RangerWickett
Legend
This coming Monday I'm going to run a game for some new players at the college I work at. I figure I may as well give them a more fun play experience by using my limited knowledge of 4e to create pre-made characters for them that have niftier abilities and more options. Now,
I'll tell them that this version is not how D&D actually works right now, but that it's taking insight from a future edition so that the play experience is more fun. The point is not to teach them the rules, but to show them what roleplaying is like.
First of all, I'm starting with what I know from Star Wars SAGA. Defenses instead of saves, triple hit points at 1st level, and condensed skills. Also, I'm going to use the swift, move, standard set of actions per round, since that's nice and intuitive. And I'll allow the option for second winds (swift action 1/day to heal HP equal to Con score or 1/4 max hp).
Second, I'm going to have four characters - a striker, a leader, a controller, and a defender. I'm thinking:
Human cleric - leader
Dwarf fighter - defender
Elf ranger - striker
Tiefling warlock - controller
I'm going to use existing classes as a starting point, but I want to add a few abilities that fit the 'per encounter' and 'per day' paradigm. I want stuff that involves mobility, and at least two abilities that targets each of the different defenses. Who knows whether this stuff will actually be in 4e, or if it's overpowered, but here's what I have in mind:
Cleric
I'll make him a cleric or Heironeous, for some nice smiting action.
Constant - inspiration (all allies who can see him get a +1 bonus to all their defenses), tactics (if he hits an enemy, allies who attack the same enemy get a +2 bonus to their attack)
Per encounter - divine presence (enemies nearby make Will saves, failure means they run or cower), smite evil (deals extra damage, and dispels any magic effects created by the creature he attacks), retribution (touch an ally and an enemy, and if enemy fails Fort save, damage is transfered from one to the other)
Per day - divine favor (whole party gets a bonus to attack and damage for a round)
Ranger
Mobility and opportunism are the key words here. He fights with a bow and scimitar.
Constant - skirmish (does extra damage whenever he strikes an opponent who is unbalanced or unaware), has quickdraw, can do various trick shots with the bow
Per encounter - daring rescue (immediate action to move up to 10 ft. and knock an ally out of the way of an attack, but both of them end up prone), crippling strike (foe makes Fort save or is crippled somehow -- has the tendons on his hand severed, moves more slowly, or takes a penalty to everything), overbalance foe (if enemy misses on an attack, can either make that enemy strike someone else, or get free attack against him)
Per day - wild empathy (can briefly gain control of an animal), zephyr strike (move base speed and attack all enemies you pass)
Fighter
The dwarf is hard to kill, and can protect others. He fights with an axe and a large shield.
Constant - bodyguard (can choose to take an attack that would hit an adjacent ally), leave your mark (leave a weapon imbedded in an enemy to deal extra damage), can disarm and grapple easily
Per encounter - strongarm (if he hits an enemy, he gets to move that person with him for the round, or shove him back 5 ft.), shatter (does double damage to items), provoke (goad someone into attacking), first strike (immediate action attack against an enemy who comes up to him), indomitability (ignore status effects for one round)
Per day - Moradin's fury (essentially barbarian rage)
Warlock
The tiefling gets all the fun magic.
Constant - Devil sight (darkvision, plus detect magic at will). Dark speech (d6 damage if you beat someone's Will defense). Clash of sorcery (attempt to counterspell, but take damage on a failure)
Per encounter - Grasp of Malcanthet (delusions of intense pleasure paralyze a creature for as long as you maintain concentration, but the creature gets a save each round). Wand of Orcus (fortitude-based touch attack for 4d6 damage). Fires of Asmodeus (flaming area attack).
Per day - Aspect of Demogorgon (can take two actions each round, but you might go mad and turn into a savage beast). Seal of Tharizdun (takes a minute, but you trace a seal, and disintegrate an object). Forked Tongue of Graz'zt (charm person). Winds of Pazunia (target creature is knocked around by intense wind, or an ally can fly for one round).
How does that sound?
I'll tell them that this version is not how D&D actually works right now, but that it's taking insight from a future edition so that the play experience is more fun. The point is not to teach them the rules, but to show them what roleplaying is like.
First of all, I'm starting with what I know from Star Wars SAGA. Defenses instead of saves, triple hit points at 1st level, and condensed skills. Also, I'm going to use the swift, move, standard set of actions per round, since that's nice and intuitive. And I'll allow the option for second winds (swift action 1/day to heal HP equal to Con score or 1/4 max hp).
Second, I'm going to have four characters - a striker, a leader, a controller, and a defender. I'm thinking:
Human cleric - leader
Dwarf fighter - defender
Elf ranger - striker
Tiefling warlock - controller
I'm going to use existing classes as a starting point, but I want to add a few abilities that fit the 'per encounter' and 'per day' paradigm. I want stuff that involves mobility, and at least two abilities that targets each of the different defenses. Who knows whether this stuff will actually be in 4e, or if it's overpowered, but here's what I have in mind:
Cleric
I'll make him a cleric or Heironeous, for some nice smiting action.
Constant - inspiration (all allies who can see him get a +1 bonus to all their defenses), tactics (if he hits an enemy, allies who attack the same enemy get a +2 bonus to their attack)
Per encounter - divine presence (enemies nearby make Will saves, failure means they run or cower), smite evil (deals extra damage, and dispels any magic effects created by the creature he attacks), retribution (touch an ally and an enemy, and if enemy fails Fort save, damage is transfered from one to the other)
Per day - divine favor (whole party gets a bonus to attack and damage for a round)
Ranger
Mobility and opportunism are the key words here. He fights with a bow and scimitar.
Constant - skirmish (does extra damage whenever he strikes an opponent who is unbalanced or unaware), has quickdraw, can do various trick shots with the bow
Per encounter - daring rescue (immediate action to move up to 10 ft. and knock an ally out of the way of an attack, but both of them end up prone), crippling strike (foe makes Fort save or is crippled somehow -- has the tendons on his hand severed, moves more slowly, or takes a penalty to everything), overbalance foe (if enemy misses on an attack, can either make that enemy strike someone else, or get free attack against him)
Per day - wild empathy (can briefly gain control of an animal), zephyr strike (move base speed and attack all enemies you pass)
Fighter
The dwarf is hard to kill, and can protect others. He fights with an axe and a large shield.
Constant - bodyguard (can choose to take an attack that would hit an adjacent ally), leave your mark (leave a weapon imbedded in an enemy to deal extra damage), can disarm and grapple easily
Per encounter - strongarm (if he hits an enemy, he gets to move that person with him for the round, or shove him back 5 ft.), shatter (does double damage to items), provoke (goad someone into attacking), first strike (immediate action attack against an enemy who comes up to him), indomitability (ignore status effects for one round)
Per day - Moradin's fury (essentially barbarian rage)
Warlock
The tiefling gets all the fun magic.
Constant - Devil sight (darkvision, plus detect magic at will). Dark speech (d6 damage if you beat someone's Will defense). Clash of sorcery (attempt to counterspell, but take damage on a failure)
Per encounter - Grasp of Malcanthet (delusions of intense pleasure paralyze a creature for as long as you maintain concentration, but the creature gets a save each round). Wand of Orcus (fortitude-based touch attack for 4d6 damage). Fires of Asmodeus (flaming area attack).
Per day - Aspect of Demogorgon (can take two actions each round, but you might go mad and turn into a savage beast). Seal of Tharizdun (takes a minute, but you trace a seal, and disintegrate an object). Forked Tongue of Graz'zt (charm person). Winds of Pazunia (target creature is knocked around by intense wind, or an ally can fly for one round).
How does that sound?
