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Creature Rank vs SOD effects
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<blockquote data-quote="Crazy Jerome" data-source="post: 5864684" data-attributes="member: 54877"><p>I think you can actually get more mileage out of such a system if you make the "minion to solo" scale explicitly and only a metagaming concept, and then tie different optional mechanics to it, to suit playstyle. Options to change how SoD works on the scale would certainly be part of those options. </p><p> </p><p>For convenience, let's say that they add another step after minion. On the scale, a creature can narratively be labeled as a minion, thug, standard, elite, or solo. (Though since this is explicitly a metagaming concept now, "solo" would probably need a new term.) So some group of kobold rabble you meet are labeled "minion" and their lizardman shaman leader might be elite or solo. What does that mean? It depends.</p><p> </p><p>Some options:</p><ol> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">The label is nothing but communication from the author to the reader about the presumed importance in the story. In your game, it means nothing mechanically. If the kobolds get lucky, they might survive. If the lizardman shaman fails a SoD on a surprise round, tough cookies. If you don't want that, it's up to you to keep the shaman protected (however you want to go about it--fiat, guards, etc.)</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">It's a slight change to saving throws, in an otherwise tight system where mods to saving throws are tough to get. It's not impossible for a solo to fail save or a minion to succeed, but it will be unlikely, and thus not tried much, and memorable when it works.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Action points are allowed in 4E style, but can be used more than once per encounter (though still only once per round). Minions get none, thugs get 1, standards get 3, elites get 5, and solos get 7. Solos can bring the hurt for most or all of the fight, but once someone wears down, they are limited.</li> <li data-xf-list-type="ol">Crits work differently depending on your status on the minion scale (in a system where hit points are otherwise kept relatively low). A minion may have more than 1 hit point, but crit one, and they die. On the other end, you need confirmation rolls to crit an elite or solo, but no one else.</li> </ol><p>There could be more. Then on the question of where PCs, fit on the scale, it also depends. You have similar options, such as explicitly making PCs favored by the system (perhaps inherently elite all the time) or nothing particularly special (stuck at standard all the time) or more complicated options where the state moves based on situaton, resources, spells, or even other explicit metagaming factors. Pick the ones that appeal to you and give results you like.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Crazy Jerome, post: 5864684, member: 54877"] I think you can actually get more mileage out of such a system if you make the "minion to solo" scale explicitly and only a metagaming concept, and then tie different optional mechanics to it, to suit playstyle. Options to change how SoD works on the scale would certainly be part of those options. For convenience, let's say that they add another step after minion. On the scale, a creature can narratively be labeled as a minion, thug, standard, elite, or solo. (Though since this is explicitly a metagaming concept now, "solo" would probably need a new term.) So some group of kobold rabble you meet are labeled "minion" and their lizardman shaman leader might be elite or solo. What does that mean? It depends. Some options: [LIST=1] [*]The label is nothing but communication from the author to the reader about the presumed importance in the story. In your game, it means nothing mechanically. If the kobolds get lucky, they might survive. If the lizardman shaman fails a SoD on a surprise round, tough cookies. If you don't want that, it's up to you to keep the shaman protected (however you want to go about it--fiat, guards, etc.) [*]It's a slight change to saving throws, in an otherwise tight system where mods to saving throws are tough to get. It's not impossible for a solo to fail save or a minion to succeed, but it will be unlikely, and thus not tried much, and memorable when it works. [*]Action points are allowed in 4E style, but can be used more than once per encounter (though still only once per round). Minions get none, thugs get 1, standards get 3, elites get 5, and solos get 7. Solos can bring the hurt for most or all of the fight, but once someone wears down, they are limited. [*]Crits work differently depending on your status on the minion scale (in a system where hit points are otherwise kept relatively low). A minion may have more than 1 hit point, but crit one, and they die. On the other end, you need confirmation rolls to crit an elite or solo, but no one else. [/LIST]There could be more. Then on the question of where PCs, fit on the scale, it also depends. You have similar options, such as explicitly making PCs favored by the system (perhaps inherently elite all the time) or nothing particularly special (stuck at standard all the time) or more complicated options where the state moves based on situaton, resources, spells, or even other explicit metagaming factors. Pick the ones that appeal to you and give results you like. [/QUOTE]
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