Dark Reaper Prestige Class (formerly Grim Reaper)

[Dalamar]

Your initial assumption is not wrong:

Becoming Even More Fearful: Fear effects are cumulative. A shaken character who is made shaken again becomes frightened, and a shaken character who is made frightened becomes panicked instead. A frightened character who is made shaken or frightened becomes panicked instead.

However, Master Demoralizer has a a caveat that a given creature can only be demoralized once per round. That means it would take at least three rounds to panic creatures, though two rounds is enough to make creatures flee.

Hmm... perhaps instead of once per round, a note saying that multiple demoralizes by the same Reaper do not stack. Though perhaps that note should go to the Greater Demoralize feat, as it too can be used to push targets to frightened and panicked.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Your initial assumption is not wrong:
However, Master Demoralizer has a a caveat that a given creature can only be demoralized once per round. That means it would take at least three rounds to panic creatures, though two rounds is enough to make creatures flee.

Hmm... perhaps instead of once per round, a note saying that multiple demoralizes by the same Reaper do not stack. Though perhaps that note should go to the Greater Demoralize feat, as it too can be used to push targets to frightened and panicked.

Frankly, I wouldn't want multiple demoralises from two separate reapers to stack either, lest two reapers cause opponents to make six checks a round, failure of two of which leads to instant retreat. Among WotC supplements, the only precedent for infinite fear is the Warlock's Frightful Blast, which has a saving throw and clearly spells out that no amount of Frightful Blast can ever put them beyond Shaken.

 

[Dalamar]

Well, then what really needs to get changed is demoralize itself, as two characters of any class can make a demoralize attempt back to back, making a character frightened. Otherwise you get to the situation that a guy who has spent a significant amount of his career focusing on scaring people is somehow unable to scare a guy who is already scared when another who just has enough ranks in Intimidate can.

 

[Rystil Arden]

Well, then what really needs to get changed is demoralize itself, as two characters of any class can make a demoralize attempt back to back, making a character frightened. Otherwise you get to the situation that a guy who has spent a significant amount of his career focusing on scaring people is somehow unable to scare a guy who is already scared when another who just has enough ranks in Intimidate can.

See, though, I'm fine with two characters using up their entire round's worth of actions to have a chance to frighten an opponent for one round if the opponent fails twice in a row because of the utility issues--two turns for the chance of costing the enemy 1 turn. But when you make it a freebie that lasts 1d4 rounds, that changes the whole economy of actions.

 

[Bront]

I'd make it a swift action, and suggest adding modifiers to being shaken by multiple assists (even write it in). I've no problem with 6 reapers adding +10 to 1 reapers roll to shake their opponent.

 

[Dalamar]

I can see the economy of actions, but it seriously bothers me to add a limitation to an ability that is supposed to be an improvement that does not exist in the base ability. "I'm so good at scaring people that I can't make you more scared, but my buddy here -who's not nearly as good as me- can."

The limit has to be put to the demoralize use of Intimidate, otherwise we get into situations that make absolutely no sense. I can see limiting to "one step from a given character", or "one step total", but not "one step from characters who are focused on being scary but no limit on other characters".

 

[Rystil Arden]

I can see the economy of actions, but it seriously bothers me to add a limitation to an ability that is supposed to be an improvement that does not exist in the base ability. "I'm so good at scaring people that I can't make you more scared, but my buddy here -who's not nearly as good as me- can."

The limit has to be put to the demoralize use of Intimidate, otherwise we get into situations that make absolutely no sense. I can see limiting to "one step from a given character", or "one step total", but not "one step from characters who are focused on being scary but no limit on other characters".

I don't mind taking away the ability for two non-reapers to Frighten with dual Intimidate checks, simply because in all my years of D&D, I've never seen any team coordinated enough to gain advantage from spending two standard actions on that, and in LEW, you're even less likely to have such a coordinated team.

 

[Dalamar]

Should I make a proposal for the modification then? Or should it be as simple as one of the judges adding the ruling in as a clarification to the Rules & Mechanics thread?

 

[SlagMortar]

Wouldn't it be simpler to say a Reaper can use demoralize as a swift action, but only to make an opponent shaken. The Reaper is still allowed to use demoralize as a standard action to move an opponent from shaken to frightened, or frightened to panicked.

Btw, cool, flavorful class!

 

[Rystil Arden]

Wouldn't it be simpler to say a Reaper can use demoralize as a swift action, but only to make an opponent shaken. The Reaper is still allowed to use demoralize as a standard action to move an opponent from shaken to frightened, or frightened to panicked.

Btw, cool, flavorful class!

What about the move action? Also, that still allows a single Reaper to Frighten an opponent for 1d4 rounds by herself.