Variant Rules: M
2 variant rules, from Mana Storms to Moral Intentions.
Mana Storms · Moral Intentions
Mana Storms
Read the flavour text from page 70 of OoA2.
Mana storms have a spell level just like any spell effect. You can roll 1d10 for this level (on a roll of 10, reroll, keeping a level of 10 only if you roll a second 10), but it's rarely fun or fair to inflict a mana storm on your players that has a much higher level than the highest-level spells their characters can cast. Several elements of a mana storm are determined by its level. If the storm's effect duplicates a spell, that spell's effects resolve as if heightened to the storm's level (if you roll an effect for a spell with a minimum level above the mana storm's level, choose a different result or roll again). The mana storm's level also sets the relevant DC for a saving throw or skill check required by the mana storm. Use the hard DC that corresponds with the storm's spell level on the DCs by Level table.
OoA2, page 70.
Moral Intentions
In this variant, every character, NPC, and monster selects one or more closely held beliefs, intentions, or loyalties. Simple statements about a character's intentions, like the examples listed in the sidebar, flesh out characters and enliven roleplaying scenes. This system requires some back-and-forth between the GM and the other players, and more thought on the part of everyone at the table.
Typically, specifying three intentions or loyalties works well to define a character. These personal intentions cover broad spectra of behavior and in large part define the subjective definition of good for that individual. Intentions could be as abstract as acting with honor or as concrete as devotion to the character's mother. A person following their core beliefs or intentions feels like they are acting in a good manner, and they are likely to view actions against or restrictions to these beliefs as evil. For example, a character who believes strongly in the law would see allowing a crime to go unpunished as evil.
A specific individual will likely have different levels of commitment for each of their intentions. Determine a relative order of commitment by considering what the character would do if these intentions came into conflict.
Rules Adjustments
Alignment restrictions no longer exist in either major variant. You can replace them with edicts and anathema, if necessary, and make the following other adjustments.
Aligned Damage
If you're using the no alignment variant, remove or replace aligned damage (chaotic, evil, good, and lawful damage), which requires significant adjustments for creatures like angels and devils that were built with a weakness to aligned damage. One option is to replace them one-for-one with new damage types like "radiant" and "shadow" that don't have any moral assumptions. Another option is to simply change the damage type needed for creature weaknesses to some other damage type on a case-by-case basis. A third option is to remove the weaknesses, reduce the monsters' maximum Hit Points, and call it good. No matter what you do with creatures, you'll also have to replace abilities like the champion's that deal aligned damage in a similar way, or remove those abilities.
If you're using the moral intentions variant, you can replace chaotic, evil, good, and lawful damage with a single type of damage called aligned damage, which harms those with intentions directly opposed to those held by the character, as determined by you as GM.
Detection
Alignment-detecting effects don't exist. In the moral intentions variant, you might replace such an ability with one that detects whether a creature is following its own intentions, or to detect others with similar intentions to the creature using the ability.
Traits
Alignment traits don't exist, and anything that has those traits loses them. Effects that require the traits to function, like protection, don't exist.
Gamemastery Guide, page 185.