Hello everyone o/
First post here. I've discovered the game a few weeks ago and I'm kind of enthusiastic with it.
So, I've got some ideas for new characters I'd like to share with you. As every homebrew designer, I design character I would like to play with. So even if I tried to stay in decent balance, I may have overpowered them. But as long as they pass the Lini-test (i just wonder if I prefer the homebrew or Lini), I think it's fine
So here's the first :
The Fencer :
The Fencer is meant to be a good fighter with no real other utility (in his primary role at least).
He is the archetype of the melee dexterity fighter, he strikes quickly and deadly, making little holes rather than splitting in two.
So, his melee is on his dexterity and not on his strength. That is the main concept of the character. Even without weapon, he can fight a monster with a decent dexterity check.
He is supposed to be really better with swords and finesse weapons.
Although it is not strictly a restriction in deck composition, this specialisation force him to prefer lesser weapons. This restriction allows him to have a very good combat power with those particular weapons.
Basically, he doesn't fancy armor that much because he prefers to move quickly rather than being burdened by the weight of an armor.
He'd rather count on his skill and maybe a bit of luck in order to evade the deadly enemy swings while he deliver the final blow.
It's a character that got a good charisma and attracts allies and can use the best of them.
Wisdom, Strength and Constitution are his weaknesses.
While his basic profile is rather straight, some utility comes with his advanced profiles.
"Just a little pinch"
Skills :
Strength
d6 ▢+1 ▢+2
Dexterity
d10 ▢+1 ▢+2 ▢+3 ▢+4
Melee : Dexterity+3
Acrobatics : Dexterity+1
Constitution
d6 ▢+1 ▢+2
Intelligence
d8 ▢+1 ▢+2 ▢+3
Wisdom
d4 ▢+1
Charisma
d8 ▢+1 ▢+2 ▢+3
Diplomacy : Charisma+1
Powers
Hand Size 4 ▢ 5
Proficient with Weapons
Sword Master : If you play a sword during a combat check, you may add 1 to each die. If that weapon has the finesse trait, you may recharge it to add 1d4 (▢+1) to the combat check.
Avoid Blows : If you would take combat damage, you may discard a blessing to throw one d6 (▢ d8). On anything but a 1, the damage are reduced to 0.
Fatal Wound : ▢ If you fail at a combat check against a monster that don't have the undead trait, you may bury a weapon to banish that monster after the encounter.
Deck
Favored Card Type : Weapon
Weapon
5 ▢ 6 ▢ 7 ▢ 8
Spell
-
Armor
- ▢ 1 ▢ 2
Item
2
Ally
4 ▢ 5 ▢ 6 ▢ 7
Blessing
4 ▢ 5 ▢ 6
Role #1
Powers
Hand Size 4 ▢ 5
Proficient with Weapons ▢ Light Armors
Sword Master : If you play a sword during a combat check, you may add 1 to each die. If that weapon has the finesse trait, you may recharge it to add 1d4 (▢+1) (▢+2) (▢+3) (▢+4) to the combat check.
Avoid Blows : If you would take combat damage, you may discard a blessing to throw one d6 (▢ d8). On anything but a 1, the damage are reduced to 0.
Fatal Wound : ▢ If you fail at a combat check against a monster that don't have the undead trait, you may bury a weapon to banish that monster after the encounter.
Weakness : ▢ During a dexterity check, if your dexterity die roll 10 (▢1), the check is succesful.
Quick Fighter : ▢ When you discard an ally to explore a region, you may draw a card (▢ and you may move to another region before exploring).
The duelist is the fighting specialization of the fencer allowing him to make its main fighting power even stronger.
The first new power is the "find weakness" one. You can best the most terrifying opponent with the right strike.
The second new power add some utility to the character, using its quickness to move wherever he wants to.
His experience may allow him to use light armors while keeping his ability to evade intact.
Role #2
Powers
Hand Size 4 ▢ 5
Proficient with Weapons ▢ Light Armors
Sword Master : If you play a sword during a combat check, you may add 1 to each die. If that weapon has the finesse trait, you may recharge it to add 1d4 (▢+1) (▢+2) to the combat check.
Avoid Blows : If you would take combat damage, you may discard (▢ recharge) a blessing to throw one d6 (▢ d8) (▢ d10). On anything but a 1, the damage are reduced to 0.
Fatal Wound : ▢ If you fail at a combat check against a monster that don't have the undead trait, you may bury a weapon to banish that monster after the encounter.
Life Saver : ▢ If another character must make a combat check against a monster, you may (▢ discard a card and move to that region and then) make the combat check instead, if you are in the same region.
Area Clearer : ▢ When you discard an ally to explore a region, you may draw a card. (▢ and you may explore twice if the first exploration revealed a bane)
The bodyguard specialisation reveal one particular utility role of the character : the protector role. That's why he can especially train himself with armors to catch the bullet for you !
You can view him as renaissance bodyguards that were there to prevents murders from other fencers.
This role is pretty useful when you have weak support characters such as lem as the protection power may come with ou-of-turn movement.
As for the duelist role, the use of ally to explore is also accentuated. As a good bodyguard, he checks thoroughly if a place is safe before allowing more vulnerable people to go in.
Some Thoughts :
The dice addition is a standard 42. The character has only 3 secondary skills for a +5 total which is pretty low. Take this into account when balancing the powers.
I like the use of multiple type of cards : weapons as he is a fighter, blessing for the oh-my-god how did he avoid this ? He is so lucky, and the emphasis on allies.
I've a hard time designing the main combat ability. I began with something like a recharge on non 2-Handed swords (basically because the 1-handed trait doesn't exists) with a big bonus due to the restriction but I disliked avoiding the choice between recharge with the power and the weapon discard addition, it would have make the power too close of valeros' one. So I opted for a littler bonus ; 1d4 is mandatory as most of the finesse weapons adds 1d6 on discard ; plus something else, the +1 on each die. Therefore, it stays a big bonus to combat check but you still have the choice of discarding your weapon for even greater advantage.
The power names are here mainly for discussion purpose and also a bit for the feeling.
I have no idea if a character in pathfinder-RPG fits this roles. As you noticed, I haven't even given him(her?) a name as I'm more concerned by mechanics than lore but I hope there's something that could suit well enough.
Last thing, would you play this character ? solo ? in a company ? What role would you prefer ? primary beater or secondary/utility's one ?
I'm now waiting for your comments.
Thanks o/
One thing that sticks out for me is the Melee: Dexterity + 3
This isn't going to work because of weapons that say "For your combat check, reveal this card to roll your Strength or Melee skill...". That is why other Dexterity based fighters have the power "When you attempt a check with or against a card that has the Finesse trait, you gain Melee: Dexterity + X. This keeps the Dexterity fighters from using brutish type weapons that they were not meant to use.
I agree with Raynair about the Melee based on Dexterity. Maybe you should also look at bumping his initial hand size to five. Plus, why no chance to increase items? Will he really need 8 weapons?
Looking at the Fatal Wound - it seems a bit problematic because as long as he has a blessing or armor to soak up damage, any monster can be auto killed, even villains or monsters that might need Fire or Acid to defeat (excepting undead). You could get lucky and encounter the villain on your first turn and end the game. Maybe rework this to be a critical hit kind of thing, or bury to add d4 after the roll?
Take these ideas for what they're worth. It's a cool concept you have.
Thanks for your answer, I'm glad to have it. I've searched where you got this power from and find out that it comes from Jirelle. Skulls ans Shakles is not yet available where I live. (aside from cross country amazon buy ofc)
I think this is a very good design indeed and something very close to what I was looking for and I may very likely adopt it in the end. but for the moment, it's just close.
If I can sum up the design I'm looking for, it is something like this :
1. 2-H weapons <<< 1-H non swords < 1-H swords
2. finesse weapons offers more hand flexibility / non-finesse offers more combat power.
The design I made doesn't work well at the 2-H weapon "exclusion".
For the 1-Handed weapon part, maces are at the bottom but not as such as you want to ignore them every time you encounter them. If you have the chance to face a magic mace, you may want it. Of course a magic sword of the same level will be better, but you have space enough for choices.
- Do I get more power with the magic mace or do I keep the basic finesse weapon to have more flexibility in my 4-cards hand.
That's a the kind of game mechanic I intended.
I think it would be easier with a homebrew rule like this :
A melee weapon that does not possess the two-handed trait, possess the one-handed trait.
Also, while looking at melee roll average numbers for 1H basic weapons, I found them far too high, the Sword Master power seems too powerful with such raw dexterity d10 -> maybe have a dex d8, let's it have a 40 dice total and lower melee to +2.
That leads to something like this :
Skills :
Dexterity
d8
Melee : Dexterity+2
Acrobatics : Dexterity+1
Charisma
d8
Diplomacy : Charisma+2
Sword Master : If you play a weapon with the sword and one-handed traits during a combat check, you may add 1 to each die. If that weapon has the finesse trait, you may recharge it to add 1d4 (▢+1) to the combat check.
That puts the 2-Handed weapons basically at the same range as the one-handed. d10/d12 ~ d6/d8 +2 when playing nothing else, and well behind when you manage to add dices. (blessings/harsk/valeros)
Another answer while I was writing the first :D Thanks for the support.
The first draft of the character had a five-cards hand size. But pretty much all the beaters in the game starts with 4.
To me, the versatility vs toughness hand size pretty much balance itself. But my character already possess a defensive power, even if it loses one HP by attemping to use it. So, a five-card hand may be too strong for him at the begining. But that is entirely not definitive :D
Concerning the number of items, it is mainly a concept thing. This guy don't use little tricks. It can be changed to 1 ▢ 2 and tweak other numbers for instance but that will stay the same genral concept.
Do yo uthink it is too strong to have that few items or too limited ? (or neither)
Concerning the fatal wound, a blessing or an armor is not sufficient at all. You have to bury a weapon. It is a huge price.
Concerning the villain (and minions) encounter, you are absolutely right ! That could be very easily corrected :
Fatal Wound : ▢ If you fail at a combat check against a monster other than a villain or a minion that don't have the undead trait, you may bury a weapon to banish that monster after the encounter.
I also really love your idea of the critical hit ! Burying the weapon to have a chance of finishing off a monster that you barely missed is great. It adds a very cool kind of breath taking last chance to finish the job. Thinking on it !
Burying a weapon to banish a monster is very powerful. Look at the Luckstone or Greater Luckstone. Bury to add one or two after the roll. I mentioned the armor or blessing because I assumed you took damage after you failed and would need to keep a weapon in your hand but if that's not necessary, then it becomes even more powerful. Bury a dagger to banish a big monster?
Anyways, maybe just play test and see how it feels.
I think you over estimate this power a lot.
First, it concerns only combat damage which is pretty limited. Also, the character is meant to destroy foes, as amiri and valeros and therfore, it won't be used as often as you may think.
Second, the "reduce to 0" is kind of a trick. As you already used a blessing, you already took at least one damage.
Compare this the miror image spell : 3 chance out of 4 to take zéro + good chances to recharge.
This power : you take one even before attempting the roll. considering a full 4-hand :
- on 1 damage taken : useless. (1.167 avg dmg)
- on 2 damage taken, you take an average 1.333 dmg. -> -0.667 dmg
- on 3 damage taken, you take an average 1.5 dmg. -> -1.5 dmg
- on 3+ damage taken, you still take avg 1.5 dmg. -> -2.5 dmg
It may be a little bit too strong. But I don't think it is that strong. The idea of it getting more useful as the damages increase follow the general design of armors but it is globally worse.
On little damage, even a leather armor is better at each point :
-1 damage on little damage
-all damage for the price of one card on big ones.
Lowering the dice to a 1d4 doesn't change that much, on a 4-cards hand :
- on 1 damage taken : useless. (1.25 avg dmg)
- on 2 damage taken, you take an average 1.5 dmg. -0.5 dmg
- on 3 damage taken, you take an average 1.75 dmg. -1.25 dmg
- on 3+ damage taken, you still take avg 1.75 dmg. -2.25 dmg
It would limit a bit but as you can see, for all the pre-encounter little damage, that doesn't do much.
Amiri and Valeros have armor profiency free and can avoid those little damage. This character can't. And he is not really better at "reducing" big ones. (at least with that power)
I'm very opened to new design for a protection power as I don't really like this one but (7,8) on a d8 is not the kind of design I consider, it feels too unreliable to me.
@Jones.
To me, you take damage before shuffling the monster in the region deck. So in order :
- combat check -> fail.
- combat damage
- shuffling.
The banishing power would take effect on the third step unless I'm confused about the rules.
That assumed you still have a weapon left in your hand -> you haven't already discard or recharge it. In my tests, it was an "easy" decision only to very specific monster, when you still had a weapon. (Siren or goblin warcanter for instance)
I still really love your critical hit idea an will give it a try. Let's give it a thought.
Burying an item is far less penalizing in a weapon-oriented deck than burying a weapon. (I don't think there will be a lot a dagger in fencer's deck btw)
I'm considering your call and try 1d4. 1d4 is 2.5 avg which seems a fair bit more than 1 (Luckstone). It could go to something like a d8 on advanced roles, 4.5 compared to 2 (greater Luckstone)
So getting an average +2.5 for burying a weapon can compare with the Luckstone because that can be used on any failed check. If you wanted to make it more swingy, try d6-1, same average but bigger spread. Then yeah, one of his roles could bump this to emphasize his derring-do.
I mentioned the Dagger because it's low-level but I wouldn't discount a Fencer having one or two. They can be played with another weapon and down the line there's some pretty cool Daggers to pick up.
I think you over estimate this power a lot...
Let me guess (I may be wrong).. you only have tried this game with 1,2 or 3 characters in the party?
Because with 6 characters this is where it doesn't compute:
- Average monster per location : 3, let's say 4 max (incl. henchmen).
- Max monsters in all locations 8*(3 or 4), let's say 30.
- Average monster during the scenario per character : 5!
So if I bury all my weapons I win automatically (I have at least 5, not including those I will acquire during the scenario)!
Worse, since I only need to bury if I failed my check I would :
- try any combat check without even spending cards
- bury only if I was unlucky
Meaning I get to keep all my blessings for... reexploring or helping others
Note that if I had to banish the weapon that would still end up with the same result since I would anyway start the next scenario with min 5 weapons in my deck... And I don't care if they are basic underpowevered weapons (I would still blast though any scenario with only 5 (d4-3) rotten knifes)
I guess it's a game-fun breaker. I'm 200% against that power.
You are right, as I've tested it as a solo player, I didn't try this with too much characters and therefore, I faced much much more than 5 monster per game.
I've not tried with 6 characters, and even if I disagree strongly with the 5-monster-5-rotten-knifes example, as it is way too over-exagerated, I see your point and agree with it.
With 6 character you will play 5 turns and face basically only 2 or 3 monsters and you don't even have to play the game anymore.
The character is supposed to be very good at fighting, so why try to overuse this and die when you can simply beat the monster ?
The idea behind this power was to have something that you would use once (maybe twice) each scenario that would mitigate very close unlucky rolls or very bad monster draws. Don't forget that in its basic design, it costs one power point to activate, it's not free.
Actually, I was tweaking the numbers to catch the intended design with one-handed weapons better than two-handed ones.
So I have a new version I haven't share with you yet.
I will be able to test jones314's idea that fill the "mitigate very close unlucky rolls" role very well.