CapnZapp
Legend
Somewhat a follow-up to the existing threads* on this Adventurer's Vault 2 playtest, but I started a new thread because
1) this involves house rules
2) I didn't want to involve thread necromancy
*) Links:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/246621-playtest-adventurers-vault-2-a.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-rules/246630-adventurers-vault-2-playtest.html
The balancedness of these tattoos vary a lot.
Ironheart Tattoo gives you resist H against the very next attack that hits you, while Strongheart gives you +H hp each time you spend a healing surge. Hmmm... (Strongheart effectively gives 1+2+3+4+5+6+... hit points, which is a lot, and works not only for surges spent to regain damage, but any kind of surge expenditure)
Long Battle and Tattoo of the Unlucky are also similar, but where the first gives H extra damage on Dailies, the other gives H extra damage on misses with powers with a "Miss:" entry. It seems the latter one can come into use much more often - the Fighter even has an at-will that applies!
'H' in all these examples is the number of healing surges expended so far during the day.
As someone else said, Fleet Hero Tattoo seems woefully weak. It's about the same level as any other tattoo and it gives a +1 Speed bonus until the end of your next round only, and only when you spend an action point, and only when you spend the action point to take an actual extra action!
As a response to these criticisms (and others) I have devised six variant Tattoos. Feel free to hack them to pieces as I have done to the playtest ones above!
(All of these are intended to be of a similar level, say level 7, and thus of equal worth - I'm handing them out at semi-random IMC. As you will see quickly, I have shamelessly stolen or rehashed the playtest's tattoo names and effects without mercy). After all, they're a "response" to the playtest article.
Eyebite Hero Tattoo
Property: When you spend an action point to take an extra action, one creature you can see within 10 squares takes a -2 penalty to saving throws (save ends).
Fleet Hero Tattoo
Property: When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you gain a +2 bonus to your speed and your Slowed speed until the end of your next turn.
Heart Tattoo of the Persistent
Property: You gain a bonus to damage rolls on daily powers equal to the number of healing surges you have expended since your last extended rest.
Heart Tattoo of the Unyielding
Property: When you spend a healing surge, you gain temporary hit points equal to the number of healing surges you have expended since your last extended rest.
Savage Backlash Tattoo
Property: The first time you are bloodied in an encounter, you gain a +2 bonus to your very next attack roll.
Wounded Frenzy Tattoo
Property: The first time you are bloodied in an encounter, you gain a +4 bonus to damage rolls against the enemy that bloodied you until the end of the encounter.
---
Concerning the Orbs (Orbs of Sequestered Conflict), I am afraid I find them horribly broken in several aspects.
First, why are they orbs? Yes, I understand the designer got this idea of entering a snow orb in his mind (despite how you aren't entering the orb, instead plane-shifting to a different place altogether, bringing the orb with you).
But it should be a wondrous item, and not an orb implement: there is no reason to ever use anything but the weakest version (and use a different orb for your general combat) - they all give the same main benefit (that of the plane-shift).
Then, how you stay in the new place as long as the wizard sustains the power. Isn't this broken - they can stay there for as many rounds as they like, healing up or generally preparing the offense.
And that's just if the party shifts away alone.
The immense power to spirit away half the enemy force (or the BBEG without his support) has already been mentioned.
Is this a terrain negating item? Then all combatants of the encounter should be whisked along, not only those within some specified area.
Or is it about divide-and conquer? Then there must be ways for enemies to follow the action; or at least ways for the enemy to escape the orb (other than having to kill off the wizard - in 4E this can be extremely difficult given how the wizard's allies could be all leaders, for example). Perhaps using them should be a ritual (allowing enemies time to regroup or to interrupt the ritual)?
I would be very surprised if these survive play-testing to actually appear in AV2.
1) this involves house rules
2) I didn't want to involve thread necromancy
*) Links:
http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/246621-playtest-adventurers-vault-2-a.html
http://www.enworld.org/forum/d-d-4th-edition-rules/246630-adventurers-vault-2-playtest.html
The balancedness of these tattoos vary a lot.
Ironheart Tattoo gives you resist H against the very next attack that hits you, while Strongheart gives you +H hp each time you spend a healing surge. Hmmm... (Strongheart effectively gives 1+2+3+4+5+6+... hit points, which is a lot, and works not only for surges spent to regain damage, but any kind of surge expenditure)
Long Battle and Tattoo of the Unlucky are also similar, but where the first gives H extra damage on Dailies, the other gives H extra damage on misses with powers with a "Miss:" entry. It seems the latter one can come into use much more often - the Fighter even has an at-will that applies!
'H' in all these examples is the number of healing surges expended so far during the day.
As someone else said, Fleet Hero Tattoo seems woefully weak. It's about the same level as any other tattoo and it gives a +1 Speed bonus until the end of your next round only, and only when you spend an action point, and only when you spend the action point to take an actual extra action!
As a response to these criticisms (and others) I have devised six variant Tattoos. Feel free to hack them to pieces as I have done to the playtest ones above!
(All of these are intended to be of a similar level, say level 7, and thus of equal worth - I'm handing them out at semi-random IMC. As you will see quickly, I have shamelessly stolen or rehashed the playtest's tattoo names and effects without mercy). After all, they're a "response" to the playtest article.
Eyebite Hero Tattoo
Property: When you spend an action point to take an extra action, one creature you can see within 10 squares takes a -2 penalty to saving throws (save ends).
Fleet Hero Tattoo
Property: When you spend an action point to take an extra action, you gain a +2 bonus to your speed and your Slowed speed until the end of your next turn.
Heart Tattoo of the Persistent
Property: You gain a bonus to damage rolls on daily powers equal to the number of healing surges you have expended since your last extended rest.
Heart Tattoo of the Unyielding
Property: When you spend a healing surge, you gain temporary hit points equal to the number of healing surges you have expended since your last extended rest.
Savage Backlash Tattoo
Property: The first time you are bloodied in an encounter, you gain a +2 bonus to your very next attack roll.
Wounded Frenzy Tattoo
Property: The first time you are bloodied in an encounter, you gain a +4 bonus to damage rolls against the enemy that bloodied you until the end of the encounter.
---
Concerning the Orbs (Orbs of Sequestered Conflict), I am afraid I find them horribly broken in several aspects.
First, why are they orbs? Yes, I understand the designer got this idea of entering a snow orb in his mind (despite how you aren't entering the orb, instead plane-shifting to a different place altogether, bringing the orb with you).
But it should be a wondrous item, and not an orb implement: there is no reason to ever use anything but the weakest version (and use a different orb for your general combat) - they all give the same main benefit (that of the plane-shift).
Then, how you stay in the new place as long as the wizard sustains the power. Isn't this broken - they can stay there for as many rounds as they like, healing up or generally preparing the offense.
And that's just if the party shifts away alone.
The immense power to spirit away half the enemy force (or the BBEG without his support) has already been mentioned.
Is this a terrain negating item? Then all combatants of the encounter should be whisked along, not only those within some specified area.
Or is it about divide-and conquer? Then there must be ways for enemies to follow the action; or at least ways for the enemy to escape the orb (other than having to kill off the wizard - in 4E this can be extremely difficult given how the wizard's allies could be all leaders, for example). Perhaps using them should be a ritual (allowing enemies time to regroup or to interrupt the ritual)?
I would be very surprised if these survive play-testing to actually appear in AV2.
