February 09, 2010

Phalanx Powers!

*Also, check last week's post for a revision. Forgot to include a pretty important class ability! >.<*

Phalanx Powers

Your powers are strategic exploits mastered through rigorous training and extensive study. Many of your daily exploits are special stance powers.

Level 1 At-Will Exploits

Hampering Strike Phalanx Attack 1
With expert precision, you hobble your opponent to gain an advantage.
At-Will ◆ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifier at 21st level.

Quick Reverse Phalanx Attack 1
Lashing out with blinding speed, you force your enemy backward into a dangerous position.
At-Will ◆ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and you push the target a number of squares equal to your Strength or Constitution modifier.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifier at 21st level.
Special: At 1st level you determine whether you use Strength or Constitution with this power. Once you make that choice, you can’t change it later.

Scattering Sweep Phalanx Attack 1
You swing your weapon around in a flashing arc, driving your foes away from your allies.
At-Will ◆ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Close burst 1
Target: Each enemy in burst you can see
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: Dexterity modifier damage, and you slide each target 1 square.
Increase damage to 1[W] + Dexterity modifier at 21st level.

Scything Strike Phalanx Attack 1
Like a farmhand harvesting grain, you reap through your enemies, culling the weak and the slow.
At-Will ◆ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Close blast 3
Requirement: You must be wielding a weapon with the reach property.
Target: Each enemy in blast you can see
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage.
Increase damage to 2[W] + Dexterity modifier at 21st level.

Level 1 Encounter Exploits

Dancing Menace Phalanx Attack 1
You spin through your enemies, scattering and scarring them.
Encounter ◆ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Close burst 2
Requirement: You must be wielding a weapon with the reach property.
Target: Each enemy in burst you can see
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] damage and 5 ongoing damage, and the target is pushed one square.
Aggressive Formation: You push the target a number of squares equal to your strength modifier.
Effect: You may shift two squares, and make a secondary attack.
Secondary Target: Each enemy in close burst 2
Secondary Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] damage and ongoing 5 damage, and the target is pushed 1 square.
Aggressive Formation: You push the target a number of squares equal to your strength modifier.

Eddies of Battle Phalanx Attack 1
You quickly assess the flow of the battle, and then jostle your foes to be carried off in the wake.
Encounter ◆ Martial, Stance, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and you slide the target one square closer to your nearest ally.
Effect: Until this stance ends, every time you hit an enemy, you may slide them one square closer to your nearest ally.

Readied Response Phalanx Attack 1
As your enemies close in intent on your blade, you swing your shield in a wide arc, catching them unaware.
Encounter ◆ Martial
Standard Action Close burst 1
Requirement: You must be using a shield.
Target: Each enemy in burst you can see
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: Target takes damage equal to your Dexterity modifier, and is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Defensive Formation: You add your Constitution modifier to the damage dealt with this power.

Whipping Blade Phalanx Attack 1
Bringing your weapon around in a blinding series of strikes, you punish your foe, along with anyone foolish enough to stand near you.
Encounter ◆ Martial, Weapon
Standard Action Melee
weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] damage, and any creature adjacent to you takes damage equal to your Dexterity modifier.

Level 1 Daily Exploits

Stance of the Adder Phalanx Attack 1
Assuming the position of a snake, you strike with blinding speed, and recoil just as fast.
Daily ◆ Martial, Stance, Weapon
Standard Action Melee
weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage, and you can shift 2 squares.
Effect: You assume the stance of the adder. Until this stance ends, you may shift 1 square as an immediate reaction every time an enemy hits or misses you.

Stance of the Brawler Phalanx Attack 1
Recognizing that there is an advantage to appearing undisciplined, you appear to drop your guard, lulling your enemies into mistakes.
Daily ◆ Martial, Stance, Weapon
Immediate Interrupt Melee
weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage and the target is stunned (save ends).
Effect: You assume the stance of the brawler. Until this stance ends, when you hit an enemy with a martial attack power, you may choose to do 1[W] less damage but daze the target until the start of your next turn.

Stance of the Savannah Phalanx Attack 1
Shifting your balance, you become like the waving grasses of the great plains, yielding but sharp.
Daily ◆ Martial, Stance, Weapon
Standard Action Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Dexterity modifier damage and if the target makes an attack during its next turn, you may make a basic melee attack as an immediate reaction.
Effect: You enter the stance of the savannah. Until this stance ends, when an enemy adjacent to you moves, you may shift one square as an immediate reaction.

Stance of the Wall Phalanx Attack 1
Holding your shield before you like a fortification, you strike at your foe in a demonstration of defiance.
Daily ◆ Martial, Stance, Weapon
Standard Action Close
burst 1
Target: Each enemy in burst you can see
Attack: Dexterity vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Dexterity modifier damage and ongoing 5 damage.
Effect: You enter the stance of the wall. Until this stance ends, every enemy you hit takes a -1 to attack rolls against you and your allies until the end of its next turn.

4 comments:

  1. Nice stuff, Mike! I really like "Dancing menace"--that's got some crazy flavor. Also "stance of the brawler" is evoking some cool fluff as well. I'm really surprised Wizards has never published something like this--if the Warlord "Heal by yelling inspirationally" mechanic makes sense then surely the "control the battlefield through stances and status effect-infused strikes" is surely no great leap in logic.

    ReplyDelete
  2. In some ways, I feel like this is where the monk could have/should have fit into the 4e system. However, I don't dislike the monk (though I am struggling with some of the psionic classes). I still need to come up with some more unique mechanics. Too many of these powers come across as "Like a fighter, but less damage." Probably why Wizards avoided a martial controller.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Cool beans, mike, but with Dancing Menace I think you should drop the second Aggressive Formation benefit. Makes it significantly more powerful than Defensive Formation makes Readied Response.

    Also, I like the flavor of using stance attacks without having to change the stance you are in but I think it could be better implemented via an ability similar to the Barbarian's Rage Strike. Once you reach level 5 you may expend the use of a Daily Power (all of which will be stance powers) to make the attack with a 1[W] bonus to damage. You do not gain the benefit of the effect, however, you do not lose the benefit of any other stance you are currently occupying. To sweeten this power, make some utility stances but don't bother with encounter stances.

    Change Eddies of Battle to have the same Hit but add, then make a secondary attack. Secondary attack: DEX vs REF Hit: Target is knocked prone.

    ReplyDelete
  4. Good point on Dancing Menace, Jeff, I am embarrassed that I missed such a flagrant imbalance. As for the rage strike analogy, also a good point, but I don't know if I really want to give up on encounter power stances. The other problem with the parallel is that this is a controller class, not a striker, so bonus damage is... out of line with the flavor as far as I'm concerned. I'll have to think about a compromise.

    As for Eddies of Battle, considering that I haven't given up on encounter power stances (I really don't want this class to use many utility stances, since that's where every other class has ALL of their stances.) I think I'll leave it as is. I also hate when weapon classes target non-AC defenses, so I tried to avoid it as much as possible.

    ReplyDelete