Leif's All-Eladrin DweomerFall Saga, [4E] [OOC 01] [full]
- Thread starter Leif
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Leif
Adventurer
The "al' " prefix to Harnithael's surname is an indicator of his status as the eldest child. The fact that he intends to abdicate his birthright due to the loss of his arcane ability is a separate matter altogether.
[And, yes, Sparky, I'm afraid it would be an abdication rather than an absolute disqualifcation. Hope that's ok with you?]
[And, yes, Sparky, I'm afraid it would be an abdication rather than an absolute disqualifcation. Hope that's ok with you?]
Leif
Adventurer
Excellent, mwahaha, my cunning little plan is all falling into place!
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Leif
Adventurer
Dweomerfall
I'm still in the process of working out the game mechanics details of the Dweomerfall, but it's going to be something along these lines:
Whenever a character uses a power that has the Arcane keyword, there will be a chance that the power fails somehow or does something unexpected. The save to avoid this will be a Will save, except in those cases where you can make a good case for a Fort save instead. The DC will start out about 8, but it will almost surely dramatically increase as the story progresses.
What I was thinking about for the effects on powers was that, if the power is an arcane melee attack, the power does not work as intended but the character can make a melee basic attack instead. The same with an arcane missile attack. So, by extension then, I guess any other arcane attack power where the save is failed would become an at-will arcane attack. That would make at-will arcane attacks immune to the effects of the Dweomerfall, though, and I'm not sure that I like that.
It's not a total inability to manipulate arcane energies, but it's enough of an impediment that characters can't always utilize an arcane power in the specific way that they desire at a given moment.
Of course, I reserve the right to eleborate upon this more later. Perhaps you should expect the phenomenon to become more "Wand-of-Wonder-like" as the Dweomerfall progresses?
Anyway, I'm still spitballing at this point.
I'm still in the process of working out the game mechanics details of the Dweomerfall, but it's going to be something along these lines:
Whenever a character uses a power that has the Arcane keyword, there will be a chance that the power fails somehow or does something unexpected. The save to avoid this will be a Will save, except in those cases where you can make a good case for a Fort save instead. The DC will start out about 8, but it will almost surely dramatically increase as the story progresses.
What I was thinking about for the effects on powers was that, if the power is an arcane melee attack, the power does not work as intended but the character can make a melee basic attack instead. The same with an arcane missile attack. So, by extension then, I guess any other arcane attack power where the save is failed would become an at-will arcane attack. That would make at-will arcane attacks immune to the effects of the Dweomerfall, though, and I'm not sure that I like that.
It's not a total inability to manipulate arcane energies, but it's enough of an impediment that characters can't always utilize an arcane power in the specific way that they desire at a given moment.
Of course, I reserve the right to eleborate upon this more later. Perhaps you should expect the phenomenon to become more "Wand-of-Wonder-like" as the Dweomerfall progresses?
Anyway, I'm still spitballing at this point.
Walking Dad
First Post
So it is a failure chance for 'all' combat actions of the swordmage and the bladesinger, some of the skald's and none of the ranger and the assassin. Seems the later encounters will be much more favorable for the less arcane characters without compensation...
At least At-Will spells and class features with the 'arcane' keyword should remain reliable IMHO.
Also some notes:
1) There are no Will saves in 4e.
2) Bladesinger At-Wills are riders for MBAs.
IMHO, failing abilities are only fun if they affect all or no one. Even the spellplague novels have either all main characters suffer or no one. The cleric in 'Ghost King' is the special 'snow-flake' who can use the new magic.
Sorry if I sound defensive, but I like to play competent characters and I fear Galin will be more a liability later on.
Other ideas:
- The failing magic is a background think and affects more semi-permanent rituals and NPCs but the game rules for the arcane PCs are not affected.
- Eladrin can use their inner magic, spending a HS to ignore the failure chance to power the magic from within.
- Spells that fail because of the weakened dweomerfell are not considered spend. The spell is still in the character, he/she just failed to bring it into the world.
At least At-Will spells and class features with the 'arcane' keyword should remain reliable IMHO.
Also some notes:
1) There are no Will saves in 4e.
2) Bladesinger At-Wills are riders for MBAs.
IMHO, failing abilities are only fun if they affect all or no one. Even the spellplague novels have either all main characters suffer or no one. The cleric in 'Ghost King' is the special 'snow-flake' who can use the new magic.
Sorry if I sound defensive, but I like to play competent characters and I fear Galin will be more a liability later on.
Other ideas:
- The failing magic is a background think and affects more semi-permanent rituals and NPCs but the game rules for the arcane PCs are not affected.
- Eladrin can use their inner magic, spending a HS to ignore the failure chance to power the magic from within.
- Spells that fail because of the weakened dweomerfell are not considered spend. The spell is still in the character, he/she just failed to bring it into the world.
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Sparky
Registered User
DweomerFall could be the result of a breakdown of the laws of magic. Like, say, with thermodynamics. Energy can neither be created or destroyed. Say the same is true of magical energy. The DweomerFall is a breakdown of that fundamental law on the 'or destroyed' side. Using magic (Arcane keyword powers, magic item properties, new rituals, magic item powers, etc), destroys magic instead of temporarily transforming it.
If you want to give us interesting decisions (an important part of any good game, IMO) relating to how we manage the DweomerFall, let us choose if we can accept instability in our powers or items. If we choose stability, we hasten the overall effects of the DweomerFall (sensitive arcane creatures or sites suffer). If we choose instability (we accept some unpredictable or lesser effects for our powers or items), we can slow the effects of the DweomerFall.
----
I totally agree with Walking Dad that making arcane based PCs less and less effective out of balance with other PCs is unfun on it's face. Could it be made fun? Possibly. But I agree that it should affect all PCs similarly. I mean, I like the idea that magically-barren Harnithael's 'condition' could end up saving everyone, but I'm not sure something like that needs to be woven into the largely well-balanced core combat mechanics.
----
Our PCs could have developed a way to - through implements/items/rituals, stave off the effects of the DweomerFall (or if they themselves did not develop these methods, they are road-testing them for the House Mages).
Just some thoughts.
If you want to give us interesting decisions (an important part of any good game, IMO) relating to how we manage the DweomerFall, let us choose if we can accept instability in our powers or items. If we choose stability, we hasten the overall effects of the DweomerFall (sensitive arcane creatures or sites suffer). If we choose instability (we accept some unpredictable or lesser effects for our powers or items), we can slow the effects of the DweomerFall.
----
I totally agree with Walking Dad that making arcane based PCs less and less effective out of balance with other PCs is unfun on it's face. Could it be made fun? Possibly. But I agree that it should affect all PCs similarly. I mean, I like the idea that magically-barren Harnithael's 'condition' could end up saving everyone, but I'm not sure something like that needs to be woven into the largely well-balanced core combat mechanics.
----
Our PCs could have developed a way to - through implements/items/rituals, stave off the effects of the DweomerFall (or if they themselves did not develop these methods, they are road-testing them for the House Mages).
Just some thoughts.
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