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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Mesh Hong" data-source="post: 5349471" data-attributes="member: 73463">OK the more I think about this sort of encounter the more I am intrigued by it.  In the spirit of cooperation I am going to try and develop the ideas suggested by Marli in the original post. Summary of information from original post Controller Creature-has a melee push attack-has a ranged slow attack-has a ranged mark power Surge Spirits (multiple creatures, possibly 9 nr)-tough but vulnerable to solid object collision-move towards a creature marked by the controller-have momentum-have an attack vs Reflex when they move through a creature; deal damage and knock target prone-(Interpretation) if their attack hits they continue their move, if their attack misses they ‘bounce off’-(Interpretation) they have some sort of movement at the end of their turn as a free action (this is a bit weird but seems to be an important mechanic for getting the spirits to hit solid objects and take damage) Surge Spirit DesignThe important concept here seems to be the way the surge spirits move, and this depends on the presence of a mark from the controller. No Mark- Surge Spirit orbits the controller Marked Target- Surge Spirit heads towards the Marked Target, with momentum So we know that the Surge Spirits need to have a variable speed that increases as it moves towards a target. Design AssumptionsI have had to make a few assumptions when designing the powers of the Surge Spirits.- The controller can mark multiple targets, and the mark is a (save ends) effect. This will add some randomness and dynamism to the encounter. At this stage my thinking is that the controller can mark one new target each turn.- The controller will have a power that can increase the speed of a Surge Spirit, this will be important as a Surge Spirit starting its turn with 0 Speed will explode.- The Controller will have a Triggered Action that allows it to shift 1 square if a Surge Spirit attempts to enter its square (even though it might be amusing to see the controller knocked about by his own pets!).- The current Speed of a Surge Spirit can be tracked with a d8 placed next to its figure, removing the d8 if its speed is 0. This would probably be the clearest way of tracking this important information.- The DM running the Surge Spirits is confident that he can adjudicate the movement of the surges in a consistent and fair manner. I point this out because the Surge Spirits movement relies on them moving in as straight line as possible without abusing the RAW movement rules to “side step” obstacles, there may also be moments when common sense comes into play if the Surge Spirits get themselves stuck in corners or alcoves when bouncing. I have tried to word everything as clearly as possible, this has made the descriptions pretty long but at this stage I valued clarity over brevity. I have marked variables as “x” as I have no idea what level to make them, nor is it that important at this stage. This creature does not have any Standard or Minor Actions, it runs purely from Move Actions that can result in Triggered Actions. I have also introduced Compulsory Actions with requirements that govern how the Surge Spirits act depending on the situation. Surge SpiritResist x (type)Speed 2, variable, see Sympathetic Orbit, Move to Target and Surge Overload TRAITSSurge ShockAny non Surge Spirit creature starting its turn in the same square as a Surge Spirit takes x damage and is pushed half the Surge Spirits speed in a random direction (d8 direction, minimum 1 square) if this push would take the target into a non Surge Spirit creature or a solid object it takes x damage per point of speed remaining in the push and the push ends (creature may make a saving throw as usual to instead fall prone and avoid the damage), if the push takes the target into another square containing a Surge Spirit repeat the push action using half the speed value of the secondary Surge Spirit (creature may not make a saving throw to instead fall prone)  MOVE ACTIONSOrbit Controller * (compulsory action)Requirement: no target is marked by the controller and the Surge Spirit is more than 5 squares away from the ControllerEffect: The Surge Spirit moves its speed towards the Controller avoiding obstacles, creatures and other Surge Spirits Sympathetic Orbit * (compulsory action)Requirement: no target is marked by the controller and the Surge Spirit is within 5 squares of the ControllerEffect: The Surge Spirit moves its speed in a rough orbit around the controller ending its move within 5 squares of the Controller, if any enemies are adjacent to the Controller the Surge Spirit will instead move in a straight line towards the nearest such target (if two or more targets are equally spaced determine randomly) if this move takes it into any enemies square note how much move the Surge Spirit has remaining and see Creature Collision, if the Surge Spirit attempts to move into a solid object note how much move the Surge Spirit has remaining and see Object Collision, if this move takes it into a square containing another Surge Spirit see Surge Spirit CollisionSpecial: at the end of its current movement action the Surge Spirit loses 1 point of speed for each creatures square it has entered and each object it has collided with (minimum 0),and it gains 3 points of speed for each Surge Spirit it has collided with (maximum 8) Move To Target * (compulsory first action)Requirement: a target is marked by the controllerEffect: Surge Spirit moves its speed in a straight line towards the nearest marked targets square (if two or more marked targets are equally spaced determine randomly), if this move takes it into any enemies square note how much move the Surge Spirit has remaining and see Creature Collision, if the Surge Spirit attempts to move into a solid object note how much move the Surge Spirit has remaining and see Object Collision, if this move takes it into a square containing another Surge Spirit see Surge Spirit CollisionSpecial: at the end of its current movement action the Surge Spirit loses 1 point of speed for each creatures square it has entered and each object it has collided with (minimum 0), it gains 3 points of speed for each Surge Spirit it has collided with (maximum 8), if it has not entered a creatures square, hit an object or another Surge Spirit in this action it instead gains 2 points of speed (maximum 8) Momentum Move * (compulsory second action)Requirement: a target is marked by the controllerEffect: Surge Spirit moves half its speed in a straight line along the same path as its final direction during its Move To Target action, if this move takes it into any enemies square note how much move the Surge Spirit has remaining and see Creature Collision, if the Surge Spirit attempts to move into a solid object note how much move the Surge Spirit has remaining and see Object Collision, if this move takes it into a square containing another Surge Spirit see Surge Spirit Collision TRIGGERED ACTIONSCreature Collision (type) * at willTrigger: Surge Spirit enters a creatures squareAttack: melee 0 (one creature); +x vs ReflexHit: x (type) damage and the target is knocked prone; the Surge Spirit continues its move towards the marked target, if this was an attack against the marked target it continues its move in a random direction (d8 to determine)Miss: the Surge Spirit takes x damage and continues its move in a random direction (d8 to determine) Object Collision * at willTrigger: Surge Spirits move would take it into a solid objectEffect: Surge Spirit takes x damage and continues its move in a random direction (d8 to determine, reroll any result that would take the Surge Spirit into the same object - requires common sense judgement) Surge Spirit Collision * at willTrigger: Surge Spirit enters a square containing one or more other Surge SpiritsEffect: all Surge Spirits in the target square take x damage and the triggering Surge Spirit continues its move in a random direction (d8 to determine) Surge OverloadTrigger: Surge Spirit starts its turn with Speed 0 or in the same square as one or more other Surge SpiritsAttack: Close Burst 2 (creatures in burst); +x vs. ReflexHit: x (type) damage and the target is dazed (or maybe stunned depending on encounter level) (save ends)Miss: half damageEffect: all the Surge Spirits in the Triggering Surge Spirits square are destroyed Into the Surge * at willTrigger: a non Surge Spirit creature moves or is pushed, pulled or slid into the Surge Spirits squareEffect: the triggering creature takes x (type) damage and is pushed 1 square in a random direction (d8 to determine) Well that is my initial system for the Surge Spirits, what do you think?Is it worth fleshing out any further? MarliIs this the type of thing you were thinking of?What level encounter for what size and level group did you plan to use this for?Have you any further comments? Whatever the answers to these questions I hope you find this interesting or it gives you some ideas.</blockquote>

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