leaping Impact Strike is now Leaping Impact
- Penetrating Precision:
- Renamed to Perfect Precision, and its maneuvers no longer require piercing weapons
- Armorpiercer has been removed, and Armorpiercer+ is now Armorpiercer
- Rip and Tear:
- All maneuvers no longer require slashing weapons
- Flintspark Strike is now Flintspark
- Sweeping Strike is now Wide Sweep
- Bloodletting Strike is now Bloodletter
- Unbreakable Defense:
- Bracing Strike is now Brace for Impact+
- Defensive Strike is now Defensive Blow
- Cleansing Strike is now Cleansing Blow
- Revitalizing Strike is now Revitalizing Blow
- Steadfast Strike is now Stand Fast
- Covering Strike is now I Am Your Opponent
Mystic Spheres
- Aeromancy:
- Flight, Agile Flight, and Overland Flight now grant a 15 foot height limit instead of a 30 foot height limit
- Soaring Flight now grants a 60 foot height limit instead of a 120 foot height limit
- Astromancy: Forge Astral Beacon is now rank 3 instead of rank 4, but costs a rank 3 wealth item
- Channel Divinity: Divine Transit now has a significantly reduced fatigue cost when traveling to an astral beacon
- Chronomancy:
- Accelerated Double/Triple Strike is now Accelerated Double/Triple Flurry
- Wave of Senescence now has the Auditory or Visual tags depending on the sense focused on
- New rituals: Observe the Future and Interrogate the Future
- Cryomancy: Chilling Strike is now Chilling Blow
- Electromancy:
- Charged Dash now only deals damage in the path it took during the current round, but deals more damage
- Magnetic Strike is now Magnetic Blow
- Arcing Strike is now Arcing Blow
- Enchantment:
- Mind Crush is now Compulsion instead of Emotion
- New rituals: Cleansing Meditation and Enforced Meditation
- Photomancy:
- Many spells now have the Visual tag
- Solar Flare no longer dazzles, but deals more damage
- Polymorph:
- Overland Wings now grants a 15 foot height limit instead of a 30 foot height limit
- Prayer:
- Consecrated Strike is now Consecrated Blow
- Exalted Strike is now Exalted Excision
- Pyromancy: Wings of the Phoenix now grants a 15 foot height limit instead of a 30 foot height limit
- Revelation:
- Purge Invisibility can now be used as a minor action if you spend one fatigue
- Reveal Vulnerability has been redesigned, since "all damage types" is no longer a meaningful concept
- Telekinesis:
- Levitate now grants a 15 foot height limit instead of a 30 foot height limit, and no longer has rank 6 scaling
- Terramancy: Crushing Gravity has been redesigned as two spells: Fall to Earth and Crushing Gravity
- Umbramancy: Several spells now have the Visual tag
- Verdamancy:
- Fertility and Infertility can have their areas shaped
- Lifeweb Transit now has a significantly reduced fatigue cost when traveling to an astral beacon
Feats
- Awareness Specialization: The special senses are now much weaker
- Balance Specialization: The level 6 ability is now more useful
- Celestial Ancestry: The fly speed now has a height limit of 15 feet instead of 30 feet
- Draconic Ancestry: The fly speed now has a height limit of 15 feet instead of 30 feet
- Duelist: Duelist Strike is now Deliver the Duel, and it deals more damage
- Entropist: Sudden Entropy now has a random chance to apply any relevant vulnerability, and scales its damage more strongly with power
- Executioner: Death is Inescapable has been redesigned
- Flexibility Specialization: Now grants slightly stronger abilities at level 6 and level 18
- Ghostblade:
- Spectral Armament's legacy item bonus is slightly stronger
- Spectral Strike is now Spectral Slice, and it deals more damage
- Juggernaut: Trample now deals more damage
- Knowledge Specialization: Studied Defense now grants a +1/+2 defense bonus instead of +2/+4
- Martial Training: Trained Strike is now Applied Training, and it is generally stronger
- Spellsword: Energized Weaponry has been removed
- Sphere Focus - Aeromancy: The fly speed now has a height limit of 15 feet instead of 30 feet
- Sphere Focus - Telekinesis: Telekinetic Strike is now Violent Hand, and it deals more damage
- Sphere Focus - Thaumaturgy: Invented Spell has been redesigned
- Telepath: Mental Assault is now Telepathic Tribulation, and it deals more damage
- Whirlwind Warrior: Cyclone now deals more damage
Uncommon species
- Dragon: Draconic Flight+ now increases the height limit to 30 feet, not 60 feet
- Harpy: Winged Agility no longer has a once per round limit
- Incarnation: Essence Affinity, Essence Infusion, and Essence Spike have been redesigned to be based on tags instead of damage types
- Oozeborn: Now vulnerable to Earth attacks
- Sapling: Animate Plants now deals more damage
- Tiefling: Abyssal Hop and Infernal Rebuke now deal more damage
- Vampire: Now damaged and stunned by consecrated ground