Reducing Absolutes (3.5e Variant Rule)
Fewer Absolute Effects[edit]
This variant rule is based heavily on recommendations found on Sean K Reynold's website (here) and Upper Krust's website (here)
I prefer to avoid absolutes if possible. Consider the following: A fire giant, a creature of flesh, is immune to fire. That means that even if Kossuth dipped a fire giant into the sun, the fire giant would take no damage. This variant will attempt to address this issue. Instead of absolute immunities, this variant will substitute bonuses to saves and resistances against effects.
Immunity substitutes usually come in three steps: One, no inherant reason for the immunity; two, a subtype and/or relation to the immunity; three, composed of the essence of what the immunity represents. In the case of fire immunity, a solid example for each of the previous three cases would be a bearded devil (baatezu), a fire giant (fire subtype), and a fire elemental (composed of fire). Steps are usually 50/100/150 (in the case of resistances) or +5/+10/+15 (in the case of saves). Flesh-and-blood creatures should not be given immunities of the third step.
The following tables illustrate substitutes for common immunities. Entries in the "Comparison" column in the following tables that do not have racial immunities to the listed immunity are assumed to have immunity granted via a feat or a class feature. Deities and unique beings should consider higher values for save and resistance bonuses.
Fire Immunity[edit]
| Step | Comparison | Result |
|---|---|---|
| No reason to be immune to fire | bearded devil, human | fire resistance 50, +5 to saves vs fire and fire effects |
| (Fire) subtype | fire giant, gold dragon, efreet | fire resistance 100, +10 to saves vs fire and fire effects |
| Composed of fire | fire elemental, azer | fire resistance 150, +15 to saves vs fire and fire effects |
Cold Immunity[edit]
| Step | Comparison | Result |
|---|---|---|
| No reason to be immune to cold | formian, lantern archon, human | cold resistance 50, +5 to saves vs cold |
| (Cold) subtype | frost worm, frost giant, gelugon (baatezu) | cold resistance 100, +10 to saves vs cold |
| Composed of the essence of cold/ice | shadow of the void | cold resistance 150, +15 to saves vs cold |
Paralysis/Petrification Immunity[edit]
| Step | Comparison | Result |
|---|---|---|
| No reason to be immune to paralysis/petrification | constructs, undead | +10 to saves vs paralysis and petrification |
| Shapechanger/Creature with alternate or multiple forms | mimic, doppelganger, chaos beast | +15 to saves vs paralysis and petrification |
| Insubstantial/Amorphous creature | allip, lantern archon, ooze | +20 to saves vs paralysis and petrification |
Sleep Effects Immunity[edit]
| Step | Comparison | Result |
|---|---|---|
| No reason to be immune to sleep effects | human, elf, night hag | +5 to saves vs sleep/magical sleep |
| Does not need to sleep | angels, archons, characters undergone elemental/undead transformation, sentient undead | +10 to saves vs sleep/magical sleep |
| Mindless/cannot sleep | mindless undead, constructs, elementals, oozes, animated objects, plants | +15 to saves vs sleep/magical sleep |
Poison/Disease Immunity[edit]
| Step | Comparison | Result |
|---|---|---|
| No reason to be immune to poison or disease | humans, plants, kuo-toa | +5 to saves vs disease or poison |
| Contains natural poisons/diseases, flesh exists but is not used | otyugh, characters undergone transformative classes, undead, homunculi | +10 to saves vs disease or poison |
| Not composed of flesh and blood | constructs, elementals, oozes, animated objects | +15 to saves vs disease or poison |
Electricity Immunity[edit]
| Step | Comparison | Result |
|---|---|---|
| No reason to be immune to electricity | human, shambling mound, angels, constructs, oozes, plants | electricity resistance 50, +5 to saves vs electricity |
| Localized heat/electricty damage has no effect, electricity naturally created | characters undergone undead/elemental transformative classes, undead, elementals, shocker lizard | electricity resistance 100, +10 to saves vs electricity |
| Insubstantial/incorporeal | incorporeal subtype, lantern archon | electricity resistance 150, +15 to saves vs electricity |
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