Ciaran
First Post
Here’s an alternative initiative system for the next iteration of YBA. I think it will solve a lot of problems, along with establishing a new sort of development path.
Each character has an Initiative rating. This equals their CR/Natural Hits + their Agility. Agility may be purchased for 1 XP per point. Thus, a character with 3 natural hits and 2 purchased Agility points has an Initiative of 5.
Initiative proceeds from lowest to highest in each round. Existing powers that affect initiative will no longer affect the initiative order.
Dirty Trick will now read as follows: “Once per fight per Dirty Trick known, the fighter may, after generating an attack, play a Dirty Trick. Unless someone cancels the Dirty Trick by the end of the round, the round must be redone. Dirty Trick may be purchased more than once.”
Chi Strike will now read as follows: “Once per fight per Chi Strike known, the fighter may declare a Chi Strike against a specific opponent for the following round. During the next round, if both the fighter and the chosen opponent are still in combat, neither can use any powers other than Epic Powers during that round. Chi Strike may be purchased more than once.”
This should have the following effects:
1) Dirty Trick becomes less unbalanced, since it no longer grants the ability to act last, but it remains useful even if the fighter with it goes first, since it can be used to erase a bad move of one’s own. (And this new use of Dirty Trick actually makes Purity of Focus more useful, since you will now know what move the Dirty Trick-using fighter will have if their Dirty Trick is cancelled.)
2) Chi Strike becomes slightly more useful, since you don’t have to go first to use it, though you do have to survive until the second round.
3) Agility becomes a new character development path. High Agility grants no direct combat benefits, but dumping points into it will generally allow one to go last, with all of the benefits that accrues. And unlike Dirty Trick, just purchasing it once isn’t enough, so you can always use more.
Please let me know what you think!
- Eric
Each character has an Initiative rating. This equals their CR/Natural Hits + their Agility. Agility may be purchased for 1 XP per point. Thus, a character with 3 natural hits and 2 purchased Agility points has an Initiative of 5.
Initiative proceeds from lowest to highest in each round. Existing powers that affect initiative will no longer affect the initiative order.
Dirty Trick will now read as follows: “Once per fight per Dirty Trick known, the fighter may, after generating an attack, play a Dirty Trick. Unless someone cancels the Dirty Trick by the end of the round, the round must be redone. Dirty Trick may be purchased more than once.”
Chi Strike will now read as follows: “Once per fight per Chi Strike known, the fighter may declare a Chi Strike against a specific opponent for the following round. During the next round, if both the fighter and the chosen opponent are still in combat, neither can use any powers other than Epic Powers during that round. Chi Strike may be purchased more than once.”
This should have the following effects:
1) Dirty Trick becomes less unbalanced, since it no longer grants the ability to act last, but it remains useful even if the fighter with it goes first, since it can be used to erase a bad move of one’s own. (And this new use of Dirty Trick actually makes Purity of Focus more useful, since you will now know what move the Dirty Trick-using fighter will have if their Dirty Trick is cancelled.)
2) Chi Strike becomes slightly more useful, since you don’t have to go first to use it, though you do have to survive until the second round.
3) Agility becomes a new character development path. High Agility grants no direct combat benefits, but dumping points into it will generally allow one to go last, with all of the benefits that accrues. And unlike Dirty Trick, just purchasing it once isn’t enough, so you can always use more.
Please let me know what you think!
- Eric