The Shifty Mongoose |
I've been thinking about house rules to model a PF adventure on the Tales Series video games (Tales of Phantasia, Symphonia, the Abyss, Vesperia, etc), but I don't want to upset any balance issues.
Most issues can just be fluff-related (Hand of the Apprentice launching a shockwave instead of throwing your weapon, beginning with an Implanted Ioun Stone-style necklace or bracelet that does nothing at first until you spend the necessary money), but how would one go about emulating the big, flashy, once-per-fight-under-specific-conditions attacks they call Mystic Artes?
I figure I can use Hero Points, and the players can use one (1/day in this case) to get an immediate-action full attack, charge or pre-specified damaging spell upon an opponent that does something they specify beforehand; sort of like an extra readied action. Each player has to choose a different triggering condition (the first opponent to provoke an AoO, the first to damage a team-mate with a spell, the first to use an item), decide what immediate action they'll do, and what grandstanding thing they'll call out ahead of time. If that turns out to be too much, I could just add that they can only use Hero Points for the purpose of Mystic Artes and wouldn't make sure to avoid anyone doing the things that would set them off.
Besides, what soundtrack would be better for a fight with crazed, totalitarian celestials than "Beat the Angel"?