RoboCheney
First Post
So I've been working on a flaw system for my piratey 4e game, and thought I'd share it here. With some changes to the flavor it should be easy to adapt to other settings too.
As far as the rules go . . . when you make your character, you may choose one (and only one) flaw. Picking a flaw gives you a bonus feat. You should avoid picking a flaw that another PC has, because that's boring.
I've tried keep the flaws relevant to every character class, but lemme know if there are obvious ways to work around them. Or if any look unbalanced. Or if you have some good ideas for new flaws. Also, there are some references here to other homebrew stuff (crabmen, the Seafaring skill, etc) that I could post later.
Ok, here the are!
* * * * * * * * * *
Black Blood
Flaw
Voodoo practiced by you or an ancestor has come with a high price.
Penalty: You have vulnerability 5 radiant. This increases to vulnerability 10 radiant at paragon tier, and vulnerability 15 radiant at epic tier.
When you take radiant or necrotic damage, you have a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Code of Honor
Flaw
You follow a stringent code that separates you from pirate scum.
Prerequisite: Lawful or Good alignment
Penalty: You cannot attack helpless or unconscious foes and do not gain combat advantage against prone enemies.
Additionally, you cannot harm prisoners, must spare adversaries who have surrendered to you, cannot use dishonorable tactics (poisoning the orc's water supply, etc), and that like.
Cursed
Flaw
You're nothing but bad luck, and by the devil's twisted tail sailors don't want you to set foot on their vessel!
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to saving throws.
When you travel by sea, make a saving throw or the ship will encounter bad weather, get blown off course, or suffer some other bit of misfortune at some point during the voyage (DM's discretion).
Eel-Skinned
Flaw
You are frail, bruise easily, and otherwise very vulnerable to physical damage.
Prerequisite: Constitution 10 or less.
Penalty: When you take damage of no damage type, increase the amount of damage you take by 2. This increases to 4 damage at paragon tier, and 6 damage at epic tier.
Fatalist
Flaw
You're the brooding type—you know the reaper lurks at every corner, and everyone's time is soon to come.
Penalty: You must reroll the first successful death saving throw you make in an encounter.
Feral-Born
Flaw
You've grown up far from civilization. You may have been raised by wild animals, or belonged to an insular tribe that never learned the Common tongue.
Prerequisite: A race that gets Common as a language
Penalty: You can't speak, read, write, or understand Common. (You still can speak any other languages you know.)
Fool-Headed
Flaw
You make the same mistake twice, thrice, or more.
Prerequisite: Wisdom 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Wisdom.
Fresh-Water Sailor
Flaw
Whether it's the bad hammock, the rank gruel, or all that hard work, a pirate's life it isn't for you.
Prerequisite: Constitution 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Constitution.
Ill-Fortune
Flaw
Fate conspires to stifle your success.
Penalty: The first time you score a critical hit in an encounter, you must reroll your attack.
Jellyfish's Will
Flaw
You have all the spine of an invertebrate.
Prerequisite: Wisdom 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to your Will defense.
Jinxed
Flaw
Somehow, someway, your fumbled attacks find a way to hit your allies.
Penalty: When you roll a natural '1' with a melee or ranged attack, make the attack again against an ally closest to your original target (chose randomly if multiple).
You get a +2 bonus to hit allies with your area attacks.
Hallucinations
Flaw
In times of great stress, you are begotten by nightmarish monsters that threaten your very psyche. Or are they really vengeful spirits, or ghosts of the dead?
Penalty: When you become bloodied, the DM may place 4 phantasmal terrors (6 at paragon tier, 8 at epic tier) 10 or more squares away from you. They use the statistics below, based on your level. The phantasmal terrors roll initiative and act on the next turn, moving in to attack you and ignoring all other creatures. When you fall unconscious or are no longer bloodied, they disperse.
This flaw may not take effect more than once a day.
Phantasmal Terror / Minion (var level)
A terrifying creature born of your deepest fears.
Initiative +4 Senses Perception 5 + lvl;
Darkvision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion
AC 14 + lvl, Fortitude 12 + lvl, Reflex 12 + lvl,
Will 12 + lvl
Resist 5 psychic per tier
Speed 5; phasing
(m) Terror's Grasp (standard, at-will)
+3 + lvl vs. Will; 4 + ¼ lvl psychic damage
Phantasm
A phantasmal terror is invisible to all creatures but you. A phantasmal terror cannot be damaged by any creature except you, and can damage no creature but you.
Alignment Unaligned
Str 13 + ½ lvl Dex 13 + ½ lvl Wis 8 + ½ lvl
Con 8 + ½ lvl Int 8 + ½ lvl Cha 16 + ½ lvl
Equipment none
Special The phantasmal terror's level is equal to your level
Lightweight
Flaw
It's easy to push you around.
Prerequisite: Race other than crabman, dwarf, or giff.
Penalty: When you get pushed, pulled, or slid by an enemy, increase the number of squares you move by 1.
Lost Eye
Flaw
A tragic event has left you with only one functioning eye. You may wear an eye-patch in typical pirate fashion, or replaced your bad eye with a glass one.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to ranged attacks and Perception checks.
Luggard
Flaw
You zig when you should have zagged.
Prerequisite: Dexterity 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Dexterity.
Minnow's Fortitude
Flaw
It's dangerous to go out there alone.
Prerequisite: Constitution 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to your Fortitude defense.
Nightmares
Flaw
Perhaps it was an encounter with voodoo, trauma experienced in battle, or the lingering memories of your lost love. Whatever its cause, terrifying visions haunt your dreams.
Penalty: When you take an extended rest after a day in which you have spent one or more healing surges, you must make a saving throw. On a failure, you loose one healing surge and don't regain one expended daily power (choose randomly if multiple).
Ninny
Flaw
You are incredibly feeble. Let let someone else lug around that 50 ft. coil of rope!
Prerequisite: Strength 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Strength.
Old Injury
Flaw
You carry an injury from your past exploits.
Penalty: When you run, fall, or are struck with a critical hit, you are weakened until the end of your next turn.
Old Salt
Flaw
You've been on the seas past your prime, but still have a few tricks to teach those young pups.
Prerequisite: Constitution 12 or less.
Penalty: Your number of healing surges is decreased by 2.
Peg Leg
Flaw
You've lost part of your leg to battle, disease, or a terrible accident. You've adapted to using a peg leg, but its not the same thing.
Penalty: Reduce your speed by 1 square. When you run, you move your speed +1 squares (not speed +2 squares).
Ponderous
Flaw
You think before you act . . . sometimes a little too much.
Penalty: You have a -4 penalty to initiative.
Powder for Brains
Flaw
You're quite the dullard, and other members of the crew are fearful when you near open flame.
Prerequisite: Intelligence 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Intelligence.
Reckless
Flaw
You fight with reckless ferocity when injured.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to AC when bloodied.
Sea-Sickness
Flaw
The rocking of your ship on the churning waves is too much for your stomach to bear.
Prerequisite: Cannot be trained in Seafaring.
Penalty: When you take an extended rest while at sea, you can recover no more than half of your lost healing surges (round up).
While you are at sea, you have a -2 penalty to all your defenses.
Shark Bait
Flaw
You have the drowin' look. Stay away from water, or you'll be joining Davy Jones real soon.
Penalty: You have a -5 penalty to Athletics checks to swim (or -10 if you are trained in Athletics). You cannot move more than 1 square per turn while swimming.
Simple
Flaw
You rely on the tried-and-true strategies in combat.
Penalty: You may only take feats from the Player's Handbook (and this document).
Skill Savant
Flaw
You seem exceptionally talented—until you're outside your area of expertise.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to untrained skill checks.
Slugabed
Flaw
A deafening noise would sooner wake the dead than get you out of bed.
Penalty: You only gain the benefits of an extended rest if you rest for 10 or more hours.
You have a -20 penalty to your passive perception to notice things when you sleep.
Stonehands
Flaw
They call you “Mr. Fumbles.”
Prerequisite: Dexterity 10 or less
Penalty: When you roll a natural '1' on an attack roll, you are disarmed (or fall prone if you are holding no weapon or implement). For powers that target multiple creatures, only the first attack roll you make counts for the purposes of this feat.
Strange Luck
Flaw
Fate has a way with you
Penalty: When you roll a natural '1' on an attack, the closest creature to you falls prone (randomly chose if multiple). When you roll a natural '20' on an attack, the closest creature to you can spend a healing surge (randomly chose if multiple).
Swivel-Tongued Bloke
Flaw
No one likes you.
Prerequisite: Charisma 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Charisma.
The Voices
Flaw
You can't get them out of your head—the voices always lurk at the back of your mind, threatening to overwhelm you.
Penalty: You have vulnerability 5 psychic. This increases to vulnerability 10 psychic at paragon tier and vulnerability 15 psychic at epic tier.
When you take psychic damage, you are deafened until the end of your next turn.
Tithe
Flaw
Bound by virtue, you donate some of your wealth and plunder to a worthy cause. This may be a church, the orphanage where you grew up, or as offerings to the spirits.
Penalty: You must tithe 10% of gp value of any treasure or magic items you gain.
Turtle's Reflexes
Flaw
Slow and steady it is for you.
Prerequisite: Dexterity 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to your Reflex defense.
Vice
Flaw
Booze, gambling, tobacco, or brothels . . . there's a rich bounty of pleasures to be bought with coin!
Penalty: As the Tithe flaw, except you spend that much money (at least) on your vice.
Unadventurous
Flaw
As you journey, you can't help but daydream of the warm hearth and fresh kettle of stew that awaits when you return home.
Penalty: When you take an extended rest, your number of action points are reset to 0.
Weapon Savant
Flaw
You prize one type of weapon or implement above all others.
Penalty: Choose a weapon class or type of implement. You have a -2 penalty to attack rolls with all other weapons and implements.
Yellow-Livered
Flaw
You'll live to fight another day!
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to attack rolls while bloodied.
Young Pup
Flaw
You're extremely young for your race. But while others see you as just a kid, they shouldn't make the mistake of underestimating you.
Prerequisite: A race that's size Medium, Strength 12 or less.
Penalty: You are size Small.
Your hit points are reduced by 5.
Zombi Reborn
Flaw
You're experienced the slavery of undeath, and through magic or sheer force of will, have retrieved your mortality—but the devil wants you back!
Penalty: You have vulnerability 5 necrotic. This increases to vulnerability 10 necrotic at paragon tier, and vulnerability 15 necrotic at epic tier.
Undead have a +2 bonus to attacks rolls against you.
As far as the rules go . . . when you make your character, you may choose one (and only one) flaw. Picking a flaw gives you a bonus feat. You should avoid picking a flaw that another PC has, because that's boring.
I've tried keep the flaws relevant to every character class, but lemme know if there are obvious ways to work around them. Or if any look unbalanced. Or if you have some good ideas for new flaws. Also, there are some references here to other homebrew stuff (crabmen, the Seafaring skill, etc) that I could post later.
Ok, here the are!
* * * * * * * * * *
Black Blood
Flaw
Voodoo practiced by you or an ancestor has come with a high price.
Penalty: You have vulnerability 5 radiant. This increases to vulnerability 10 radiant at paragon tier, and vulnerability 15 radiant at epic tier.
When you take radiant or necrotic damage, you have a -2 penalty to attack rolls until the end of your next turn.
Code of Honor
Flaw
You follow a stringent code that separates you from pirate scum.
Prerequisite: Lawful or Good alignment
Penalty: You cannot attack helpless or unconscious foes and do not gain combat advantage against prone enemies.
Additionally, you cannot harm prisoners, must spare adversaries who have surrendered to you, cannot use dishonorable tactics (poisoning the orc's water supply, etc), and that like.
Cursed
Flaw
You're nothing but bad luck, and by the devil's twisted tail sailors don't want you to set foot on their vessel!
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to saving throws.
When you travel by sea, make a saving throw or the ship will encounter bad weather, get blown off course, or suffer some other bit of misfortune at some point during the voyage (DM's discretion).
Eel-Skinned
Flaw
You are frail, bruise easily, and otherwise very vulnerable to physical damage.
Prerequisite: Constitution 10 or less.
Penalty: When you take damage of no damage type, increase the amount of damage you take by 2. This increases to 4 damage at paragon tier, and 6 damage at epic tier.
Fatalist
Flaw
You're the brooding type—you know the reaper lurks at every corner, and everyone's time is soon to come.
Penalty: You must reroll the first successful death saving throw you make in an encounter.
Feral-Born
Flaw
You've grown up far from civilization. You may have been raised by wild animals, or belonged to an insular tribe that never learned the Common tongue.
Prerequisite: A race that gets Common as a language
Penalty: You can't speak, read, write, or understand Common. (You still can speak any other languages you know.)
Fool-Headed
Flaw
You make the same mistake twice, thrice, or more.
Prerequisite: Wisdom 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Wisdom.
Fresh-Water Sailor
Flaw
Whether it's the bad hammock, the rank gruel, or all that hard work, a pirate's life it isn't for you.
Prerequisite: Constitution 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Constitution.
Ill-Fortune
Flaw
Fate conspires to stifle your success.
Penalty: The first time you score a critical hit in an encounter, you must reroll your attack.
Jellyfish's Will
Flaw
You have all the spine of an invertebrate.
Prerequisite: Wisdom 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to your Will defense.
Jinxed
Flaw
Somehow, someway, your fumbled attacks find a way to hit your allies.
Penalty: When you roll a natural '1' with a melee or ranged attack, make the attack again against an ally closest to your original target (chose randomly if multiple).
You get a +2 bonus to hit allies with your area attacks.
Hallucinations
Flaw
In times of great stress, you are begotten by nightmarish monsters that threaten your very psyche. Or are they really vengeful spirits, or ghosts of the dead?
Penalty: When you become bloodied, the DM may place 4 phantasmal terrors (6 at paragon tier, 8 at epic tier) 10 or more squares away from you. They use the statistics below, based on your level. The phantasmal terrors roll initiative and act on the next turn, moving in to attack you and ignoring all other creatures. When you fall unconscious or are no longer bloodied, they disperse.
This flaw may not take effect more than once a day.
Phantasmal Terror / Minion (var level)
A terrifying creature born of your deepest fears.
Initiative +4 Senses Perception 5 + lvl;
Darkvision
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion
AC 14 + lvl, Fortitude 12 + lvl, Reflex 12 + lvl,
Will 12 + lvl
Resist 5 psychic per tier
Speed 5; phasing
(m) Terror's Grasp (standard, at-will)
+3 + lvl vs. Will; 4 + ¼ lvl psychic damage
Phantasm
A phantasmal terror is invisible to all creatures but you. A phantasmal terror cannot be damaged by any creature except you, and can damage no creature but you.
Alignment Unaligned
Str 13 + ½ lvl Dex 13 + ½ lvl Wis 8 + ½ lvl
Con 8 + ½ lvl Int 8 + ½ lvl Cha 16 + ½ lvl
Equipment none
Special The phantasmal terror's level is equal to your level
Lightweight
Flaw
It's easy to push you around.
Prerequisite: Race other than crabman, dwarf, or giff.
Penalty: When you get pushed, pulled, or slid by an enemy, increase the number of squares you move by 1.
Lost Eye
Flaw
A tragic event has left you with only one functioning eye. You may wear an eye-patch in typical pirate fashion, or replaced your bad eye with a glass one.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to ranged attacks and Perception checks.
Luggard
Flaw
You zig when you should have zagged.
Prerequisite: Dexterity 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Dexterity.
Minnow's Fortitude
Flaw
It's dangerous to go out there alone.
Prerequisite: Constitution 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to your Fortitude defense.
Nightmares
Flaw
Perhaps it was an encounter with voodoo, trauma experienced in battle, or the lingering memories of your lost love. Whatever its cause, terrifying visions haunt your dreams.
Penalty: When you take an extended rest after a day in which you have spent one or more healing surges, you must make a saving throw. On a failure, you loose one healing surge and don't regain one expended daily power (choose randomly if multiple).
Ninny
Flaw
You are incredibly feeble. Let let someone else lug around that 50 ft. coil of rope!
Prerequisite: Strength 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Strength.
Old Injury
Flaw
You carry an injury from your past exploits.
Penalty: When you run, fall, or are struck with a critical hit, you are weakened until the end of your next turn.
Old Salt
Flaw
You've been on the seas past your prime, but still have a few tricks to teach those young pups.
Prerequisite: Constitution 12 or less.
Penalty: Your number of healing surges is decreased by 2.
Peg Leg
Flaw
You've lost part of your leg to battle, disease, or a terrible accident. You've adapted to using a peg leg, but its not the same thing.
Penalty: Reduce your speed by 1 square. When you run, you move your speed +1 squares (not speed +2 squares).
Ponderous
Flaw
You think before you act . . . sometimes a little too much.
Penalty: You have a -4 penalty to initiative.
Powder for Brains
Flaw
You're quite the dullard, and other members of the crew are fearful when you near open flame.
Prerequisite: Intelligence 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Intelligence.
Reckless
Flaw
You fight with reckless ferocity when injured.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to AC when bloodied.
Sea-Sickness
Flaw
The rocking of your ship on the churning waves is too much for your stomach to bear.
Prerequisite: Cannot be trained in Seafaring.
Penalty: When you take an extended rest while at sea, you can recover no more than half of your lost healing surges (round up).
While you are at sea, you have a -2 penalty to all your defenses.
Shark Bait
Flaw
You have the drowin' look. Stay away from water, or you'll be joining Davy Jones real soon.
Penalty: You have a -5 penalty to Athletics checks to swim (or -10 if you are trained in Athletics). You cannot move more than 1 square per turn while swimming.
Simple
Flaw
You rely on the tried-and-true strategies in combat.
Penalty: You may only take feats from the Player's Handbook (and this document).
Skill Savant
Flaw
You seem exceptionally talented—until you're outside your area of expertise.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to untrained skill checks.
Slugabed
Flaw
A deafening noise would sooner wake the dead than get you out of bed.
Penalty: You only gain the benefits of an extended rest if you rest for 10 or more hours.
You have a -20 penalty to your passive perception to notice things when you sleep.
Stonehands
Flaw
They call you “Mr. Fumbles.”
Prerequisite: Dexterity 10 or less
Penalty: When you roll a natural '1' on an attack roll, you are disarmed (or fall prone if you are holding no weapon or implement). For powers that target multiple creatures, only the first attack roll you make counts for the purposes of this feat.
Strange Luck
Flaw
Fate has a way with you
Penalty: When you roll a natural '1' on an attack, the closest creature to you falls prone (randomly chose if multiple). When you roll a natural '20' on an attack, the closest creature to you can spend a healing surge (randomly chose if multiple).
Swivel-Tongued Bloke
Flaw
No one likes you.
Prerequisite: Charisma 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to Charisma.
The Voices
Flaw
You can't get them out of your head—the voices always lurk at the back of your mind, threatening to overwhelm you.
Penalty: You have vulnerability 5 psychic. This increases to vulnerability 10 psychic at paragon tier and vulnerability 15 psychic at epic tier.
When you take psychic damage, you are deafened until the end of your next turn.
Tithe
Flaw
Bound by virtue, you donate some of your wealth and plunder to a worthy cause. This may be a church, the orphanage where you grew up, or as offerings to the spirits.
Penalty: You must tithe 10% of gp value of any treasure or magic items you gain.
Turtle's Reflexes
Flaw
Slow and steady it is for you.
Prerequisite: Dexterity 10 or less.
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to your Reflex defense.
Vice
Flaw
Booze, gambling, tobacco, or brothels . . . there's a rich bounty of pleasures to be bought with coin!
Penalty: As the Tithe flaw, except you spend that much money (at least) on your vice.
Unadventurous
Flaw
As you journey, you can't help but daydream of the warm hearth and fresh kettle of stew that awaits when you return home.
Penalty: When you take an extended rest, your number of action points are reset to 0.
Weapon Savant
Flaw
You prize one type of weapon or implement above all others.
Penalty: Choose a weapon class or type of implement. You have a -2 penalty to attack rolls with all other weapons and implements.
Yellow-Livered
Flaw
You'll live to fight another day!
Penalty: You have a -2 penalty to attack rolls while bloodied.
Young Pup
Flaw
You're extremely young for your race. But while others see you as just a kid, they shouldn't make the mistake of underestimating you.
Prerequisite: A race that's size Medium, Strength 12 or less.
Penalty: You are size Small.
Your hit points are reduced by 5.
Zombi Reborn
Flaw
You're experienced the slavery of undeath, and through magic or sheer force of will, have retrieved your mortality—but the devil wants you back!
Penalty: You have vulnerability 5 necrotic. This increases to vulnerability 10 necrotic at paragon tier, and vulnerability 15 necrotic at epic tier.
Undead have a +2 bonus to attacks rolls against you.
