I really wanted to flesh out the werebear side more.
At this level it could be very interesting.

It was a novelty for the low level character, but now it can have some interesting benefits.

I saw one rule set that had it as three change levels, human, bear and hybrid. That was my original character concept even though it didn't exist in standard 2.0 books.
I think it could evolve to this by 15th level.

I am sure we can work out something together Ody.

Olan - Knight
Tann - Fighter Thief
Keeper of Dragons - Ranger
Ody - Cleric (shapeshifter)
Eol - Mage
Nimu - Cleric?

Could use one or two moe

Looks like the priestly route would be a good idea. Think it might be faster to just collect all my questions/ideas and then PM you. Will shoot you a message tomorrow.

Warrior or Mage?

I've got a Drawf Fighter (or Paladin, if you want something different).

But I could put together a mage instead if you prefer.

Let me know.
Ayrn

Ayrn as it looks now the party will be Humans and Elves so a Dwarf would be cool

i like a stalwart Dwarven fighter. More than one Mage often spoils the game.

Thanks!

+5 vorpal flametounge of dragon slaying. Yea-yah!

I want a war kitten that fluffs up and spits when enemies are near. She is so cute doing it that the enemy loses initiative watching it. :-)

I had a rough weekend with my son being sick so I did not get to much on the game. Will start answering questions today that have been sent to me.

For the record:

Specialization with me is +1 per slot after initial proficiency to the limit of +3. So you need to devote 4 slots to be +3/+3 with a weapon.

Fighters (not subclass) can special up to 3 weapons
Fighter subclasses up[ to 2 weapons
Other classes 1 only.

Double damage - any multiple damage is done with the base damage doubled, then the bonuses. SO a Sword +3 double damage against rule lawyers would do d8X2+3 plus strength plus specializations

Magic
Don't double/triple up powers on magic (sword of wounding, flame tongue and blinking), don't ask for permanent spell effects like haste or blur, magic should augment the character, not be the character.

Two handed attacking
If you are using two weapons, then you need ambdex as a skill which is two slots, or a ranger skill. Otherwise you have a penalty with the other hand. As well, you only attack once with the other hand no matter what level you are.

Olan - Human Knight
Keeper of Dragon - Half elf ranger
Tann - Human Fighter Thief
Eol - Elven Mage
Ayrn - Dwarven Fighter
Hammer- Half Elf Bard
Nimu - Cleric
Ody- Human (shapeshifter) Cleric

And I am closing it at an 8 man team.

Here is the article I have never posted because I have trouble with tables.

Since the dawning of the Dungeon and Dragon era, players have faced a simple dilemma when looking at starting a game. What shall I play? In the eternal struggle between fighter vs. mage, mages often were left in the dust because they couldn’t fight well hand to hand, they’d only have one or two spells max at first level, and they had to pick the spells at the start of the day, not knowing what lie in store for the party. It is not surprising to see that the low level parties were often fighter, fighter, fighter, thief and a fighter/mage multi-class because who wanted to be a mage? On the other end of the spectrum, high-level mages have almost god like power and can rarely use all their spells in a day, mostly because they have to take such a generic list to possibly be useful in any given situation.

The problem with the whole idea of memorizing spells each day has never made sense to me. While I could see a first level struggle to remember all the words and movements to a magic missile, I find it hard to believe that the 20th level mage would need to remind himself how to cast a spell he has probably cast every day for the last 20 years. He could do it in his sleep, and probably does, which is why he is still single, but that’s another article.

It was this issue that led me to the concept of mana. Well, actually, I stole the concept from Diablo II but I modified it for 1st/2nd edition D&D. Those of you who play 3, 3,5 or 4 – I have no idea if this works in your world, but feel free to give it a try.

Mana Points: an Alternate Magic System for D&D Wizards
What is mana? Mana is the energy that the mage can channel through his body from the positive or negative material plane. Every mage can handle only so much mana but as they get older and better at their trade, they can channel more and more. Unlike the game, mana cannot be bottled, decanted or turned into a liquid form. Think of mana as an energy that makes the laws of physics sit, lie down and play dead. You are not gonna find a Diet Mana Max to restore your powers fast.
Mana is recovered naturally by sleep. Mages do not lose all their spells due to loss of consciousness as they do under the standard spell memorization system (however if the DM wants they can use the optional mana seepage rule shown later). However, spells that fizzle (due to being interrupted from an attack while casting, for example) still use up mana. To put in simply, once you put the mana into the caster’s hands to do the spellcraft, the mana is released.
Instead of the wizard being assigned a fixed number of various spells per spell level per day, the wizard instead receives a number of mana points equal to the sum of those spell levels (or you can use my alternate mana chart, shown later). So, our sixth level wizard, who normally gets four first level spells, two second level spells, and two third level spells would instead get fourteen mana points (4x1 + 2x2 + 2x3). In addition, the mage receives one bonus mana point for each point of intelligence above fifteen. This is a one-time bonus, not a bonus per level.

Spells cost one mana point per spell level. So a first level spell costs one point, a second level spell costs two points, etc. The mage may cast any spell that is their spell book as often as they like as long as they have sufficient mana. Using our example above, Bob could cast four fireballs and two magic missiles, ten magic missiles and two webs, or five webs, one fireball, and one magic missile, etc. If a mage runs out of mana and needs to cast a spell, they can still do so but at the cost of their life force (Hit points). Hit points lost this way cannot be restored by any magical or other healing means whatsoever - the only way to regain them is to rest one full day per hit point lost.. If a mage is unwise enough to use more lifeforce as mana than he has, he risks literally killing himself with spellcasting (or risk wizard’s twilight, see later in article)
Optional Rule: Wizard's Twilight
Fantasy literature also contains quite a few references to wizards who, in times of dire need, wield their magic beyond the physical limitations of their bodies, risking their lives in an effort to save the day. In typical D&D, the reality is that once your mage is out of spells, they have to rely upon beating monsters with a stick, or hiding behind the fighters if they wish to survive.

If you are using the optional mana rule in your game, you may also use the wizard's twilight rule. What this means is that a wizard may continue to cast spells even after they have expended all of their mana. However, this is very risky.

To continue casting spells one mana is exhausted, a wizard must use his own life force to provide power for the magic. In game terms, this equates to one hit point per mana point needed by the spells to be cast. Hit points lost this way cannot be restored by any magical or other healing means whatsoever - the only way to regain them is to rest one full day per hit point lost.

If a mage is reduced to zero or less hit points due to this, they risk wizard's twilight - a state of being where the mind is essentially burned out, and the caster can do nothing but obey the simplest of commands. Free will and personality are gone; the mage tends to slip in and out of consciousness. Wizard's twilight often results in the death of the caster.

Optional Rule: Blowing Chunks
Once a wizard reaches a certain level, they can manipulate the spells by adding more mana to the mix (referred colloquially as Blowing Chunks). Usually, only duration, area of effect or range can be affected but whether a spell can be manipulated is up to the DM to decide. By doubling the mana output (so 1st level spell costs 2, 2nd cost 4, a 3rd level spell costs 6 mp), the mage can double the range or the duration or the area of effect. Only one factor can be affected at a time. Damage done, or whether a spell as a save cannot be changed.

Level 3 – first level spells
Level 5 – second level spells
Level 7 – third level spells
Level 9 – fourth level spells
Level 12 – fifth level spells
Level 14 – sixth level spells
Level 16 – seventh level spells
Level 18 – eighth level spells
Level 20 – ninth level spells


Optional Rule: Mana Seepage
If a Dm really liked the loss of spells when unconscious rule for mages, they can implement a similar rule here that does not hurt the mage as bad as a sudden total loss. When a mage goes unconscious, the mana they have storied slowly seeps from their body at a rate of 1 point per round. For every point of hp they go below 0 hp, the factor is multiplied. So a mage at –2 loses 2 hp per round, at –5 they lose 5 points per round, etc. Of course if a mage dies, the mana dies with them.

So Mana is the same for Priest spell useage?