NOW LIVE! Today's the day you meet your new best friend. You don’t have to leave Wolfy behind... In 'Pets & Sidekicks' your companions level up with you!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="PTHoorah" data-source="post: 5858503" data-attributes="member: 6691226">I've never played 3e, so I never had to deal with trip specialists or grapple specialists, etc. When I played 2e and 4e, however, I usually played fighters, and fighters in 4e were more fun to play because of their powers, even if the encounter or daily limits didn't make sense. How about a system that has maneuvers that always deal damage but if the attack roll beat AC by a certain amount, the maneuver triggers. On this thread it was pointed out that 4e martial at will hits can be broken down to roughly 1[w] plus some effect, so the idea of dealing damage and an effect isn't new. If a character wants to try to disarm an appointent, he makes a "disarm attack"; or to trip, a "trip attack"; or to push, a "push attack." He rolls. If he hits he deals 1[w] plus mod damage. If he beats the AC by an extra amount (TBD by people better at DnD math than me) then the disarm or trip or push also happens. This way trying cool maneuvers doesn't waste attacks, doesn't punish characters for trying them, but does make them special in that they'll happen less often. An always available option for everyone for when no maneuvers are desired or appropriate would be a "power attack," which would grant extra damage if the AC was beat by a certain amount. (So the question would be, do I want to do damage and try to do more damage, or do I want to do damage and try to trip; not, do I want to do damage and that's it, or do I want to do no damage and try to trip.) Fighters would be better at these maneuvers because they would have a higher attack bonus.I think this makes sense in minute long combat round melee where it is assumed both sides are swinging and parrying and dodging. By making a disarm attack, the player is saying: "My character is looking for the opportunity to knock the sword from that orc. But of course if that option doesn't present itself, I'm still trying to cut his arm off." This could be combined with another idea from this thread that gives fighters stances (this way fighters -- or other martial characters -- would still have their own special mechanic). When in a stance if the player rolls a high enough number, or beats AC by a certain amount, it triggers an ability. Again, it simulates that the fighter is in a stance/mindset and looking for an opportunity to do something special, but not going to give up a chance to do damage, because in the end, the goal is to kill.It was also suggested earlier on this forum that after the roll, if the roll was high enough, the player could chose a bonus (like trip or push). I think the problem with this is the fighter is still saying, "I attack, I attack, I attack," and then waiting for the roll to see if he gets to do something cool. I'd rather be saying, "I attack and want to try to push him down the stairs." A small difference, but I'd rather be thinking about what I'm going to do and trying to roll for it, not roll and then trying to decide what I'm going to do. (That might slow play down too.)</blockquote>

Verification