New Minions!
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LEGEND: *=minor action; •=Standard action; ••=Encounter power; i=interrupt
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A little explanation is in order: the goal with these minions is to have these minions available at any level. The "PL" in parentheses is a reference to the equation "half Player Level", rounding down. For example, the Face-Eater Kruthik Nymph listed below has an AC of 15+(PL). If the players are level 4, that means 15+(4/2)=17.
Face-Eater Kruthik Nymph
Small Natural Creature
AC: 15+(PL)
Fort: 14+(PL)
Ref: 12+(PL)
Will: 13+(PL)
Speed: 4
• Grapple Attack: +4+(PL) VS Ref: Target = 1 creature
- Hit: 5 damage and target is grappled
* Secondary Acid Attack: +7+(PL) Vs AC: Target = the same creature as the primary attack.
- HIT: D10 acid damage.
- Effect: If target was grappled it takes 5 additional acid damage and is pushed 1 square.
Leaping Tentacle
Tiny Aberrant Creature
AC: 14+(PL)
Fort: 15+(PL)
Ref: 13+(PL)
Will: 12+(PL)
Speed: crawl 3
• Leaping Grasp: +7+(PL) Vs AC: Target = 1 creature
The Leaper Worm shifts up to 2 squares before this attack.
- Hit: remove leaper worm from play. Target takes 3 damage, and 3 ongoing damage (save ends).
- On a save against the leaper worm's attack, the leaper worm is placed adjacent to its target.
Festering Pester Worm
Small Aberrant Creature
AC: 14+(PL)
Fort: 15+(PL)
Ref: 13+(PL)
Will: 12+(PL)
Speed: crawl 3
• Leaping Lamprey: +5+(PL) Vs AC: Target = 1 creature
The Leaper Worm shifts up to 2 squares before this attack.
- Hit: target takes 3 damage, and the target gains the "Festering Worm Disease"
+ FESTERING WORM DISEASE
Phase 1: The player feels no ill effects. At the end of a short rest it makes a save if it has the wherewithall to cut out the eggs. Otherwise the disease automatically proceeds to Phase 2.
Phase 2: The player, having failed the save, feels unwell, and suffers -2 to all attacks and defenses until he or she saves againt the effects of the worms and cuts out the eggs.
Phase 3: At the end of an extended rest, D6 Festering Pester Worms burst out of the player, causing a healing surge of damage, and immediately attack the other players in a surprise round.
Wandering Lightning Crystal
Small Elemental Creature
AC: 12+(PL)
Fort: 14+(PL)
Ref: 12+(PL)
Will: 15+(PL)
Speed: Fly 2 (Hover)
Special rules: Resist 10 electric.
i• Tesla Pulse: (immediate interrupt: a creature enters within 3 squares of the Wandering Lightning Crystal):
+4+(PL) VS Ref: Target = All creatures in burst 3
- Hit: 5+(PL) lightning damage & target is immobilized until the end of its next turn.
•• Electrical Jolt: +7+(PL) Vs AC: Range 5, Target = 1 creature
- Hit: 10 lightning damage and target is dazed, stunned and immobilized (save ends all).
House Cat
Small Natural Creature
AC: 12+(PL)
Fort: 13+(PL)
Ref: 14+(PL)
Will: 15+(PL)
Speed: 8
If a character kills a house cat, it suffers a cumulative -1 to all attacks and defenses until it levels up or atones for this sin.
Mad Ape
Large Natural Creature
AC: 15+(PL)
Fort: 13+(PL)
Ref: 14+(PL)
Will: 12+(PL)
Special Resistances: 5 all
Speed: 5
* Monkey Grab: +4+PL VS Fort: Target = 1 creature. Target is grappled.
• Hurl: A grabbed target is thrown D10 squares, and takes falling damage for falling a distance equal to half of the squares thrown, rounding down.
Mad Clown
Medium Natural & Aberrant Creature
AC: 12+(PL)
Fort: 14+(PL)
Ref: 13+(PL)
Will: 15+(PL)
Speed: 6
• Hilarious Trick: +5+(PL) Vs Will: Target = blast 3
- Hit: D6+(PL) and target is knocked prone
* Slippery Shoes: the clown may shift one square and is knocked prone.
• Hammer from Nowhere: +7+(PL) Vs AC: Target = 1 creature.
- Hit: D12 damage and target is dazed until the end of its next turn.
Tau Invader
Medium Extraplanar Creature
AC: 15+(PL)
Fort: 13+(PL)
Ref: 14+(PL)
Will: 12+(PL)
Speed: 6
Full-turn Action: • Pulse Rifle: +3+(PL) VS AC: Target = 1 creature
- Hit: 3D10+3+(PL) Radiant damage
* Relay Info: The Tau Invader may relay all acquired data on the target to all of its allies within 100 squares.
Dark Eldar Kabalite
Medium Fay Creature
AC: 12+(PL)
Fort: 13+(PL)
Ref: 15+(PL)
Will: 14+(PL)
Speed: 8
Special Rules: Resist 5 +(PL) damage
• Shard Carbine: +5+(PL) VS FORT: Range 18: Target = 1 creature
- Hit: D12+(PL) Poison damage and 5 ongoing poison damage (save ends).
* Bayonet Stab: +5+(PL) VS REF: Target: 1 creature
- Hit: D12+(PL) Damage and 5 ongoing poison damage (save ends).
Dark Eldar Wych
Medium Fay Creature
AC: 12+(PL)
Fort: 13+(PL)
Ref: 15+(PL)
Will: 14+(PL)
Speed: 8
Special Rules: Resist 10 + (PL) damage versus melee and close attacks.
• Shard Pistol: +5+(PL) VS FORT: Range 12: Target = 1 creature
- Hit: D8+(PL) Poison damage and 5 ongoing poison damage (save ends).
* Ripping Blade: +5+(PL) VS REF: Burst 1. Target: all enemies in burst.
- Hit: D6+(PL) Damage and 5 ongoing poison damage (save ends).
Sunday, October 7, 2012
House Rules
In the interest of improving games of Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition games, here are a few house rules that are based on the idea of improving the payer experience, founded on the concept that the game should be fun.
NEW BACKGROUND: "LIFE MAGIC" - optional player background.
A character with this background can spend healing surges to alter the effects of powers. After rolling to hit with a power, or after initializing a power that does not require a hit, the surge is lost as a free action, and no hit points are regained. Instead, a power's effects are altered in one of the following ways:
• delayed for any number of turns.
• change the damage type to any other type, including untyped damage.
• withholding any damage, instead producing only the effects, usually as a delayed action in conjunction with a diplomacy, intimidate, or thievery check. As a "no-action" the player may inflict the damage, in case the skill-related result was not achieved.
• imbuing an item with a power that activates with a player-set trigger. The imbued power may not be used by the character again until it is expended from the object or is diffused by the player as a standard action.
Two healing surges may be lost as a free action to...
• amplify a power: the power will gain +5+half-level to hit, or +10+half-level damage, or +5 ongoing damage of the same type as the attack.
• inversion of damage: a damaging power can be turned into a healing power.
RULES UPDATES: SKILLS
Skill: Intimidate
• The Intimidate skill may be used with a +5 bonus if none of the player characters has been killed, AND if at least one standard enemy has been killed OR if at least four minions have been killed.
• If the target of an Intimidate roll is a non-combatant or is friendly, on a successful check the target becomes compliant for one encounter, during which time it qualifies as an Ally; after the encounter ends or at the end of five minutes it becomes hostile. Then, the intimidator does not qualify as an Ally to the target until a successful Diplomacy check has been made against the target's will. The target gains a +10 circumstantial bonus to will if it was damaged by any of the intimidator's actions during the period of intimidation.
• A hostile creature that is immobilized or prone does not gain a bonus against intimidate checks for being hostile.
• For low-charisma characters, an Athletics check can be made to intimidate enemies, instead of the usual Intimidate check.
RITUAL SACRIFICES
• Rituals and alchemical items cost 1/5 of their listed codex price.
• Rituals may be cast during combat, and will take a number of rounds equal to half of the ritual's level, in which the caster is focused*. For rituals that normally take more than ten minutes to cast, a healing surge may be sacrificed as a free action to reduce the time cost in one-hour increments per healing surge sacrificed. The following may sacrifice surges: The caster; the caster's willing allies, and helpless enemies.
*"Focused"= the caster passes an appropriate DC for the ritual every round of casting. Each failure delays the ritual 1 round.
NATURAL 1 TO HIT
3. Attack rolls that result in a natural "1" require that the attacking character immediately rolls a D4. This does not count as any action. The result determines the outcome of the botched attack:
1: No effect
2: The attacker loses the next use of that attack
3: The attack hits an ally within range. If no ally is within range, proceed to Result 4.
4: Harm self with the attack in all its effects and relevant damage.
FEAT MUNCHKIN
A character that takes a multiclass feat that grants the character a use of the new class's at-will attack powers as encounter powers may alternatively use the following option: the character may replace one of his or her at-will powers with the new at-will power, and converts the traded at-will power to an encounter power. This can prevent most unnecessary "hybrid" character creation.
BOMBS AWAY
4E lacks a dropping attack physic: now it has one.
• In order to drop an object on a creature, use the following attack: use the character's highest ability modifier versus the target's reflex defense, including any applicable bonuses. If the attack misses, the target may shift one square away as a free action from its square as it leaps out of the way. If the target is still underneath the object (in such a case as the object occupying 3x3 squares, the target suffers half damage.
• Dropping an object is not quite precise, and making the attack suffers -1 for every increment of 10 squares past the first 10 cubes of altitude, so that, for example, at 100 cubes of altitude, the attack suffers -9 to hit.
ACTION!
• Action Points are handed out for every encounter, not just per milestone. At each milestone, the players gain a "Super Action Point" which may be spent at any time. These disappear after an extended rest.
• Action points may be used as a no-action to re-roll any single unsatisfactory dice roll.
NEW BACKGROUND: "LIFE MAGIC" - optional player background.
A character with this background can spend healing surges to alter the effects of powers. After rolling to hit with a power, or after initializing a power that does not require a hit, the surge is lost as a free action, and no hit points are regained. Instead, a power's effects are altered in one of the following ways:
• delayed for any number of turns.
• change the damage type to any other type, including untyped damage.
• withholding any damage, instead producing only the effects, usually as a delayed action in conjunction with a diplomacy, intimidate, or thievery check. As a "no-action" the player may inflict the damage, in case the skill-related result was not achieved.
• imbuing an item with a power that activates with a player-set trigger. The imbued power may not be used by the character again until it is expended from the object or is diffused by the player as a standard action.
Two healing surges may be lost as a free action to...
• amplify a power: the power will gain +5+half-level to hit, or +10+half-level damage, or +5 ongoing damage of the same type as the attack.
• inversion of damage: a damaging power can be turned into a healing power.
RULES UPDATES: SKILLS
Skill: Intimidate
• The Intimidate skill may be used with a +5 bonus if none of the player characters has been killed, AND if at least one standard enemy has been killed OR if at least four minions have been killed.
• If the target of an Intimidate roll is a non-combatant or is friendly, on a successful check the target becomes compliant for one encounter, during which time it qualifies as an Ally; after the encounter ends or at the end of five minutes it becomes hostile. Then, the intimidator does not qualify as an Ally to the target until a successful Diplomacy check has been made against the target's will. The target gains a +10 circumstantial bonus to will if it was damaged by any of the intimidator's actions during the period of intimidation.
• A hostile creature that is immobilized or prone does not gain a bonus against intimidate checks for being hostile.
• For low-charisma characters, an Athletics check can be made to intimidate enemies, instead of the usual Intimidate check.
RITUAL SACRIFICES
• Rituals and alchemical items cost 1/5 of their listed codex price.
• Rituals may be cast during combat, and will take a number of rounds equal to half of the ritual's level, in which the caster is focused*. For rituals that normally take more than ten minutes to cast, a healing surge may be sacrificed as a free action to reduce the time cost in one-hour increments per healing surge sacrificed. The following may sacrifice surges: The caster; the caster's willing allies, and helpless enemies.
*"Focused"= the caster passes an appropriate DC for the ritual every round of casting. Each failure delays the ritual 1 round.
NATURAL 1 TO HIT
3. Attack rolls that result in a natural "1" require that the attacking character immediately rolls a D4. This does not count as any action. The result determines the outcome of the botched attack:
1: No effect
2: The attacker loses the next use of that attack
3: The attack hits an ally within range. If no ally is within range, proceed to Result 4.
4: Harm self with the attack in all its effects and relevant damage.
FEAT MUNCHKIN
A character that takes a multiclass feat that grants the character a use of the new class's at-will attack powers as encounter powers may alternatively use the following option: the character may replace one of his or her at-will powers with the new at-will power, and converts the traded at-will power to an encounter power. This can prevent most unnecessary "hybrid" character creation.
BOMBS AWAY
4E lacks a dropping attack physic: now it has one.
• In order to drop an object on a creature, use the following attack: use the character's highest ability modifier versus the target's reflex defense, including any applicable bonuses. If the attack misses, the target may shift one square away as a free action from its square as it leaps out of the way. If the target is still underneath the object (in such a case as the object occupying 3x3 squares, the target suffers half damage.
• Dropping an object is not quite precise, and making the attack suffers -1 for every increment of 10 squares past the first 10 cubes of altitude, so that, for example, at 100 cubes of altitude, the attack suffers -9 to hit.
ACTION!
• Action Points are handed out for every encounter, not just per milestone. At each milestone, the players gain a "Super Action Point" which may be spent at any time. These disappear after an extended rest.
• Action points may be used as a no-action to re-roll any single unsatisfactory dice roll.
Monday, January 30, 2012
Theory Machine!
It's time to run through the theory machine again! This time we base a hypothesis around the idea of maximizing damage on one singular spectacular attack. Instead of looking at focusing on individual characters, most advanced players recognize that group synergy is a beautiful thing indeed. For example, not long ago I saw a half-orc "rattling" rogue, accompanied by a tactical warlord that never actually attacked. Instead, the TacLord would imbue his fancy roguish friend with something along the lines of +5 to hit, and +5 or +7 damage on a basic melee attack (adding in those beautiful back-stab dice for real oomph). The result was that this fantastic rogue was attacking for outstanding damage every turn in a party of two, and usually forced targets to save against instant death.
Last week one of my fellow players/DMs introduced me to a half-developed class he discovered in PDF format, called a "Scribe": it looks like the grandfather of the Artificer class, and seems to not have made it through the play-tests. However, we're a liberal crew and anything that will make the game more fun is invited. One of the at-will attacks of the Scribe is as follows: you add +D12 to one ally's next attack damage.
This may not seem like much, but in a world where things like Magic Missile exist, this is quite a freaking thing. Suddenly the Wizard is auto-smashing targets with striker-level damage, possibly pushing them back with the properties of his/her Master's Wand of Missiles.
This is peanuts compared to what I have in mind. I have been experimenting with builds, focusing on party synergy, and am thinking that something along the lines of the following experiment might be in order. Without bothering to REALLY calculate this out, I'm just going to throw it all out there like a cheap idea-salad, but you should get the concept.
We'll assume these characters are around fifth or sixth level.
• 1 Rattling Half-Orc "Ruthless Ruffial" Rogue: uses a mace @ +D6 (daily powers do triple weapon damage)
- Basic damage of +7 (dexterity) + 3 (strength)
- Theme: "Mercenary" = Encounter power; on hit, adds modifier used in strike to damage (+7)
- Racial power adds +D8 to an attack once per encounter
- takes feat to amp his Back-stab to 2D8's
- multiclass feat Assassin for +D8 per encounter, and adds standard modifier of Damage.
SUMMARY: This rogue can make, in one turn, 3D6+10+7+D8+2D8+D8 = From 24 to 67 damage in one spectacular turn, possibly forcing rolls to save against instant-death in targets with up to 134 starting hit points.
That's not ENOUGH!
Let us add to this mélange an assortment of boosting characters. Friends with benefits, if you will.
• Tactical warlord focuses everything into his Intelligence stat. Boosts the Rogue's to-hit by about 6. Daily power adds this amount to damage, too.
• Scribe adds +D12 to the Rogue's attacks every round at first level as an at-will.
• A Warlock takes the Theme: Oracle of the Evil Eye, and adds +D6 psychic damage to the Rogue until the end of the encounter. Uses 5th-level daily spell, "Hellsworn Blessing": now the rogue does +2D6 fire damage per round, until the end of the encounter.
Now your rogue has added +6 + D12 + 3D6 to his damage, for a total range of 34 - 97 damage, not including a possible additional 2D6 (for making a critical hit with a +2 weapon, which would max this range at 109), and is hitting with an attack bonus of around +20 total, at level 5.
This is four characters maximizing their potential by forcing instant-death on some of the toughest creatures the game has to offer in level-appropriate combat. Sure, my math is sloppy, but it's not half as sloppy as the corpses you are about to make if you try this party build.
Last week one of my fellow players/DMs introduced me to a half-developed class he discovered in PDF format, called a "Scribe": it looks like the grandfather of the Artificer class, and seems to not have made it through the play-tests. However, we're a liberal crew and anything that will make the game more fun is invited. One of the at-will attacks of the Scribe is as follows: you add +D12 to one ally's next attack damage.
This may not seem like much, but in a world where things like Magic Missile exist, this is quite a freaking thing. Suddenly the Wizard is auto-smashing targets with striker-level damage, possibly pushing them back with the properties of his/her Master's Wand of Missiles.
This is peanuts compared to what I have in mind. I have been experimenting with builds, focusing on party synergy, and am thinking that something along the lines of the following experiment might be in order. Without bothering to REALLY calculate this out, I'm just going to throw it all out there like a cheap idea-salad, but you should get the concept.
We'll assume these characters are around fifth or sixth level.
• 1 Rattling Half-Orc "Ruthless Ruffial" Rogue: uses a mace @ +D6 (daily powers do triple weapon damage)
- Basic damage of +7 (dexterity) + 3 (strength)
- Theme: "Mercenary" = Encounter power; on hit, adds modifier used in strike to damage (+7)
- Racial power adds +D8 to an attack once per encounter
- takes feat to amp his Back-stab to 2D8's
- multiclass feat Assassin for +D8 per encounter, and adds standard modifier of Damage.
SUMMARY: This rogue can make, in one turn, 3D6+10+7+D8+2D8+D8 = From 24 to 67 damage in one spectacular turn, possibly forcing rolls to save against instant-death in targets with up to 134 starting hit points.
That's not ENOUGH!
Let us add to this mélange an assortment of boosting characters. Friends with benefits, if you will.
• Tactical warlord focuses everything into his Intelligence stat. Boosts the Rogue's to-hit by about 6. Daily power adds this amount to damage, too.
• Scribe adds +D12 to the Rogue's attacks every round at first level as an at-will.
• A Warlock takes the Theme: Oracle of the Evil Eye, and adds +D6 psychic damage to the Rogue until the end of the encounter. Uses 5th-level daily spell, "Hellsworn Blessing": now the rogue does +2D6 fire damage per round, until the end of the encounter.
Now your rogue has added +6 + D12 + 3D6 to his damage, for a total range of 34 - 97 damage, not including a possible additional 2D6 (for making a critical hit with a +2 weapon, which would max this range at 109), and is hitting with an attack bonus of around +20 total, at level 5.
This is four characters maximizing their potential by forcing instant-death on some of the toughest creatures the game has to offer in level-appropriate combat. Sure, my math is sloppy, but it's not half as sloppy as the corpses you are about to make if you try this party build.
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