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How do I help the Fighter?
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<blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 5753831" data-attributes="member: 2067"><p>[MENTION=99243]Naoki00_[/MENTION] :</p><p></p><p>Don't take this the wrong way, but the house rules you guys are using is the reason the fighter is lagging so far behind.</p><p></p><p>Let's suss them out:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>If you'd like to help your fighter, you want to make sure in such a game that you aren't too heavily narrative. And by this, I mean that the characters have a large chance to go "off-script" and do whatever they want, that you don't have tightly planned events, or that you at least give them weeks/months/years of "down time" they can use to pursue other tasks. The character failed to be a knight, but can the player just say "My character tries again" and actually try again? Can they direct the story like that? Because if not, you're sort of saying, "Sorry, Charlie, you're doomed to be one thing and suck until I let you not suck."</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Okay. To help out your fighter (and probably the rest of your party), you want to look at ways of re-introducing magic item effects, without them being magic items. That +1 sword? It's not <em>magic</em>, it's just really well made. That +5 Vorpal Sword is in the same camp. Maybe dwarf-forged from starmetal or something. A cloak of displacement? Well, it's elf-woven feythread, it bends light around it. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>I hope your spellcasters have a spell failure chance! </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Does the guy not have a backup crossbow or something? There's some solid ranged attack options in there, with all the feats he's getting.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>It's a cool character hook, but it sounds like this kind of character might be doomed in your games. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f609.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=";)" title="Wink ;)" data-smilie="2"data-shortname=";)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Instead of death, you might want to use DIRE CONSEQUENCES as a threat. Even if they get knocked out, they won't die, but they might regain consciousness naked in a goblin stewpot, with the orc army marching on their home village (or something). Them dying is basically an excuse for you to have something horrible happen to the world, or to the part of the world that character values. Don't want your cherished Uncle Rodrigo to get taken with the bubonic plague? DON'T DIE. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>You've got a very different concept of "break the game" from me, but it's always fun to ride dragons. Or griffons. Or pegasi. Ancestral spirits can give him a solid ranged attack, make him a better hunter, or channel his primal fury. And magic items that are not "magic" should be fine.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Well, I suppose a brash and reckless character should expect to spend a lot of time on the floor bleeding out then. He will have to become smarter, more strategic, and more restrained. Character development!</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Oy. In exchange for not taking magical buffs, he should receive help from the gods of honor or combat or something....help that mimics those magical buffs. </p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>Hey! Your magic is unreliable! Neat. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>This is a real point in favor of letting him have some awesome mount of some sort. Those tigers? Let him tame one. Give it more drugs and have it sprout wings. Or domesticate a manticore. Or whatever.</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>If he's having trouble hitting, it will. Otherwise, you're going to need a bigger boat...er...broader solution.</p><p></p><p>Solutions:</p><p></p><p></p><p></p><p>YES.</p><p></p><p>Also:</p><p></p><p><a href="http://fierydragon.com/dragonsbreath/?p=504" target="_blank">IRON EFFING HEROES</a>, and maybe look at <a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/206323-e6-game-inside-d-d.html" target="_blank">E6</a>. Both of those seem to have the kind of feel you're going for, and might mean some less-extensive house rules.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="I'm A Banana, post: 5753831, member: 2067"] [MENTION=99243]Naoki00_[/MENTION] : Don't take this the wrong way, but the house rules you guys are using is the reason the fighter is lagging so far behind. Let's suss them out: If you'd like to help your fighter, you want to make sure in such a game that you aren't too heavily narrative. And by this, I mean that the characters have a large chance to go "off-script" and do whatever they want, that you don't have tightly planned events, or that you at least give them weeks/months/years of "down time" they can use to pursue other tasks. The character failed to be a knight, but can the player just say "My character tries again" and actually try again? Can they direct the story like that? Because if not, you're sort of saying, "Sorry, Charlie, you're doomed to be one thing and suck until I let you not suck." Okay. To help out your fighter (and probably the rest of your party), you want to look at ways of re-introducing magic item effects, without them being magic items. That +1 sword? It's not [I]magic[/I], it's just really well made. That +5 Vorpal Sword is in the same camp. Maybe dwarf-forged from starmetal or something. A cloak of displacement? Well, it's elf-woven feythread, it bends light around it. I hope your spellcasters have a spell failure chance! Does the guy not have a backup crossbow or something? There's some solid ranged attack options in there, with all the feats he's getting. It's a cool character hook, but it sounds like this kind of character might be doomed in your games. ;) Instead of death, you might want to use DIRE CONSEQUENCES as a threat. Even if they get knocked out, they won't die, but they might regain consciousness naked in a goblin stewpot, with the orc army marching on their home village (or something). Them dying is basically an excuse for you to have something horrible happen to the world, or to the part of the world that character values. Don't want your cherished Uncle Rodrigo to get taken with the bubonic plague? DON'T DIE. :) You've got a very different concept of "break the game" from me, but it's always fun to ride dragons. Or griffons. Or pegasi. Ancestral spirits can give him a solid ranged attack, make him a better hunter, or channel his primal fury. And magic items that are not "magic" should be fine. Well, I suppose a brash and reckless character should expect to spend a lot of time on the floor bleeding out then. He will have to become smarter, more strategic, and more restrained. Character development! Oy. In exchange for not taking magical buffs, he should receive help from the gods of honor or combat or something....help that mimics those magical buffs. Hey! Your magic is unreliable! Neat. :) This is a real point in favor of letting him have some awesome mount of some sort. Those tigers? Let him tame one. Give it more drugs and have it sprout wings. Or domesticate a manticore. Or whatever. If he's having trouble hitting, it will. Otherwise, you're going to need a bigger boat...er...broader solution. Solutions: YES. Also: [URL="http://fierydragon.com/dragonsbreath/?p=504"]IRON EFFING HEROES[/URL], and maybe look at [URL="http://www.enworld.org/forum/general-rpg-discussion/206323-e6-game-inside-d-d.html"]E6[/URL]. Both of those seem to have the kind of feel you're going for, and might mean some less-extensive house rules. [/QUOTE]
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