D&D 4E 4e need ideas for in-game luck mechanics

[fba827]

My players stay out.



Trying to keep background minimal, but the short version is: the PCs (epic level) are about to venture in an area that is a manifestation of energy created by luck.

While _players_ deal with luck in terms of die rolls, I am trying to think of a good 'environmental feature' that lets individual characters deal with luck.

My initial idea is
Free action after rolling a d20: You harness some of the luck energy in the environment to get +d4 to a d20 roll you just made (but before being told if the roll was success or failure), and gain +1 luck token. Then roll 2d10, if the result is lower than the number of luck tokens you have, then remove all your luck tokens, and you get -4 to d20 rolls until your next extended rest. At the start of your next extended rest, if you have any luck tokens, you finish your extended rest with temporary hit points equal to twice your luck token pool and then reset your luck tokens to 0"

So it stays individualized per PC and a bit of press your luck of increasing difficulty and gives something to those that do keep trying more and more. I am not in love with the idea simply because it might be adding too much complexity..... but it's still my fall back idea if nothing else..

I also glanced through some existing powers and magic items that i could rework for my purpose but nothing jumped out at me but i may not have simply noticed something relevant yet.

Anyway, just fishing for ideas if someone has another idea on a character
If it matters, (my intent) is that this specific adventure here will be more skill-challenge focused rather than combat-focused.

Thoughts? Suggestions?

Thanks in advance.

 

[MwaO]

I might structure it as an artifact? Luck's happy with you and good things happen. Luck's angry and bad things do. Abusing it too much makes it angry.

 

[Nagol]

Roll a d4 at the same time as the d20. If the result would normally fail, add the d4 to the result and check if it now succeeds. If the result would normally succeed, subtract the d4 and check to see if it still succeeds. Narrate changed results as improbable events that contribute to the result.

ETA:
If you want extra complexity and bookkeeping, add two token sets, good luck and bad luck. The modifier becomes d4 + appropriate token count (i.e. normal success subtracts d4 + bad luck, normal failure adds 1d4 + good luck). Every time your result is altered, lose a token of that type or gain a token of the opposite type. All tokens are returned at start of an encounter, milestone, or extended rest, depending on how "sticky" you want the luck to be.

 

[MoutonRustique]

Roll a d4 at the same time as the d20. If the result would normally fail, add the d4 to the result and check if it now succeeds. If the result would normally succeed, subtract the d4 and check to see if it still succeeds. Narrate changed results as improbable events that contribute to the result..

This is nifty.

Another take : after rolling a d20 (you see the die, but don't know the end result), you can roll a second one. If it's higher, you get a +5 to the initial result, lower, you get -3 (I'm skewing it in favor of the PCs to encourage use.)

You could also (I would use it in addition) roll a d6 : even results are added, odd results are subtracted from all d20 rolls. This happens after the player's done doing all the die manipulation shenanigans she can muster.

If using something like this, I would limit it to a situation with fewer rolls (such as narrative heavy SC) - combat would take forever with so much "interactive" rolling...

 

[fba827]

thanks fellow forum posters, while i haven't hit on the exact thing yet that i'm satisfied with, i feel like the suggestions here got me thinking in directions i hadn't been considering that are variations of what was said.... so much appreciated. i am continuing to mull it over if anyone else thinks of something else...