Now that I've got some of the gripes about Star Wars: Saga Edition out of my system, I wanted to focus a bit on a couple things about D&D 4th edition that really grind my gears. Neither of these are so bad that I want to give up and go back to 3rd edition, mind you, but they can quickly turn a fun session into a grind from hell. With some considered adjustments, we'll try to create a way to smooth these edges, and keep the fun in the game without shattering the delicate balance of power!
Gear grinder #1: Weapon Proficiency Bonus
Initially, this seemed like a great idea to me. Then I realized that not only were many of the Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses often as high as AC, but even when they weren't, they were only one, or possibly two lower. When +2 is the low proficiency modifier, and +3 is the high, before factoring in class abilities (the Rogue's Rogue Weapon Talent, and Ranger's Prime Shot) and flanking, and therefore +2 to hit from combat advantage, is plentiful for these strikers a disparity begins to grow. Suddenly, the rogue is looking at an attack roll modifier that is 4 higher than any implement power. And then, he can take Piercing Strike and he's attacking Reflex instead of AC. And only losing a few points of damage if his other at-will is Sly Flourish. If not, he gives up nothing.
Sure, there are plenty of creature for whom their AC and reflex are equivalent, and so the advantage of Piercing Strike and similar powers are not universal. However, most monsters have a single weak defense. Their AC, Reflex, and Will for example will all be within 1 point of each other, and their Fortitude will be low. This is a terrible way to make implement-using classes "balanced." Now, they have to try targeting several defenses to try to figure out which is the lowest and most readily hit, which is complicated by the fact that a hot streak, or cold streak on the dice could make several rounds of combat uninformative, not to mention unproductive. Additionally, even when the character has determined the most effective defense to target, that now limits the powers they can use effectively against the creature during the encounter. WIth the limited selections of powers a character can have at their disposal at any time, this further restriction makes implement-classes feel even less fun, and harder to play. And if you happen to play a bard, or another implement class that focuses heavily on a certain defense (such as Will in the case of the bard) there will often be fights where you simply feel like you can't attack certain monsters because you can't seem to hit their defenses.
The Fix:
While it's more work for a DM, I suggest making all defenses 2 lower than AC. If they already are, leave them alone. To counter the additional advantage that this gives to classes who can use weapon powers to target non-AC defenses, I would remove weapon proficiency bonuses from those attack rolls. Class features, feats (such as weapon expertise), and weapon enchantments should still apply. Alternately, attacks such as Piercing Strike could do 1[W] damage rather than 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage. This reduced base damage would likely be a fair offset for the higher hit chance. It would be similar to the penalty imposed on the Ranger's Twin Strike power in exchange for its higher chance to do damage on any given turn.
Another idea that just came to me as I considered how complicated this all felt, was to add an implement proficiency bonus. If you are proficient with an implement that you use for an attack, gain a +1 to that attack roll. This will provide a much needed boost to the hit chances of an implement user while having no effect on other classes. Also, it would not overbalance any class against a low defense.
Gear Grinder #2: Hitting to Heal
Perhaps a large part of the reason this is getting to me is that I am playing a bard in my current campaign. Many of my encounter powers require me to hit a target to grant healing, saving throws, etc. While this has the positive effect of making me feel like I'm in the action, instead of standing back like some healbot and just keeping everyone else in the fight, it also means that until I get a utility power that heals allies, I have two reliable heals, outside Daily Powers. There is nothing more frustrating than being out of majestic word uses for the encounter, having a bloodied ally who is barely on his feet, using my Theft of Life power, and rolling a 2. Not only did I not heal the ally, deal any damage, or create any other positive effect, but I managed to squander the majority of my turn in the process unless I spend an action point. Having not yet played a class other than a leader for the long term, and therefore having a somewhat myopic view, I will go so far as to say that there is a great deal of stress on the player who is responsible for healing the party. My friends that I play with in my current campaign assure me that I'm not responsible when their character collapses into unconsciousness and starts making death saving throws, but I feel it keenly, and that stress can quickly turn even my favorite session into an Antacid-gobbling, anxiety-ridden, guilt-fest.
The Fix:
People who play leader characters, for the most part, are looking to buff and heal their allies. It's the main purpose of that class. Sure it's nice when we get to deal some damage, but most of the time, we just want to fill our role and keep everyone else humming along. So I'll propose a little fix that I don't think is terribly unbalanced: Small consolation effects for certain encounter powers. So, I would suggest the following two rules. If these two tweaks seem to powerful, they could be made into one or two feats. However, I feel that they are so necessary to leaders that they would become "must-take" feats, which is something I don't particularly care for (Slaying Action and Predatory Action being two examples) so I am presenting it here as simply a rules modification:
Leader's Assurance
When you miss with an encounter power with the healing keyword, you can choose an ally who would have been eligible for healing from that encounter power to regain hit points equal to your Charisma modifier or Wisdom modifier, this healing may not be increased in any way. [*Note* I've added this caveat to avoid the Summer Rhymer paragon path and similar PPs from making this change truly broken. This is supposed to be a small consolation heal, not something that is just as good as the healing granted by the power itself.]
Leader's Relief
When you miss with an encounter power that grants a saving throw, you grant one ally who would have received a saving throw a +2 bonus to their next saving throw.
So there we go, a couple tweaks to the game that shouldn't be too broken, but will assuage some of the frustration of certain classes. Let me know what you think, and if you try them out and you find something I didn't think of that results in a broken play or combination, let me know!
Tune in next week for a review of a game a friend lent me: The Marvel Universe Roleplaying Game!
September 30, 2009
September 23, 2009
Collaborative What?
So the DMG2 is out, and while I haven't gotten my hands on it, a friend of mine was sharing with me the inclusion of some material on how to use collaborative story-telling. It's a great idea, and a great way to get players involved in a story. As a player, I hope that my next campaign starts that way, with everyone sharing ideas and writing a story collaboratively about the party and the world. It's one thing that has started to kick into high gear in my current game that I play in. We've hit paragon tier, and we're starting to make feat and power selections that take into account the feats and powers that the others in the group are selecting. When we started, we all showed up with our freshly minted first-level 4th edition characters, we didn't even know each other. Now, we've become a team, and one that works well together. Our fighter is taking powers that allow him to draw the enemy to him, which opens up flanking possibilities for the rogue and avenger. The avenger took Power Attack, so that flanking is now highly advantageous, which promotes cooperation with the fighter and rogue. It got me thinking. What could we do to integrate the process of character building into this collaborative story-telling approach?
In D&D 3.5, there was a feat: Swarm-fighting. The feat had a bonus which increased for every character in the group who had it. But the feat was very specialized, the odds of an entire party, or even the melee members of a party all dropping a feat for this benefit were pretty low. So I thought maybe there is a way to bring this idea, synergized feats, into 4th edition. Adventurer's Vault 2 brought us item sets, which give benefits when multiple party members possess pieces of the set. Now, let's examine the idea of feat sets. Below, I've sketched out a feat set. Each feat has a small advantage on its own, with additional benefits if other characters in the party have other feats from the set. I've tried to keep them broad, because obviously, the composition of each party is going to be different. Try them out, if you get the chance, and let me know what you think. If you come up with another feat set, post it here and we'll all try to do the same for you.
Feat Set: Wolf-Pack Tactics
Protector of the Pack
Gain a +1 to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses against attacks from enemies marked by you. If an enemy adjacent to you is flanked by you and an ally with a Wolf-Pack Tactics feat, that enemy does not count toward flanking for you or the ally you are flanking with.
Cull the Prey
When you designate a target using oath of enmity, hunter's quarry, warlock curse, or ardent vow, you gain +1 to damage rolls when you apply extra damage from your class feature. If the enemy you designate is adjacent to an ally with a Wolf-Pack Tactics feat, you can choose to treat that enemy as marked by that ally.
Corner the Weak
When you are applying extra damage through a class ability, you can choose to apply half the normal damage or dice, and your attack immobilizes the target. If you and another ally with a Wolf-Pack Tactics feat are adjacent to, but not flanking, the same enemy, that enemy grants you both combat advantage.
Incite the Pack
When you restore hit points to an ally, that ally gains a +1 to attack rolls until the end of your next turn. If that ally has any Wolf-Pack Tactics feat, they can also choose to receive a +2 to saving throws until the end of your next turn, or shift one square as a free action.
Disorient the Prey
When you use a power that forces an enemy to move, any enemy that you hit with that power grants you combat advantage until the end ofyour next turn. If the power already causes the target to grant combat advantage until the end of your next turn, it is instead save ends. The target also grants combat advantage to any allies who have a Wolf-Pack Tactics feat while they grant it to you.
There's the crunch, as promised. Let me know how it works if you give it a shot! See you next week.
In D&D 3.5, there was a feat: Swarm-fighting. The feat had a bonus which increased for every character in the group who had it. But the feat was very specialized, the odds of an entire party, or even the melee members of a party all dropping a feat for this benefit were pretty low. So I thought maybe there is a way to bring this idea, synergized feats, into 4th edition. Adventurer's Vault 2 brought us item sets, which give benefits when multiple party members possess pieces of the set. Now, let's examine the idea of feat sets. Below, I've sketched out a feat set. Each feat has a small advantage on its own, with additional benefits if other characters in the party have other feats from the set. I've tried to keep them broad, because obviously, the composition of each party is going to be different. Try them out, if you get the chance, and let me know what you think. If you come up with another feat set, post it here and we'll all try to do the same for you.
Feat Set: Wolf-Pack Tactics
Protector of the Pack
Gain a +1 to Fortitude, Reflex, and Will defenses against attacks from enemies marked by you. If an enemy adjacent to you is flanked by you and an ally with a Wolf-Pack Tactics feat, that enemy does not count toward flanking for you or the ally you are flanking with.
Cull the Prey
When you designate a target using oath of enmity, hunter's quarry, warlock curse, or ardent vow, you gain +1 to damage rolls when you apply extra damage from your class feature. If the enemy you designate is adjacent to an ally with a Wolf-Pack Tactics feat, you can choose to treat that enemy as marked by that ally.
Corner the Weak
When you are applying extra damage through a class ability, you can choose to apply half the normal damage or dice, and your attack immobilizes the target. If you and another ally with a Wolf-Pack Tactics feat are adjacent to, but not flanking, the same enemy, that enemy grants you both combat advantage.
Incite the Pack
When you restore hit points to an ally, that ally gains a +1 to attack rolls until the end of your next turn. If that ally has any Wolf-Pack Tactics feat, they can also choose to receive a +2 to saving throws until the end of your next turn, or shift one square as a free action.
Disorient the Prey
When you use a power that forces an enemy to move, any enemy that you hit with that power grants you combat advantage until the end ofyour next turn. If the power already causes the target to grant combat advantage until the end of your next turn, it is instead save ends. The target also grants combat advantage to any allies who have a Wolf-Pack Tactics feat while they grant it to you.
There's the crunch, as promised. Let me know how it works if you give it a shot! See you next week.
Running Late!
Sorry, folks, but my post is running a little late this week. It should be up around noon. My apologies for the tardiness!
September 16, 2009
Call Me a Waaa-mbulance!
I'm afraid, valued readers, that today is going to be a diatribe day. The last couple of game sessions I've played in have conspired to make me a bit whiney and so today I am going to share that with you. But fear not, for I will not simply whine about what I don't like, but I will also posit some suggestions as well. Not a ton of crunch this week, but I'll see what I can whip up next week, if you're feeling the need to get rulesy!
My first axe to grind is with the Star Wars: Saga Edition rules. I love the freedom of multiclassing in the system! Love it! Want to take a couple of levels of soldier to pick up armor talents? Sure! Take a level or two of noble to get some contacts, or some money to sling around? No problem. Want to make a Jedi who specializes in healing? Well, better multiclass, or just sit tight until level 7 and take the talent to use your Use The Force skill in place of Treat Injury. Really?! Jedi don't know First Aid?! Perhaps it is just the game I play in and the characters I choose to play, but in SW:SE, I find that more and more I feel less like the multiclassing rules give me more flexibility, and more like they make me jump through a ton of hoops.
So, I'm fabricating a new house-rule for the next time I run a SW:SE game: No class skills. Nobles already have an edge in the skill department with the highest number of trained skills starting out. No need to further expand the divide by giving them access to the most skills of any one class. Sure they have crappy combat stats, but between their unique talents, awesome bonus feat selection, and very different flavor, I don't think opening up skills to all classes really hurts the Noble. People will still be jumping into Noble for all sorts of things, even if they don't need to for access to the class skill list.
Let's stick with SW:SE for Axe#2: Use The Force as a skill.
The more I think about this, the more I just hate the idea. With UTF in SW:SE, you have a unique mechanic a skill that makes attack rolls. In SW:SE, defenses scale linearly with level. As do attack bonuses for most classes. Even the worst Base Attack Bonus progressions end at +15 at level 20. The base skill bonus for level 20? 10. If you're trained, it's 15 + Atttribute modifiers. If you take Skill Focus, it's 20 + Attribute modifier. At level 20, an enemies basic defense, before attribute modifiers is 30. That means that a Force User who doesn't take Skill Focus: UTF has to roll a 15 or higher (assuming roughly equivalent attribute modifiers, give or take since defense gets a bonus from class), that's a pretty rough roll to succeed on an attack. Especially when the Jedi who spent no feats on Lightsaber combat has a 20 + Attribute modifier attack, meaning that assuming roughly equivalent attributes, the Jedi with the lightsaber is about 25% more likely to hit.... The other way that this approach suffers is in early game. If a Jedi focuses heavily on Force use, you can pick up Skill Focus: UTF as a starting bonus feat and have 10 + Attribute modifier chance to hit at level 1 (assuming you play a human). Or level 3 if you aren't a human. Most classes have 1 or 0 + Attribute modifier attack rolls. This means that the low level Force wizard can't miss while the rest of the party only hits half the time or less. In my opinion, this needs to be leveled out some, instead of skewing toward low-level play as much as it does.
To resolve this, I am going to implement a house rule separating the UTF skill from other skills. For non-attack Force powers, the UTF skill will remain as is. You will be able to roll a skill check and take Skill Focus, or other feats as desired. When you make a Force attack, however, no skill modifiers will be used. Instead, the character will use BAB + Charisma modifier. This will bring hit percentages into line with other characters, without diminishing the effectiveness of non-attack powers, which seem to be pretty well balanced currently with the DCs given.
Star Wars: Saga Edition is a pretty fun game. With these tweaks, I think my next Saga game will be even more enjoyable. Unfortunately, it took me longer to rant about than expected, so I'm going to save my D&D 4th Edition rant for another time and sign off here. Next week, more crunch, less crying... I think.
My first axe to grind is with the Star Wars: Saga Edition rules. I love the freedom of multiclassing in the system! Love it! Want to take a couple of levels of soldier to pick up armor talents? Sure! Take a level or two of noble to get some contacts, or some money to sling around? No problem. Want to make a Jedi who specializes in healing? Well, better multiclass, or just sit tight until level 7 and take the talent to use your Use The Force skill in place of Treat Injury. Really?! Jedi don't know First Aid?! Perhaps it is just the game I play in and the characters I choose to play, but in SW:SE, I find that more and more I feel less like the multiclassing rules give me more flexibility, and more like they make me jump through a ton of hoops.
So, I'm fabricating a new house-rule for the next time I run a SW:SE game: No class skills. Nobles already have an edge in the skill department with the highest number of trained skills starting out. No need to further expand the divide by giving them access to the most skills of any one class. Sure they have crappy combat stats, but between their unique talents, awesome bonus feat selection, and very different flavor, I don't think opening up skills to all classes really hurts the Noble. People will still be jumping into Noble for all sorts of things, even if they don't need to for access to the class skill list.
Let's stick with SW:SE for Axe#2: Use The Force as a skill.
The more I think about this, the more I just hate the idea. With UTF in SW:SE, you have a unique mechanic a skill that makes attack rolls. In SW:SE, defenses scale linearly with level. As do attack bonuses for most classes. Even the worst Base Attack Bonus progressions end at +15 at level 20. The base skill bonus for level 20? 10. If you're trained, it's 15 + Atttribute modifiers. If you take Skill Focus, it's 20 + Attribute modifier. At level 20, an enemies basic defense, before attribute modifiers is 30. That means that a Force User who doesn't take Skill Focus: UTF has to roll a 15 or higher (assuming roughly equivalent attribute modifiers, give or take since defense gets a bonus from class), that's a pretty rough roll to succeed on an attack. Especially when the Jedi who spent no feats on Lightsaber combat has a 20 + Attribute modifier attack, meaning that assuming roughly equivalent attributes, the Jedi with the lightsaber is about 25% more likely to hit.... The other way that this approach suffers is in early game. If a Jedi focuses heavily on Force use, you can pick up Skill Focus: UTF as a starting bonus feat and have 10 + Attribute modifier chance to hit at level 1 (assuming you play a human). Or level 3 if you aren't a human. Most classes have 1 or 0 + Attribute modifier attack rolls. This means that the low level Force wizard can't miss while the rest of the party only hits half the time or less. In my opinion, this needs to be leveled out some, instead of skewing toward low-level play as much as it does.
To resolve this, I am going to implement a house rule separating the UTF skill from other skills. For non-attack Force powers, the UTF skill will remain as is. You will be able to roll a skill check and take Skill Focus, or other feats as desired. When you make a Force attack, however, no skill modifiers will be used. Instead, the character will use BAB + Charisma modifier. This will bring hit percentages into line with other characters, without diminishing the effectiveness of non-attack powers, which seem to be pretty well balanced currently with the DCs given.
Star Wars: Saga Edition is a pretty fun game. With these tweaks, I think my next Saga game will be even more enjoyable. Unfortunately, it took me longer to rant about than expected, so I'm going to save my D&D 4th Edition rant for another time and sign off here. Next week, more crunch, less crying... I think.
September 09, 2009
Corruption for Fun and Profit
The campaign in which I play has taken an interesting turn in the last few sessions. The avenger (a holy warrior of Sehanine for those of you who don't cotton to that new-fangled 4th edition...) has started to become corrupted by the +3 lifedrinking fullblade we liberated from an evil eladrin castle. This got me thinking about the nature of corruption, and more importantly, how to make corruption fun! We are playing a game, after all, so fun is pretty important.
Now, before my DM reads this and thinks that I'm bashing on the execution of this plot device in his game, I should clarify: Brad, your game is fun!
So we're going to start with what Brad is doing, as our jumping-off point. The base-line corruption model is to create a situation where the corruption occurs automatically as a result of something the character does as a matter of course. In Brad's game, the weapon found its way into the hands of an avenger which, for those of you who aren't playing 4th edition, is a high-damage class which tends to finish off a lot of enemies. So the +3 lifedrinking fullblade? It corrupts its user when it is used to deliver a killing blow. This sort of scenario works best in two situations: the first is with a player who revels in the corruption of their character, and therefore relishes the implications as they continue doing what their character is designed to do with reckless abandon. The second is when the player is someone who enjoys adding complexity to the play of their character. "Should I do 'X' or should I not, because the price is too high?" Even without either of these types of players, a little corruption is still fine, but these two types of players will cause a little corruption to explode into a great deal of fun for the group, either as they try to control the spiraling decent of their darkening comrade, or as they cajole their friend into occasionally paying the price of further corruption in order to overcome challenges that seem insurmountable otherwise.
I've flagged this as a player option as well as a DMing idea because I feel that players should feel free to approach their DM and say "I want to play a good guy who has to fight against some darker tendency" and have their DMs support. While our previous baseline model works just fine for this type of situation (the player-instigated corruption plot point) the next model works especially well for a situation where the player wants to explore the idea of fighting against corruption.
The next option harkens back to the days of West End Games' Star Wars Roleplaying Game. For those who have never tried WEG's Star Wars, let's talk about Force Points. If you have played any Star Wars RPG, you know that generally Force Points are a mechanic to simulate a character using that all-powerful energy field from the Star Wars universe to generally be better at whatever they are trying to do. In WEG's version, if you used a Force Point, you multiplied the dice rolled on the test (WEG was a d6 system where you had a target number you tried to hit above on as many d6 as possible). If the test resulted in "a bad thing," loosely defined as the subversion of the free-will of a sentient being, death of a living organism, or selfish personal gain, then the character who called on the Force while doing such things received a Dark Side Point. Too many of those and you became a NPC, and lost your character. The idea, modeled here by WEG's Star Wars RPG, is to offer a character something good, but charge them a price. At it's most simplistic, you can tell the character that the evil wizard's staff will allow them to double their damage dice once per session, for example, but they move one step on the corruption track whenever they do so. As a rule of thumb, the power, or enhancement should be available twice as often as it can "safely" be used. If the player starts to ignore the cost of using the power, you might have to scale down its availability to keep game balance intact, but you might also just ramp up the cost per step on the track.
A slightly more labor-intensive version (for the DM) would be to make the corrupting powers "limited time offers." This means that the DM has one more thing to keep track of, which may not really be feasible for some DMs who have lots of players, or prefer running large numbers of monsters, etc. However, in a very "RP-heavy" game, or one where there aren't a ton of monsters and/or players to keep track of, this sort of corrupting influence can create all kinds of RP opportunities. Instead of giving the player carte-blanche to do something awesome whenever they are willing to pay the price, create true moments of temptation: When the character scores a critical hit, but discovers the creature has high damage resistance, describe time freezing for a moment and the evil warpick whispering an offer into the character's mind: "I can bypass that damage resistance, all I need is a trifle, a meager portion of your energy..." Now the player not only has to choose whether they are willing to pay that price, but if the offer is truly well-timed, it could be a choice between easy success, or less-assured victory. These moments of temptation need to be timed well by the DM to provide the player with the most engaging decisions possible. Offered at the wrong times, and the choice may seem too easy to pass up, or impossible to refuse. And remember, this system of corruption should only be used with a player who is interested in playing out a fight against darker tendencies.
So we now have three different ways to handle corruption in your game:
Now, before my DM reads this and thinks that I'm bashing on the execution of this plot device in his game, I should clarify: Brad, your game is fun!
So we're going to start with what Brad is doing, as our jumping-off point. The base-line corruption model is to create a situation where the corruption occurs automatically as a result of something the character does as a matter of course. In Brad's game, the weapon found its way into the hands of an avenger which, for those of you who aren't playing 4th edition, is a high-damage class which tends to finish off a lot of enemies. So the +3 lifedrinking fullblade? It corrupts its user when it is used to deliver a killing blow. This sort of scenario works best in two situations: the first is with a player who revels in the corruption of their character, and therefore relishes the implications as they continue doing what their character is designed to do with reckless abandon. The second is when the player is someone who enjoys adding complexity to the play of their character. "Should I do 'X' or should I not, because the price is too high?" Even without either of these types of players, a little corruption is still fine, but these two types of players will cause a little corruption to explode into a great deal of fun for the group, either as they try to control the spiraling decent of their darkening comrade, or as they cajole their friend into occasionally paying the price of further corruption in order to overcome challenges that seem insurmountable otherwise.
I've flagged this as a player option as well as a DMing idea because I feel that players should feel free to approach their DM and say "I want to play a good guy who has to fight against some darker tendency" and have their DMs support. While our previous baseline model works just fine for this type of situation (the player-instigated corruption plot point) the next model works especially well for a situation where the player wants to explore the idea of fighting against corruption.
The next option harkens back to the days of West End Games' Star Wars Roleplaying Game. For those who have never tried WEG's Star Wars, let's talk about Force Points. If you have played any Star Wars RPG, you know that generally Force Points are a mechanic to simulate a character using that all-powerful energy field from the Star Wars universe to generally be better at whatever they are trying to do. In WEG's version, if you used a Force Point, you multiplied the dice rolled on the test (WEG was a d6 system where you had a target number you tried to hit above on as many d6 as possible). If the test resulted in "a bad thing," loosely defined as the subversion of the free-will of a sentient being, death of a living organism, or selfish personal gain, then the character who called on the Force while doing such things received a Dark Side Point. Too many of those and you became a NPC, and lost your character. The idea, modeled here by WEG's Star Wars RPG, is to offer a character something good, but charge them a price. At it's most simplistic, you can tell the character that the evil wizard's staff will allow them to double their damage dice once per session, for example, but they move one step on the corruption track whenever they do so. As a rule of thumb, the power, or enhancement should be available twice as often as it can "safely" be used. If the player starts to ignore the cost of using the power, you might have to scale down its availability to keep game balance intact, but you might also just ramp up the cost per step on the track.
A slightly more labor-intensive version (for the DM) would be to make the corrupting powers "limited time offers." This means that the DM has one more thing to keep track of, which may not really be feasible for some DMs who have lots of players, or prefer running large numbers of monsters, etc. However, in a very "RP-heavy" game, or one where there aren't a ton of monsters and/or players to keep track of, this sort of corrupting influence can create all kinds of RP opportunities. Instead of giving the player carte-blanche to do something awesome whenever they are willing to pay the price, create true moments of temptation: When the character scores a critical hit, but discovers the creature has high damage resistance, describe time freezing for a moment and the evil warpick whispering an offer into the character's mind: "I can bypass that damage resistance, all I need is a trifle, a meager portion of your energy..." Now the player not only has to choose whether they are willing to pay that price, but if the offer is truly well-timed, it could be a choice between easy success, or less-assured victory. These moments of temptation need to be timed well by the DM to provide the player with the most engaging decisions possible. Offered at the wrong times, and the choice may seem too easy to pass up, or impossible to refuse. And remember, this system of corruption should only be used with a player who is interested in playing out a fight against darker tendencies.
So we now have three different ways to handle corruption in your game:
- Cause the character to suffer corrupting influences whenever they do something their character is designed to do anyway.
- Offer the player an additional power, usable at least once per session, which costs the player, moving them one step closer to total corruption.
- Create situations where a corrupting influence offers the character special powers in times of need, but at a cost.
*Special Note* All of these systems of handling corruption require some sort of "condition track" for the worsening of the corruption. Make sure that you have one in mind before attempting to implement one of these systems. Also, make sure that the corruption influences the character in some significant way. Don't make the corruption of the mighty fighter who used Charisma as his dump stat a penalty to Diplomacy checks. He just isn't going to care. Now, the glib bard? He's going to feel that sting a lot more, especially when the party relies on his Diplomacy skill to get them through most social encounters. As the DM, you know your party best, and you should spend some time making sure that the cost of corruption is high enough. If it's too cheap, it cheapens the fun as well, and can quickly unbalance your game to boot!
All of these should be used carefully, and with a special sensitivity to your player's interest and sense of fun. But with a little extra effort, and a player who is interested in playing this sort of thing out, you might just find that one of these systems will draw in everyone at the table just a little bit more, and keep them that much more interested in what is going on.
September 03, 2009
Props
I want to give some credit where it is due. My brother, Alex Renn, drew me that new banner up top. It turned out awesome! Thanks, Alex!
September 02, 2009
I Miss the Arcane Trickster
I had quite a long post planned for today, and mostly written, when I realized quite suddenly that it was totally trash. So I've decided to distract you all with something shiny!
I've been sorely disappointed so far with the decision not to bring the Arcane Trickster prestige class from 3e D&D forward into the new edition. So I've created my own Paragon Path, immediately below.
Arcane Trickster
"Now you see me! Now you..."
Prerequisites: Wizard and Rogue
Whether from a misspent youth finally channeled into a study of the arcane arts, or from a certain moral flexibility and penchant for larceny while study those arts, you have begun to merge your understanding of the shadows with your brilliant displays of arcane power. Researching new rituals is dull, tedious work, as is accumulating new spells to fill your spellbook. You prefer to reap the rewards of others' labor. A few quick spells, a picked lock, and a disabled warding spell are all the effort needed to expand your knowledge and arcane potency. If knowledge is power, you are indeed a force to be reckoned with, because knowledge, and power come easily to you.
Arcane Trickster Path Features
Arcane Celerity (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, any enemy who was not adjacent to you at the start of your turn grants combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
Eldritch Ambush (11th level): You may apply sneak attack to any arcane attack power that targets a single enemy and targets the Reflex defense. You must still meet the normal requirements for applying sneak attack damage.
Mage Handy (16th level): You can use the cantrip mage hand as a free action to make a theivery check against any target within the range of the cantrip. Additionally, once per encounter, when you use an attack power with the weapon keyword and a range of melee, you give that power a range of 5.
Arcane Trickster Spells
Irrascible Assailant Arcane Trickster Attack 11
You flash a blade at the face of your opponent, and then with a word of power send it whirling into his nearby allies.
Encounter*Arcane, Weapon
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each enemy in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3[W] + Intelligence modifier damage, and one adjacent opponent in the blast grants combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
There and Gone Arcane Trickster Utility 12
You mutter an arcane phrase, make a small gesture, and appear behind your opponent.
Encounter* Arcane, Teleportation
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: An enemy enters a square adjacent to you.
Effect: You teleport to any other square adjacent to the trigggering enemy, and that enemy grants combat advantage until the end of your next turn.
Master of the Many Blades Arcane Trickster Attack 20
You raise your weapon, and suddenly one blade becomes many; they begin to dance around you in a deadly, weaving pattern.
Daily* Arcane, Weapon, Conjuration, Zone
Standard Action Close burst 3
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 4[W] + Intelligence modifier damage, and the enemies hit grant combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
Effect: The burst creates a zone of whirling blades which lasts until the end of your next turn. Any enemy within the zone grants combat advantage to your allies while they remain in the zone.
Sustain Minor: The zone persists. When you move, the zone moves with you, remaining centered on you.
I hope you all enjoy a little crunch, since I've been feeling like my last couple of posts have been so fluffy. Next week should be a little more... substantial.
I've been sorely disappointed so far with the decision not to bring the Arcane Trickster prestige class from 3e D&D forward into the new edition. So I've created my own Paragon Path, immediately below.
Arcane Trickster
"Now you see me! Now you..."
Prerequisites: Wizard and Rogue
Whether from a misspent youth finally channeled into a study of the arcane arts, or from a certain moral flexibility and penchant for larceny while study those arts, you have begun to merge your understanding of the shadows with your brilliant displays of arcane power. Researching new rituals is dull, tedious work, as is accumulating new spells to fill your spellbook. You prefer to reap the rewards of others' labor. A few quick spells, a picked lock, and a disabled warding spell are all the effort needed to expand your knowledge and arcane potency. If knowledge is power, you are indeed a force to be reckoned with, because knowledge, and power come easily to you.
Arcane Trickster Path Features
Arcane Celerity (11th level): When you spend an action point to take an extra action, any enemy who was not adjacent to you at the start of your turn grants combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
Eldritch Ambush (11th level): You may apply sneak attack to any arcane attack power that targets a single enemy and targets the Reflex defense. You must still meet the normal requirements for applying sneak attack damage.
Mage Handy (16th level): You can use the cantrip mage hand as a free action to make a theivery check against any target within the range of the cantrip. Additionally, once per encounter, when you use an attack power with the weapon keyword and a range of melee, you give that power a range of 5.
Arcane Trickster Spells
Irrascible Assailant Arcane Trickster Attack 11
You flash a blade at the face of your opponent, and then with a word of power send it whirling into his nearby allies.
Encounter*Arcane, Weapon
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each enemy in blast
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 3[W] + Intelligence modifier damage, and one adjacent opponent in the blast grants combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
There and Gone Arcane Trickster Utility 12
You mutter an arcane phrase, make a small gesture, and appear behind your opponent.
Encounter* Arcane, Teleportation
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Trigger: An enemy enters a square adjacent to you.
Effect: You teleport to any other square adjacent to the trigggering enemy, and that enemy grants combat advantage until the end of your next turn.
Master of the Many Blades Arcane Trickster Attack 20
You raise your weapon, and suddenly one blade becomes many; they begin to dance around you in a deadly, weaving pattern.
Daily* Arcane, Weapon, Conjuration, Zone
Standard Action Close burst 3
Target: Each enemy in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Reflex
Hit: 4[W] + Intelligence modifier damage, and the enemies hit grant combat advantage to you until the end of your next turn.
Effect: The burst creates a zone of whirling blades which lasts until the end of your next turn. Any enemy within the zone grants combat advantage to your allies while they remain in the zone.
Sustain Minor: The zone persists. When you move, the zone moves with you, remaining centered on you.
I hope you all enjoy a little crunch, since I've been feeling like my last couple of posts have been so fluffy. Next week should be a little more... substantial.
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