D&D 4E Disarm Let Us Count the Ways.

[Tony Vargas]

Its really a way of doing basically a 'page 42' except you're able to leverage another existing power's text. That would be a different way of handling it as well, force an additional check to see if you can invoke the power. Failure would mean you'd maybe just get an MBA instead, not terrible, but not as good as a regular at-will.

Sounds a bit like a Champions! 'Gadget Pool.'

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Sounds a bit like a Champions! 'Gadget Pool.'

Yeah, I think similar things have shown up in a couple other games too. Now its got me thinking!

 

[Garthanos]

Almost sounds like a combat style... or the feats which enhance a cleave. You have one power but it becomes flexible

At wills - could almost be level up benefits pick FORT/REF and learn the other at level 6 you can target a different Defense a feat might enable the brash version which slides the target into a different square.

could also say at level 10 psychic damage becomes an option

 

[Garthanos]

I think the first one I thought of adjusting into a disarm was the Fighter Knockdown Assault (It doesn't scale which is odd for an at-will)

It occurred to me when thinking in terms of would I take knockdown assault or the twisting disarm ... the reason knockdown assault doesnt scale may be the large number of ways to boost a charge.

 

[Garthanos]

Now while I have been focusing on martial powers that do the disarm dance... but we can definitely have some spells which I think would complement the concept very well. Some very classic ones even. (A heat metal weapon one)

I am actually considering making some of them somewhat pay for the value of multi-targetting with less tactical control.. [MENTION=996]Tony Vargas[/MENTION] suggested disarms which allowed options ... perhaps options the target can decide on. This could be another way to establish some class based patterns to the disarming.

Disarming Keyword
Patterns of effects emerge for disarms what if they are a thing of there own then you can have magical items,elegant martial techniques and feats and so on which interact recovering from being proned by disarming attack as a free action with this glove or that loyal weapon or similar things perhaps ...

Powers with the keyword can have there own finishing condition of cowed and mostly harmless in the immediate sense this like unconcious is a non-deadly alternative

 

[Garthanos]

So far I have been concentrating on player abilities however for disarming to get its due we need adversaries using the cinematic effects driven "disarm" attacks

Enemies
Captains of the Guard, Mercenaries and Tentacled monstrosities from beyond Evil Warlocks who make your weapons become serpents and Pyromancers who heat them up and so on and so forth etc.

Player chosen details of the effects might work even better for NPC powers ,,, Do you take the fire damage or lose an opportunity action and drop prone for instance.

 

[Tony Vargas]

we can definitely have some spells which I think would complement the concept very well. Some very classic ones even. (A heat metal weapon one)

Come to think of it, they're mostly Druid spells: Heat (chill) Metal, Warp Wood, Turn Wood (no, really, I am not making this up), and Transmute Metal to Wood.

Apart from that, classic disarm spells include Grease & Fumble, and, indirectly Fear, which caused you to drop whatever you were holding.


Heat Metal could be one of the choice ones - take ongoing fire damage or accept the weakened condition.

 

[AbdulAlhazred]

Come to think of it, they're mostly Druid spells: Heat (chill) Metal, Warp Wood, Turn Wood (no, really, I am not making this up), and Transmute Metal to Wood.

Apart from that, classic disarm spells include Grease & Fumble, and, indirectly Fear, which caused you to drop whatever you were holding.


Heat Metal could be one of the choice ones - take ongoing fire damage or accept the weakened condition.

Does weakened actually adequately reflect the effects of disarming on a PC? I mean, if your system is very general in its modeling of weapons and etc. (like OD&D perhaps, where weapons all do d6 damage and are otherwise almost indistinguishable) then sure, you just 'do half damage' and that's a pretty adequate response to losing your weapon, mechanically. In 4e, where all sorts of maneuvers are possible which modify how things work based on weapons, and allow or don't allow various maneuvers, and where the weapon itself has important properties, then it seems like that isn't going to cut it? Or are you also proposing these various effects include "you drop your weapon" and all the concomitant system effects?

I mean, from a PURELY gamist perspective I don't have a problem with ignoring the more intricate and troublesome aspects, but from a narrative perspective I'm not in love with it.

 

[Garthanos]

Does weakened actually adequately reflect the effects of disarming on a PC?

I have generally emphasized the momentary status of this even against NPCs ... the loss of opportunity action when forced to kneel or dive resulting in prones and slides might be a better go to for effects expected to be targetting the heros in other words monster/enemy attacks, than the weakened usually. But for hero attacks I think weakened is a fine possibility.

Heck bobbling the weapon in the air to avoid heat damage you manage to maintain control of the weapon but reducing the damage of your attacks for the next round or two... may be why the hero doesnt "lose" his weapon based effects, but his currently poor grip (or wounded arm if the attack does damage and wounding) results in weakened condition.

And most attacks even ones normally requiring a weapon might be performed using your personal prowess could accomplish them with limited effectiveness warranting nothing more detailed than weakened.

Personally I think emphasizing the cinematic flashy element of the momentary disarms is useful.

I think you are a worry wort.

 

[Garthanos]

Come to think of it, they're mostly Druid spells: Heat (chill) Metal, Warp Wood, Turn Wood (no, really, I am not making this up), and Transmute Metal to Wood.

Drawing on aggressive spirits within them you cause your enemies weapons sprout giant thorns, heat dangerously hot or burst into flames or similarly turn on them. A giant warg gnawed his own claw under the influence of this magic.

Might work as a single Power.... and make a side remark about the uninitiated thinking it was separate spells.