Creating Spider Man, Part II: Class Features
As far as combat-role goes, it's clear that spider-man is a Striker: He tends to work alone, so Leader's a poor fit, and he avoids being close to the enemy, so Defender's right out.
A case could be made for Controller, given his tendency to hit multiple mooks with his web, but he tends to deal with stronger enemies one-at-a-time, moves around quite a bit, and is willing to go into melee when necessary. So a Striker seems the best match, perhaps with a secondary emphasis on control powers.
So, now that we've established his role, we've also established his class--Because in Great Responsibility, each of the four roles is a single (broad) class. So let's see what the Striker class entails:
Most classes get armor bonus to AC, that won't stack with the armor they wear. This means that spider-man has the AC he needs to be effective while wearing nothing but spandex.
No huge surprises here--it means that spidey can pick up a dagger and use it if he wanted to, but as we'll see later, he's got better options.
This matches what the ranger, rogue, and warlock get in the PHB.
This entry is the same for every Great Responsibility class. Because there aren't specific "skill monkey" classes, skills are now determined by a character's intelligence. Peter Parker's a pretty bright kid (Int 16), so he'll have five skills (six, counting the bonus skill from his origin).
Each of these class features is actually a menu of different choices. As discussed in my previous post, there's a lot more flexibility within each class and origin than there is in core D&D.
Attack Mode: This one boils down to "how does this character attack things?". It provides additional weapon proficiencies, basic-attack energy blast powers along the lines of eldritch blast, and more. Spider-man's generic mode of attack is pretty simple, actually--He hits stuff with his fists. So his attack mode (shamelessly stolen from the D&D website monk conversion) goes like this:
Attack Specialization: This is a relatively minor perk that better defines exactly how a hero fights. Prime Shot is among the options, as is the ranger's Two Bladed Weapon style. Spider-man's specialization defines him as a finesse unarmed combatant:
Damage Bonus: This is the big, Striker-defining power. Sneak Attack and Hunter's Quarry both fit here, as does a rage-like power. Spider-man's sticking with the classics, though. He takes Sneak Attack.
Defensive Perk: And finally, something to make strikers a bit harder to hit. Shield Proficiency, Better armor proficiencies/class armor bonuses, Extra HP, and more. In Spidey's case, it's about being able to move without getting hit:
Well, that's it for class features. Stay tuned for Powers, the most important (and most innovative) part of the game.
A case could be made for Controller, given his tendency to hit multiple mooks with his web, but he tends to deal with stronger enemies one-at-a-time, moves around quite a bit, and is willing to go into melee when necessary. So a Striker seems the best match, perhaps with a secondary emphasis on control powers.
So, now that we've established his role, we've also established his class--Because in Great Responsibility, each of the four roles is a single (broad) class. So let's see what the Striker class entails:
Quote:
Armor Proficiency: Cloth, Leather
Armor bonus: +2 AC
Armor bonus: +2 AC
Quote:
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee
Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex
Bonus to Defense: +2 Reflex
Quote:
Hit Points at 1st Level: 12 + Constitution score
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution modifier
Hit Points per Level Gained: 5
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution modifier
Quote:
Trained Skills: Intelligence Score / 3 skills.
Quote:
Class Features: Attack Mode, Attack Specialization, Damage Bonus, Defensive Perk
Attack Mode: This one boils down to "how does this character attack things?". It provides additional weapon proficiencies, basic-attack energy blast powers along the lines of eldritch blast, and more. Spider-man's generic mode of attack is pretty simple, actually--He hits stuff with his fists. So his attack mode (shamelessly stolen from the D&D website monk conversion) goes like this:
Quote:
Unarmed Adept: Increase unarmed damage to 1d8, and gain a +3 proficiency bonus to unarmed attacks.
Quote:
Dexterous Blow: Use Dexterity instead of strength when determining attack bonus and damage with an unarmed basic attack.
Defensive Perk: And finally, something to make strikers a bit harder to hit. Shield Proficiency, Better armor proficiencies/class armor bonuses, Extra HP, and more. In Spidey's case, it's about being able to move without getting hit:
Quote:
Careful Dodge: +3 AC vs. attacks of opportunity.
Total Comments 12
Comments
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Very interesting so far. I am eager to see the next installment!Posted 25th July 2008 at 10:20 AM by Mustrum_Ridcully
- Hey, I am still waiting!
Posted 2nd September 2008 at 02:13 PM by Mustrum_Ridcully -
Sorry. It's been a busy month.
I'll try to have the next installment up by thursdayPosted 2nd September 2008 at 09:20 PM by arscott - Don't stress yourself - I just wondered if you had given up because you felt a lack of interest or anything, and wanted to remind you that at least one person likes to see more. (I suppose there's more, but the activities on the EN World blog isn't all too intensive so far...Posted 3rd September 2008 at 11:36 AM by Mustrum_Ridcully
- Okay, the next part's upPosted 5th September 2008 at 03:27 PM by arscott
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Keep in mind you've said "Intelligence score" when you mean "Intelligence modifier". I did a double-take when I read that, because that would give Peter 19 skills!Posted 6th September 2008 at 02:18 PM by Khuxan - Actually it is score. But that thing that looks very much like a plus sign is actually a division sign. I'm replacing it with a slash now to make things clearer.Posted 6th September 2008 at 04:16 PM by arscott
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I don't know I would have stuck with 3 + Int modifier just to standardize things.Posted 9th September 2008 at 04:10 PM by Achan hiArusa - Score/3 is a bit less harsh on the folks with int 6, and it means that very-high-int characters don't get 8+ skills. Plus, it rewards certain odd-numbered scores.Posted 9th September 2008 at 08:22 PM by arscott
- I'm reading through the backlog of this project - very interesting! How will you distribute your results? PDFs for buy or free download?
Also, how will Sneak Attack be defined? Light blade, etc. only? Or is that part of dexterous blow?Posted 9th September 2008 at 10:30 PM by That One Guy -
I'm with ^ That One Guy ^--I'd really like to have a copy of these rules ASAP.
I have a PayPal account that's seriously itchin' to slide you some cash in exchange for a PDF.Posted 6th November 2008 at 07:14 AM by Wraith Form - Unfortunately, It's not nearly at that stage yet. I haven't really got much more that what I've been putting up on the blog--Been focusing more on politics and other real-life concerns. Still, thanks for the encouragement--I'll keep working on it and keep people informed.Posted 6th November 2008 at 07:55 AM by arscott
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