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In a recent discussion regarding 4e, one of my players mentioned his dislike for encounter powers. He did not seem to mind at-will or daily powers, but definitely felt that the "encounter" abstraction was, for lack of a better term, too abstract. At-will powers are realistic and make a ton of sense. "I can swing my sword all day long". Daily powers, for good or ill, have long been a staple of D&D. "I can cast fireball once per day because that is what I prepared this morning over breakfast." But encounter powers just seem odd. "Sorry, can't do that again until the next fight." Furthermore, I think alot of people have trouble applying the concepts of daily and encounter powers to martial powers in general. There was a "science", no matter how dumb you think it was, around casters preparing spells. But the game never put that kind of limit on martial characters. Also, one more thing: encounter powers are basically use-it-or-lose-it. You can't save them for the next encounter, so you should plan to exhaust your encounter powers every fight. Some players like to sit on powers. I think the whole point of encounter powers is to get players to use them frequently. I don't want to go against that idea. I know powers in 4e has been discussed before by both proponents and detractors. I am not looking to rehash that, but rather to propose a way for encounter powers to seem less arbitrarily limited. I would like to come up with a mechanism for each class to recharge encounter powers. These are the guidelines: 1. I would like the mechanism to be realted to the class flavor and abilities. 2. The mechanism should be such that the PC can continuously strive to trigger it, but will most likely succeed about once or twice per encounter. 3. It should not require the expenditure of another limited power, though that may certainly help. 4. It should not be overly contingent upon fickle dice or happenstance - the player should have the ability to influence the chance of success through smart play. 5. It should not favor one class or type of ability over another. For example: controllers make more attack rolls than strikers, so they are likely to score more criticals. 6. It is okay if the recharge is not likely to happen in a solo fight or is not triggered by minions. Ideas so far: Fighter: Recharge an encounter power by killing a marked enemy that the fighter damaged in the previous round (basically excludes minions). Recharge a daily power by killing a marked enemy (as above) and another enemy in the same round. This works best with cleave against a minion - though note that that requires killing the marked target (not a minion) with the paltry damage of the cleave attack. Rogue: Recharge an encounter power if, at the start of your turn, you have combat advantage against more than one enemy. Recharge a daily power if, at the start of your turn, you have combat advantage against all enemies. (e.g., by being invisible or hidden) Wizard: Recharge an encounter power as a standard action if, at the start of your turn, there are no enemies within 5 squares and you do not have line of sight to any enemies. (i.e., the wizard hides behind a rock to read his spellbook.) Note that requiring a standard action, prevents the wizard from playing hide-and-shoot. And if the wizard spends too much time behind that rock, someone in the party should give him a stern talking to. Recharge a daily power by spending a healing surge as a standard action (you gain no hit points) if, at the start of your turn, there are no enemies within 10 squares and you do not have line of sight to any enemies.
I have only had time to read these two sections in depth. Following are my first impression thoughts. Obviously, some of this is subject to change based on the rest of the document, which I hope to have time to read soon. Also, note that I did not color my thoughts based on Paizo's desire to remain backwards compatible with the 3.5 OGL material. Frankly, I could care less if you do. Races
Speed: I suggest giving half-orcs 35 feet base speed and halflings 25 feet base speed. Skills: Circumstantial skill bonuses are always extra work to keep track of. Half the time, players forget them anyway. I'm not sure what design intent is with taste and smell Perception bonuses. I suggest dropping all circumstantial Perception bonuses and giving elves and half-elves a flat +1 to Perception and giving dwarves a +2 when underground. Also, do dwarves need Craft and Profession with stone added to their class skill lists? For which classes are Craft and Profession not class skills? Are there other circumstantial bonuses that can be made flat bonuses? Weapons: Half-orcs get proficiency in some nice martial weapons. Dwarves and elves also get martial weapon proficiencies, but generally not in two-handed melee weapons. Humans should get a weapon proficiency. Languages: I suggest allowing humans to pick a second language; maybe limit choices to racial languages. Why can halflings choose Abyssal as a bonus language? Favored Class: I suggest allowing humans to pick two favored classes, one of which must be their starting class, and gain the benefit when they take a level in either. Half-elves' favored class should be their starting class. (Dwarf) Greed: This could be too powerful (essentially a "free" trained skill). Maybe change to flat bonus. Orc Ferocity: I suggest changing Orc Ferocity to allow an immediate melee attack the first time each day that the half-orc is reduced below 0 hp. This is nearly the same effect, with less to keep track of. Note I have yet to see how dying and death are handled. Classes
Orisons: I am fine with the idea of casting orisons an unlimited number of times. However, most orisons have little impact in a high-level game (resistance might be the exception), so I'm unsure about the practical value of this feature. I think WotC's reserve feats were a better 3e approach to at will powers. Domain Powers: (coming later) Turn/Rebuke Undead: (coming later) Fighter
Armor Training: Selecting a type of armor is not really necessary. How many fighters are switching armor type on a regular basis? Most characters will put all of the bonus into one type of armor. Why not just grant a general defensive bonus and reduce the armor penalty. The total bonus is +4 at 15th level, which outwardly seems reasonable. Weapon Training: Grants +1 to attack and damage with weapons in a given group. There is more likelihood that a character will pick up multiple groups here than with armor - maybe +3 to primary and +1 to secondary. However, granting fighters attack bonuses is not really necessary. They can already hit much more often than other classes. The attack bonus will just be subsumed in Power Attacks, effectively making this a +2 or +3 (with 2-handed weapon) damage bonus at each interval. As monster ACs increase to compensate for deadlier fighters, the other classes will be left further behind the fighter in melee combat. I would rather see the fighter get abilities or maneuvers that are more specialized than just a generic attack/damage increase. Yes, that is somewhat redundant with the role of feats - something more needs to be done to make the fighter's abilities different from fighter-exclusive feats that every fighter ends up getting. There should be more to make them special. Armor Mastery: I have no problem with DR 10/-. Again, drop the armor type requirement, it is unnecessary. I would rather see this build up, though, maybe from DR 2/- at 3rd level to DR 10/- at 19th level. Just suddenly adding this ability doesn't work for me. Weapon Mastery: I don't find this ability compelling enough to wait to 20th level for. There are already spells (bless weapon) and feats (Improved Critical) that accomplish much the same thing. Again, there is the problem of the fighter's abilities seeming very similar to feats. I think more thought is required to differentiate what the fighter can do from what others can do. Rogue
Sneak attack: I like having sneak attack apply to a wider range of creatures. Rogue Talents:
I suggest combining fast stealth and ledge walker; neither is very compelling alone as they only negate a +5 increase in the DC. Just going up a few levels or getting a skill-boosting magic item will also negate that +5, so this is only a good choice at very low levels. (In general, I'm opposed to class features that essentially duplicate a low cost, commonly available item; class features should be reserved for things you can't do any other way.) Alternatives might be something that gives the rogue a climb speed (and corresponding +8 bonus on Climb checks). I don't like minor magic. I can think of few compelling spell choices. Major magic has more possibilities with spells like magic weapon and true strike. This would of course be better if the spell could be cast as a swift action. Other spells that would be worth learning include the swift spells, like swift expeditious retreat and swift fly and some abjurations like mage armor or shield. I suggest creating a list of available spells for this power. Also, let's make it a supernatural ability rather than spell-like so it won't provoke attacks of opportunity. I like bleeding attack and slow reactions. There should be more abilities like this that tweak the opponent in the round after a sneak attack. This keeps the rogue more mobile on the battlefield. Dazing, slowing, and shifting (you or them) are all good options. Ability damage is a pain to track, so let's not go there (I'm looking at you, crippling strike). I don't like resiliency; temporary hit points are a nuisance. Keep defensive roll instead, but make it automatically succeed and allow the rogue to shift while using it. E.g., Defensive Roll (Ex): Once per day as an immediate action the first time an attack would reduce the rogue below 0 hp, the rogue shifts one square and takes no damage from that attack. There is already a feat (I forgot the name) in one of the spatbooks that is better than stand up. It allows the prone character to regain his footing and attack without provoking an AoO. Perhaps stand up can be combined with rogue crawl to enable a prone rogue to shift and stand while prone as a move action (or even as a swift action). I wouldn't be worried about game balance with this one - how often is the average rogue knocked prone, anyways? Likewise, surprise attacks doesn't do much for me. Yes, I see the reasoning - more sneak attack opportunities. However, I'm betting a good rogue goes into most surprise rounds either invisible or with cover (and hence practically invisible). Also, a surprise round implies someone is surprised. But if the enemies are acting in the surprise round, it obviously wasn't them. This ability seems to perversely reward the rogue for having easily surprised companions! Instead, how about once per day the rogue can add half her class level as a bonus to one initiative roll. If that's not good enough, let her decide to do it after initiative has been rolled and revealed - that way the rogue has a good chance of going first in the combat where she uses this ability. This would be a very compelling ability at high levels. Opportunist can be useful, but it could also be better. How about allow the rogue an AoO whenever someone misses her (subject to normal per round limitations). Definitely save up for that cloak of displacement now! There is a splatbook feat that allows a character with evasion to move and hide after evading an area effect. That would be a good one to include as a rogue talent - if only to keep it more rogue only. Rogues also need a better way to get sneak attack off after the first round without a flanking partner (because some players just don't know how to set a flank). Improved Feint is not good enough - it leaves the rogue vulnerable since it eats up his move action. Rogue's need to be able to feint, move, and attack in the same round. This is powerful enough, however, that a speed limitation may be necessary (e.g., once per encounter), or maybe only allow it with a charge action (so the rogue gives up some defense and flexibility to do it). Does the statement that a rogue cannot select a rogue talent more than once prohibit a rogue from gaining multiple combat maneuver feats? Is that the intent? Master Strike: Okay, I'm sorry but I don't like save or die effects. Even worse, I think, are save or die effects that only succeed once in a blue moon. The average DC for this guy will be about 25. Most CR 20 monsters can make that rather easily. I'm not sure you go all the way to 20th level for that. Some better options: auto stun for one round (allows the rogue to land another sneak attack and another and another until someone comes to help the poor monster), creature gives up an AoO to all characters threatening it (rogue opens it up, fighter brings it down - I like teamwork, it makes players pay attention when it isn't their turn). Wizard
Cantrips: I have no problem with using prepared cantrips at will, but see above discussion for cleric orisons. Note: I have not yet had time to look at the cleric domain powers or wizard school powers.
Just finished reading part 3 of the adventure and the author comments that if the PCs take on the 12 skinsaw cultists and Ironbriar together, it is a tough EL 10 encounter. But I'm thinking those cultists have only 12hp each and are in such a small room that a 6d6 fireball wipes them out almost automatically. The author comments that the PCs have a good chance at surprise, so I'm betting they can get that fireball off on the first activation if they want. As for Ironbriar himself, he requires four defensive spells just to get to the published statblock and, outside a decent Ref save, has very little combat capability (offensive or defensive) at all. Yeah, his AC 23 is good, but w/o cat's and shield of faith his AC is 18 or 19 (I don't remember). His attack at +11 for 1d4 won't even scare the party wizard. In fact the suggested combat option for him - cast bestow curse - doesn't even seem like his best bet. Shouldn't he go with spontaneous cause wounds instead. The adventure is well written and enjoyable, don't get me wrong, but after the meatgrinder of Chateau Foxglove, the skin-sawmill is looking like a laugher. Any thoughts on how to spruce it up? I'm thinking for starters the big guy needs the Death domain for the Death Touch and more of a necro feel to his spell list doesn't hurt either. All those defensive spells look nice on paper, but with 40hp, this fool isn't living long enough to cast 'em if the PCs catch him w/ his pants down.
Character Intros Vesh: Spoiler:
"Big festival later today - north end of town", one of the mates - Fenster, you think - says as you help him wrestle a wooden crate unto a handcart, "lots of cargo to unload - you won't even be noticed". Even after spending a week aboard ship on the journey from Riddleport, you still find the gentle sway of the deck beneath your feet unnerving to say the least. You wrap a length of cord around the crate and struggle to tie some semblance of a knot in it. The sailor looks over your work and chuckles, "well, at least we'll be having no trouble untying it." As you heft the cart and slowly make your way towards the gangplank, you get your first good look at Sandpoint. It's a small town to be sure. Half a dozen wooden buildings line a narrow, crooked street facing the docks at the southern end of town. To the north, the land rises gradually and you can see a mixture of slate tile and wood shingled rooftops beyond. The sun is just now pushing above a thick wood to the east of town and you can see light glinting off a high roof well to the north. There is a bustle of activity below you on the docks as dockhands and sailors alike unload supplies by the wagon and cart load. Canvas for tents, kegs of ale, bales of hay, crates of fine wine and colorful linen. All for today's festival. Despite the early hour, a growing crowd on the street above is turning out to watch the activity. You suddenly feel uncomfortable as you realize more than a few of them are staring at you. Have you been betrayed? "Pay 'em no mind," says the sailor, again at your side pushing a cart of his own, "not often a Varisian arrives here by ship, I reckon. Follow me down the plank ... easy now ... easy does it ... when we're at the bottom, I'll go left and you'll follow till you're behind that pile of crates there. Leave your cart, and take your gear. Sandpoint's good people - mostly - not like Riddleport. Take Salmon Street to Market and head to the Rusty Dragon. Ameiko'll know what to do with you. Reckon she's helped more'n her share."
Ehlissa: Spoiler:
Today's the day of the Swallowtail Festival - the excitement has been building in town for the last week and now you can practically feel it washing over you as you step into the Rusty Dragon's common room. Always a bustling place, this morning it is a madhouse of noise and chaos. Half of the town seems to be here eating breakfast and gossiping. The remaining residents are apparently clamoring at the door waiting to get in. Ameiko, the innkeeper, and Bethana, her assistant, are in fine form, deftly gliding about the crowded room wielding huge trays piled high with pastries, breads, and Ameiko's famous curried salmon omelets. Your customary seat by the window is taken, so you settle for a narrow corner of the bar sandwiched between Gaven, the brewer, and a Chelish farmer - an out of towner probably here for the festival. You've been in town for five days now, staying at the Rusty Dragon and enjoying every minute of it. The bustle and energy of the town is amazing compared to the sedate tranquility you had grown accustomed to at the family estate. You have especially enjoyed the evenings when Ameiko and others have taken the stage at the Dragon to share tales of wild and dangerous adventures. Though Ameiko's stories have been the best, you have also enjoyed listening to a brash young sailor also recently arrived in Sandpoint. After breakfast, you plan to go about your daily routine: retrieving your horse from the Goblin Squash Stables and riding the many trails around Sandpoint, becoming familiar with the town and surrounding lands. If you are lucky, Daviren Hosk - the stable owner - will be busy with the festival and you will be able to get on the road quickly. When you first arrived he was great, telling you all about his adventures killing goblins and other evil creatures. But yesterday when he showed you his collection of goblin ears and the dead goblin he keeps in a jar of brine as a trophy, it was a little more than you had bargained for and you found yourself regretting the second helping of cured venison you had for lunch. Malcolm: Spoiler:
It's been three days since you made landfall in Sandpoint and, to your dismay, you are no closer to getting back to Riddleport than you were the day you arrived. That's not to say your time here has been a complete waste. You've been staying free of charge at the Rusty Dragon Inn, where a good story buys a night's room and board. You figure you have a year's worth of stories left and things are starting to look better. Turns out there is a festival in town today for the opening of the new temple. More than a few ships have arrived in the harbor in the last few days and you hear tell that the Song of Celios out of Riddleport is expected at dawn today. If you aren't mistaken - and you rarely are - that's Fenster's boat. You eat an early breakfast and beat the crowd down to the docks in time to see the Song tie off. Sure enough, your old mate Fenster is there. Though after that last game of single-deck Deadeye where you both turned over the deuce of Pride on the third trick, you think discretion the better part of valor and settle into the morning shadows to observe quietly. After a few minutes, securing the rigging, the sailors and dockhands swarm over the ship's deck wheeling carts and crates about in a maddening dance. It looks like more supplies for the festival, but knowing Fenster there is likely more to this cargo than meets the eye. As you settle in to watch, your view is blocked by a tall man with long dark hair dressed in Chelish military fashion: mail armor under a blue-grey tunic. He watches the scene below for a minute, then turns toward you revealing a droopy brown mustache. Nodding slightly in your direction he ambles on to the south. Fenster is now walking towards the gangplank with a loaded handcart. Following him closely is a young Varisian garbed in dark robes, who staggers slightly as the ship gently rolls in place. This is no sailor - of that much you are certain. The Varisian follows Fenster down the plank taking timid steps and focusing all his energy on keeping his cart upright. At the dock, he continues with Fenster for awhile. They seem to be talking. Finally, at the far end of the dock, the Varisian ducks behind a growing collection of crates and out of sight. Fenster nonchalantly dumps his cartload and returns to the ship. You think you catch a glimpse of the Varisian headed northeast on Salmon Street. Corran: Spoiler:
Though you have been to Sandpoint many times in the past to attend market days and festivals, this is your first time here alone. Your father is ailing and your youngest sister was finally married off over the summer, leaving you to represent your family at this year's festival. You arrived in Sandpoint late last night and took the last room at the Rusty Dragon Inn with a sigh of relief and road-weariness. It was good to have a familiar meal and see a few friendly faces after a day and a half on the road. You also suppressed a slight chuckle when Ameiko, the innkeeper and herself a famous adventurer, seemed not to recognize you when you drifted in late at night, alone and armed. Adulthood, you learned, has its privileges. No longer relegated to the room to keeping an eye on your sisters, you enjoyed a front row seat as Ameiko and others, including a somewhat bawdy young sailor not much older than yourself, entertained the crowd with stories of heroic adventure and courtly intrigue. While listening you briefly caught the eye of a pretty Chelish woman of about your age listening enraptured to every word of the fantastic tales. Now it is early the next morning and you are seated at the bar enjoying a large breakfast of ham, eggs, and thickly sliced warm pumpernickel bread from Sandpoint Savories. It is crowded at the Rusty Dragon today. Many of the townsfolk are up and about early to get a start on the festivities. Your father would have loved to be here. He was close to Father Tobyn who - along with his daughter Nualia - perished in the chapel fire five years ago. This would have brought the old man some closure, you think staring into your warm cider, your mind wandering. Nualia was a strange girl. She was about the same age as Alise, your older sister. You met her once, in fact, when she fished your sister Brea out of the town fountain. Beautiful with white hair and wide, purple eyes; but distant. Something about her just wasn't quite right... Your thoughts break off suddenly the chair next to you grates on the wood floor. The Chelish woman you saw last night sits next to you, smiling briefly. A pendant around her neck catches your eye - it is the coat-of-arms of the Briez family, minor nobles of Magnimar. The old man was right, you think as you suppress a wry grin: the heraldry he drilled into you from your youth has paid off. Slidell: Spoiler:
Thus far you have been enjoying your stay in Sandpoint tremendously - and the room and board at the White Deer are wonderful. Why didn't you think to take a sabbatical earlier? Ok, you have gotten a few strange looks - after all, it is not often a Chelaxian has a Varisian tatoo, but overall the people here are very nice and more than eager to talk about the upcoming festival. Except for Das Korvut, the smith; the children singing about "crazy man Das Korvut ... how many men has he trounced? 1, 2, 3, 4..." are spot on. It's best to just leave him alone! Besides, given a minor creation spell and a homunculus helper you could practically do his job yourself. Oh, and you've found that no one really wants to talk about the Chopper. Strange, that: you'd think after all these years someone would have looked into the case more thoroughly. After all, there is no telling what could push an innocuous eccentric over the edge like that. And for all you know, the way in which he mutilated the bodies or his strange obsession with carving birds in the lintels and mullions of local buildings could be extremely significant. You have found a kindred soul in Brodert Quink, the sage of Sandpoint (map location 8). Apparently most everyone in town thinks cantankerous old Brodert is off his rocker, but you know when someone has hit on something and you think Brodert has. He has asked you to stop by his home later tonight after the festival to discuss his recent work. A student of ancient architecture and Thassilonian history, he is sure he has made an important discovery concerning the ancient structure outside town known as the Old Light. The festival - that reminds you - you were planning to stop by the Curious Goblin (bookstore, location 22) and ask after a Varisian prayerbook. After all, no point in attending the Swallowtail Festival if you don't know the whole story behind it. But first things first, you remind yourself. And breakfast in the White Deer's common room is not to be missed. You survey the crowd - a mixture of Varisians and local farmers. And there smack in the middle of the room, looking as out of place as a dove in a murder of crows, a young Shoanti woman is picking delicately at a loaf of warm bread while a wolf sits patiently at her side. Naelah: Spoiler:
As is the custom with your people, you have come of age and now go to make your mark in the world. Unlike the blood rites of the Skoan-Quah or the ritual potions of the Shadde-Quah, you of the Tamiir-Quah wander the land, sometimes for years, seeking that which is your true nature. You have travelled now for three bright moons and three dark moons, according to the reckoning of your people, and in this time have seen many strange and wondrous sights: stairs carved by the ancient gods, twisted nightmare forests, great rents in the earth disgorging foul acid. Yet you despair not, for it is said by the wise and aged of your clan that the wind must blow forever, and so it is with the Tamiir-Quah. The axe may break, the spire may fall, the moon waxes and wanes, but the wind blows forever. It is the turning of the seasons and soon your tribe will abandon the summer hunting grounds, moving east to escape the ravishes of the Linnorm and in turn bring war to the hated orcs of Belkzen - driving them east to their winter retreat. At this time also, the Varisians celebrate the rebirth of their goddess, Desna with the release of hundreds of Swallowtail butterflies. Though your tribe does not share their beliefs, this has always been a time of shared festivities and rituals. Perhaps if there are Varisians and Shoanti in this wilderness, you can share again in the rites of your ancestors. Following the sun, you came at dusk upon a Varisian tribe encamped upon the grasslands within scent of the sea. Among them, you saw a strange sight: a pale man who danced as the Varisians and clothed his skin in their mystic symbols. It is whispered among your people that the pale men entreat with the ancient demons for great glory and riches. When the rising sun withdrew the shadow and the Varisians broke camp, you followed. For two more days you pursued the Varisians and for two nights, you watched the pale man among them. On the evening of the third day, they arrived at a stone wall where many of the pale men and Varisians and - you were shocked to see - some Shoanti make a peaceful gathering by the sea in a place they call Sandpoint. Within the encampment - if it can be called that - you soon meet a brother Shoanti, called by his people Garridan, who offers you the hospitality of his grand stone hut (actually the White Deer Inn, of which he is the owner). After a night of deep sleep, your host invites you to break bread. You settle in at a long table. The Varisians and pale men move to make room for you and Veren. "Have they never seen a wolf before?", you wonder, noting their curious glances. Garridan, like a chief making a peace-meal in his tent, sets a loaf of sliced bread before you and bows deeply, his hands clasped at his waist. You bow in response and as you look up, to your great surprise the pale man with the Varisian tattoo is coming down the stairs and into the common room. A raven is perched on his shoulder. It is early morning. The festival doesn't start until noon and it will run into the night. Some more Sandpoint info will be forthcoming shortly.
Intros for Varisians and Chelaxians For Vesh only:
Spoiler:
While aboard the Song of Celios, you have learned that her destination is Sandpoint, a small town on the Lost Coast some 200 miles south of Riddleport. You note that the ship is due to arrive on Desna-tvansti, more commonly celebrated as the Swallowtail Festival. Apparently this year the festival holds even more significance in Sandpoint as it will mark the dedication of their new cathedral, the old town church having burned in a fire a few years back. Most of the Song's cargo is intended for the festival.
For all except Naelah and Vesh:
Spoiler:
As you have been about your business in Sandpoint, you can't help but be swept up in the excitement of this year's Swallowtail Festival, which will also marks the dedication of Sandpoint's new cathedral. The old town church was destroyed in a fire a few years ago during a tense and tragic time the townsfolk refer to as the Late Unpleasantness. Apparently it was about this same time that an eccentric woodcarver living to the northwest of town on a small island turned out to be the Chopper, a psychopathic mass murderer who terrorized the town for nearly a month and claimed 25 victims, most horribly mutilated.
You are familiar with the following prominent locations on the Sandpoint map in the Player's Guide: 1. The new cathedral
I'll have the individual characater intros up in a couple of minutes
As promised here is our discussion thread. I'll post some general reference stuff here as I have the opportunity today. Characters
C - Chelaxian
House Rules
Cure spells: if cast outside of combat and casting time is increased to one minute, the spell is automatically maximized. Item creation: considering substitute for XP cost Goblins: they are small fey and their abilities differ a little from what is in the SRD. Once we get started, I'll post a "knowledge tree" and you can see how much your characters know. I've completed the intro for all except Naelah and I think Rags is about 90-95% done w/ Slidell. Everything else looks good so far, but I'll give it one more look today at lunch time.
I'm in the process of creating rogueish badguys and it occurs to me that the averge villain does not live long enough to get good use out of searching for traps - at least not in my games. So, I was trying to brainstorm some alternatives. Here are my ideas. Feedback appreciated. 1. Disruptive attack (from PHBII): allows you to not do sneak attack damage, but reduce target's AC for one round. This is given in PHBII as an alternative at 4th level, but I could see making it a first level alternate for a combat-oriented rogue. For each d6 of sneak attack damage not done, the target's AC is reduced by 1 until the rogue's next action. 2. Lucky (version 1): Going with the 4E hint here. What if the rogue can reroll one d20 per encounter per X levels - maybe up to 4/encounter at high levels? 3. Lucky (version 2): Flat bonus on a number of rolls per encounter. The bonus and times used both increase with level. 4. Quick: initiative bonus progressing to extra actions per round perhaps double activation at highest levels. Admittedly, I am trying to anticipate some 4E flavor by going for abilities that increase combat/movement options over static "stand still and beat 'em" options. Also, I realize that I'm replacing basically a non-combat/RP/puzzle solving skill with combat abilities and that is a bit shallow from an RP standpoint. But I think it is justified by the nature of this as an NPC "fighting-rogue" vs. a PC "sneaking-rogue". |
