D&D 4E Fun with reskinning (or: how to play as a blink dog in 4e)

[NMcCoy]

So, I've got a character in my current game who started out as an NPC, but the concept was so much fun that I actually handed the DMing of the campaign over to someone else so I could play him as a PC for a while.

The character is a blink dog who works as a courier, personally delivering important messages between several local "Points of Light". Due to the monster-infested nature of the world, he's picked up a fair amount of combat experience, and the job pays quite well. He tries hard to be very polite and courteous, but it's a conscious affectation, and he becomes abruptly more informal when thrown off guard. His pack is ceremonially bonded to a local clan of nomadic halfling merchants - members of either group consider the other to be family. He has trouble determining the sex of humanoids other than halflings, and tends to assume that dwarves and dragonborn are male and elves and eladrin are female (which made his initial encounter with the party, who is entirely the opposite, quite entertaining); he also forgets that humanoids "can't smell anything" and will frequently specify things by scent where most people would use a color. ("Could you please reach that scroll case for me, the stale-bread one?") In combat, his favored tactic is to use his great speed to deliver devastating charges and rapid bite attacks, then teleport away when he's at risk of getting surrounded, frequently escaping before his foes even get the chance to retaliate.

Mechanically, he's essentially an elf ranger who dual-wields longswords. I've simply traded out certain elf features (such as Elven Accuracy, Wild Step, and opposable thumbs) for a racial ability of "treat all shifts as teleports of the same distance", and chosen feats and powers that fit thematically. His "Big-3" magic items are enchanted bands of fabric braided into a collar/harness, which he uses to carry his message cases.
(He does at times have difficulty turning his head to reach them, and is hoping to find a better solution for this in the future.)

I'm having a great deal of fun roleplaying a character with such a fundamentally different viewpoint on the world - what would it be like to be someone who smells more clearly than he sees, and who has no hands, in a world where talking and teleporting dogs are really not all that strange? And the other players are enjoying having their usual D&D assumptions played with as well. ("Okay, you scout ahead in the house..." "Beg your pardon, but I think that someone capable of operating doorknobs might be more suited for that task." "Right, sorry.")

I'll post my notes/character sheet if there's interest. (This is the "character portrait" I used when first introducing him as an NPC to the party.)

 

[darjr]

Thats really cool. I think the teleport instead of shift might be a bit too powerfull, but it sounds like your crew is cool with it.

Can the blink dog trip people?

 

[NMcCoy]

In practice, the only difference I've seen so far is that you ignore difficult terrain (which elves do with shifts anyway) and you can go through enemy-occupied squares with a shift (which came up once in the entire very-long combat, and wasn't too overpowered). There will be other consequences, of course, but the fact that it triggers off shifts to begin with seems to keep it from getting too out of hand.

Edit: I don't have any tripping powers so far, but it would be thematically appropriate.

 

[Karamas]

Its nice to see a new and unusual twist to character designs, It adds a sometimes comical element to adventures.
I always try to give a bit more personality to familiars and ranger pets etc, other than just point and attack. In a forgotten realms campaign I was running I used a mage whose familiar was a Kherpa (a sort of Intelligent squirrel) and they formed quite a team for adding a little light entertainment or assistance in the adventure.
From a game balance point of view, if it works for your group dont worry too much about being a little overpowered. If it does seem to make the group rely too much on the abilities of the NPC then just hold back on using him unless things really start to go pear shaped.

 

[Iron Sky]

We "reskinned" in my 4e campaign in a different way. Here's our rules:

Everything must be mechanically "core" but can look like anything you want under the sun.

For example, a player could make a halfling longsword fighter and have them look in-game like an elven monk, just by "reflavoring" their powers and appearance. Mechanically, the player would still have to use a minor action to "draw my longsword" even if his character fought bare-handed in game.

This way, the PCs can look like whatever they can imagine while still maintaining strict adherance to the (mostly) balanced 4e core.

The party looks like this:

Human Nomad Elemental Shaman = Infernal Pact Tiefling with all powers reflavored to look like sand/fire/wind.

Human Gypsy Vagabond = Human Orb Wizard with all spells reflavored to be "tinkerish things". For example, Cloud of Daggers became Rusty Caltrops and Scorching Burst became Volatile Rum.

Human Imanri Spellblade = Eladrin Staff Wizard with the staff reflavored to look like a sword and spells slightly rediscribed at the character's whim (Magic Missile = Laser Eyebeams, Thunderwave = Sonic Arc, a sword swing that sends enemies flying like Sauron in the openning of the first LotR).

Human Gul'Daer Gibbeth Disciple = Human Warlord with a spiked chain and all attacks reflavored to be tentacles, buffs/temp hp = thick coatings of protective slime, etc.

This way, everything is still balanced but gives the PCs (slightly constrained) creative freedom with their characters.

 

[PrecociousApprentice]

Here is a reskinning I suggested for another thread. I compare the Standard Wizard with a reskinned Time Psionicist!

Standard Wizard
Powers
[SBLOCK=Thunderwave]
Thunderwave Wizard Attack 1
You create a whip-crack of sonic power that lashes up from the ground.
_______________________
At-Will ~ Arcane, Thunder, Implement
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
_______________________
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier thunder damage, and you push the target a number of squares equal to your Wisdom modifier. Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Ray of Frost]
Ray of Frost Wizard Attack 1
A blisteringly cold ray of white frost streaks to your target.
_______________________
At-Will ~ Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One Creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
_______________________
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier cold damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn. Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Ray of Enfeeblement]
Ray of Enfeemlement Wizard Attack 1
You point three fingers at your foe, curling them like talons. Weird green mist streams from your enemy’s flesh, carrying away its strength.
_______________________
Encounter ~ Arcane, Necrotic, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
_______________________
Hit: 1d10 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target is weakened until the end of your next turn.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Sleep]
Sleep Wizard Attack 1
You exert your will against your foes, seeking to overwhelm them with a tide of magical weariness.
_______________________
Daily ~ Arcane, Sleep, Implement
Standard Action Ranged burst 2
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
_______________________
Hit: The target is slowed (save ends). If the target fails its first saving throw against this power, the target becomes unconscious (save ends).
Miss: The target is slowed (save ends).[/SBLOCK]

Time Themed Reflavored Wizard
Powers
[SBLOCK=Telekinetic Burst]
Telekinetic Burst Wizard Attack 1
You unleash the force of your mind to send enemies sprawling.
_______________________
At-Will ~ Arcane, Thunder, Implement
Standard Action Close blast 3
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
_______________________
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier thunder damage, and you push the target a number of squares equal to your Wisdom modifier. Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Chill of Timelessness]
Chill of Timelessness Wizard Attack 1
Time slows for the target as he is exposed to the fridgid darkness at then end of time.
_______________________
At-Will ~ Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action Ranged 10
Target: One Creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
_______________________
Hit: 1d6 + Intelligence modifier cold damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn. Increase damage to 2d6 + Intelligence modifier at 21st level.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Feel the Effects of Time]
Feel the Effects of Time Wizard Attack 1
The target shifts in the timestream to a point far in their future, their body a mere husk of it's former self.
_______________________
Encounter ~ Arcane, Necrotic, Implement
Standard Range 10 Ranged
Target: One creature
Attack: Intelligence vs. Fortitude
_______________________
Hit: 1d10 + Intelligence modifier necrotic damage, and the target is weakened until the end of your next turn.[/SBLOCK]
[SBLOCK=Temporal Rift]
Temporal Rift Wizard Attack 1
A temporary rift in the fabric of reality causes each target to be temporarily separated from the River of Time.
_______________________
Daily ~ Arcane, Sleep, Implement
Standard Action Ranged burst 2
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: Intelligence vs. Will
_______________________
Hit: The target is slowed (save ends). If the target fails its first saving throw against this power, the target becomes unconscious (save ends).
Miss: The target is slowed (save ends).[/SBLOCK]

These two are the same build with the same powers, but they feel very different. I am in favor of the reflavor.