Character Updates
Over the next several days, I will be detailing a series of updates that went live to Shard today. Today’s entry will cover player visible changes. Tomorrow and the following days will cover enhancements to book creation, additional modeling options, and creating modeled content from books.
Flexible Racial Ability Modifiers
The headline change is that racial modifiers are now changeable within Shard. When you pick your character’s race, you will see the check box and the options that appear below.
You can return to this dialog at any time to make changes by clicking on the race listed on your character sheet, so even existing characters can benefit from this change.
Class and Subclass Updates
Ranger: Favored Enemy and Favored Terrain can now be set on the level dialog when you level up. The Dread Ambusher feature of the Gloomstalker subclass now has initiative modifier correctly added.
Fighter: Champion saw updates to Remarkable Athlete and Battle Master now correctly models the greater of Strength or Dexterity as the Maneuver Save DC.
Bard: Jack of All Trades now correctly provides an initiative bonus.
Rogue: Swashbuckler’s Rakish Audacity feature correctly provides an initiative bonus.
Wizard: Those who study War Magic now have the Tactical Wit feature correctly modeled.
Monk: Way of the Kensei provides space for recording kensei weapons and correctly allows the selecting of a tool proficiency.
Item Update
Gloves of Thievery correctly provides a +5 to Sleight of Hand checks. Bonus to lock picking must still be applied manually.
Companion Creatures
The formula for calculating a companion creatures hit points has been changed to match the latest updates to 5th edition. The formula is <multiplier> times <character class level> + <base value> + <character ability score modifier>. When creating a companion creature you set both the multiplier and the base value and choose the character class and ability modifier that the other values are taken from.
Permanent Changes to Ability Scores or Ability Score Maximum
On the ability score dialog itself, you will now see a checkbox that allows adding bonuses and raising the maximum scores. Shown below. This section is primarily intended for magical effects that permanently alter a character’s abilities and or the maximum of that ability. These options are normally collapsed behind the check box, because they are rarely needed.
We hope you enjoy these changes at your table.
As usual, we would love to hear your feedback and stories about your games. Join us on on Discord or Facebook to meet other members of the community and take your game to the next level or follow us on Twitter @shardtabletop for regular updates on what we are doing.