[APG] Noble Multiclass Available for 4th Edition

[Jraynack]

Alea Publishing Group presents Feudal Characters: Noble.

Will you expand your ancestral land, stave off rebellion, win favor of your king or queen, or scheme to take their place? As a noble, you must contend with your rivals while keeping a close eye on discontent peasants. Are you ready for the challenge?

Feudal Characters: Noble features a new mulitclass character for your favorite role-playing game. Why a multiclass character instead of a full-blown class? In short, any character has the opportunity to hold a hereditary title: noble fighters, noble warlords, noble rogues, to name just a few.

This product provides Players and Game Masters with the following for thrilling play:

• A full description of the Noble multiclass character
• Nobility multiclass noble feat featuring the following traits: aristocratic action, noble temperament, and self-control
• Bloodline power source
• 38 new bloodline powers
• 38 power cards - yes, we've done the work for you
• Noble class template for Game Masters to create noble NPCs of their own
• Finally, a ready-made noble adversary for players to challenge: a typical human knight

Although designed for the Feudal Lords Campaign Setting, this product easily adapts into your favorite campaign or adventures.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

Reposting here what I wrote in the Publishers & Press Releases forum:

I treated myself to this and Anthropophagi today.

Nobles is good. Makes-me-want-to-play-4e-right-now good. And simple in its execution, which is what most appealed to me. The class powers are all perfectly themed to the concept of the noble, and at least in theory stack up just fine with other classes' powers. The inclusion of the noble template for creatures and the power cards were like whipped cream on this yummy sundae.

I'll say this for Alea, Feudal Lords, so far, is the flavor I wanted out of 4e, so I'll be checking whatever else comes out in this line.

I do have some questions, and please bear with me as I'm still new to 4e:

As a multiclass feat, Nobility becomes available to characters at 11th level, once they cross into Paragon Tier. Yes?
If so, why would the Noble Temperament feature state that it grants 2 resist and that it increases to 5 resist at 11th level. Why not just start it out at 5, since you will only get this at that level?
Or is there a way to take the Nobility multiclass feat before Paragon Tier? Am I just misunderstanding how this works completely?

Also, with a full powers array for the Noble, why not make it a proper class and be done with it? I understand that Joshua has stated he doesn't like Nobles classes and that it should be something anyone can become, etc. I personally agree with that as well. But this is pretty much a whole class already; why fight the system on this instead of embracing it and giving a new class option?

I like the mechanics of Aristocratic Frailty, but what is the fluff reason for the effect? Just curious.

 

[Jraynack]

Reposting here what I wrote in the Publishers & Press Releases forum:


I do have some questions, and please bear with me as I'm still new to 4e:

As a multiclass feat, Nobility becomes available to characters at 11th level, once they cross into Paragon Tier. Yes?.

Actually, multiclass feats are not restricted to paragon level characters. But, if you have all of the power swap feats and a multiclass feat you may instead select powers from your multiclass character instead of choosing a paragon path.

Also, with a full powers array for the Noble, why not make it a proper class and be done with it? I understand that Joshua has stated he doesn't like Nobles classes and that it should be something anyone can become, etc. I personally agree with that as well. But this is pretty much a whole class already; why fight the system on this instead of embracing it and giving a new class option?

I think the use of the multiclass in this fashion is better for classes that blanket over the other classes - noble for one, possessed, oath-bound, etc. One the other hand, a knight might serve better as a core class than a multiclass character.

Secondly, we are a small company - this is a hobby more than a money making venture - and frankly core classes for 4th is a major undertaking - I mean WotC is not even finished with the Barbarian core class (or druid/bard/ monk either and they started developing rules for 4th in 2005)). It would mean making roughly 80 to 100 different powers instead of 38. That's just a lot of time and work.

I like the mechanics of Aristocratic Frailty, but what is the fluff reason for the effect? Just curious.

Ah, I knew I should have put in a sidebar - it just represents a noble is only as powerful as his allies and subjects (aka minions). In short, a peasent revolt or a rebellion from the lower classes.

Hope this helps and enjoy!

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

Thanks for replying, Joshua.

I'll go back and reread the Multiclass and power swap feats section, as I should've done before posting.

I like the approach you used for Noble, I was just curious. I think it makes a lot more sense for this type of "class."

A knight core class makes sense, I guess. In 3e terms I would have said it's a mix of fighter and warlord, but that kind of combo is not as easily made in 4e.

And I hear you 100% on the 4e core classes thing. I find them almost bordering on the ridiculous.

Ah, I knew I should have put in a sidebar - it just represents a noble is only as powerful as his allies and subjects (aka minions). In short, a peasent revolt or a rebellion from the lower classes.

Ah, so since this bonus happens after they use a Bloodline power, that's them pushing the buttons of the vassals by flaunting their noble stock? See, now I wanna see something where after a Noble uses a number of Bloodline powers they outright risk inciting a mob!

Good stuff!

 

[Jraynack]

Ah, so since this bonus happens after they use a Bloodline power, that's them pushing the buttons of the vassals by flaunting their noble stock? See, now I wanna see something where after a Noble uses a number of Bloodline powers they outright risk inciting a mob!

Lol ! You now got my brain cranking out ideas.

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

My work here is done, then.

 

[rdonoghue]

Gorgeous, very cool product. I wish you much luck with it!

-Rob D.

 

[Jraynack]

Gorgeous, very cool product. I wish you much luck with it!

-Rob D.

Thanks - and thanks for your review on RPGNow.com

 

[HalWhitewyrm]

Rob, I just read your review and I was wondering if you would elaborate on some of your points there. As I slowly get into 4e play and design, there are some things you mention that call my attention.

The powers themselves are clever, though a little uneven. I am not 100% sure they are all intended to work exactly as they read, with the biggest disconnect coming from powers that require the target can hear you.

Could you expand this, please? To my untrained eye, they seemed just fine. The "must be able to hear you" part seemed a bit 3.X to me, but my mind didn't register it as wrong.

There are also a few 3.x-isms that could be shaken off.

Aside from the hearing part above, what are other examples of 3.X-isms. I know that's gonna be one of my biggest issues as I go into 4e.

I also would have liked a Paragon Path as well. I still can't help but think of them as 4e's version of Prestige Classes, and that was one of my favorite parts of 3.X.

 

[rdonoghue]

The "Target must be able to hear you" introduces a question for me, specifically "Do they also need to be able to understand you?" That is to say, should these powers work on enemies who don't speak your language, or who don't even have any language skills, such as oozes or jellies? The color text suggests to me that comprehension would matter, but unless this is addressed in the rules, it feels like a disconnect.

(My suspicion is that the setting they're working on has very few monsters, so it's a moot point within that context.)

By 3e-isms, I mostly mean that there are a few clever bits that require more lookup or tracking of data than suits 4e. For example, the efficacy of the first power depends on the diplomacy skill of an opponent. This is an interesting hook, but that is not a piece of information I am likely to include in my notes in a fight, so it calls for an unnecessary lookup. Similarly, there are effects that last a number of times equal to your stat mod rather than simply to end of turn. That is the sort of thing that makes a lot of sense on paper, but can be problematic to track at the table - was that my 3rd or 4th attack since I got that effect off? In 3e, tracking that stuff was par for course, since you were already tracking durations and charges and god knows what else, but 4e has less bookkeeping, so that stands out as a potential rough spot.

Does that help?

-Rob D.