How Does Half Elf "Surprising" Benefit a Character?

[TarionzCousin]

In 13th Age, the racial power for half-elves is called "Surprising." It allows the player to subtract one from his/her d20 rolls once per battle.

How could this possibly benefit the PC?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Err ... trying to avoid a critical hit? Trying to turn a bad roll into a critical failure? Trying to fail a skill check, opposed roll, or saving throw?

Dunno -- is there a 13th Age mechanic where "roll low" is the preferred solution?

 

[Kinak]

I think it lets you modify the "natural" result of the roll. There are several abilities in 13th Age where it matters if you get natural evens or natural odds, which this would flip.

Cheers!
Kinak

 

[Pilsnerquest]

I think it lets you modify the "natural" result of the roll. There are several abilities in 13th Age where it matters if you get natural evens or natural odds, which this would flip.

Cheers!
Kinak

Yep, what Kinak said.

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

Instead of calling for extra random rolls for some effects, 13th Age bakes the extra randomness into d20 attack rolls. So natural evens or odds can be important.

However, not every class uses this. The half-elf gets no benefits from the racial power as a barbarian, paladin, cleric or wizard. This is a bit of a flaw they should look into fixing in 13 True Ways.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Instead of calling for extra random rolls for some effects, 13th Age bakes the extra randomness into d20 attack rolls. So natural evens or odds can be important.

However, not every class uses this. The half-elf gets no benefits from the racial power as a barbarian, paladin, cleric or wizard. This is a bit of a flaw they should look into fixing in 13 True Ways.

Ah. I have only examined the Cleric class so far. I suspect a half-elven cleric is not in my future.

 

[waderockett]

In 13th Age, the racial power for half-elves is called "Surprising." It allows the player to subtract one from his/her d20 rolls once per battle.

How could this possibly benefit the PC?

There's an explanation in the "Players" sidebar at the bottom of that same page:

If you are wondering why it would ever be a good idea to subtract one from the natural result of one of your own d20 rolls, you haven’t read about the bard’s battlecries, the fighter’s flexible attacks, the ranger’s double weapon talents, and the sorcerer’s lightning fork spell. Not coincidentally, bard, fighter, ranger, and sorcerer are the classes that half-elf adventurers traditionally prefer.

 

[lutecius]

I only skimmed through the rules so I'm not sure how other racial abilities compare but that one seems awfully arbitrary and contrary to the idea that every race/class combination would be good in 13th Age (or maybe I misunderstood that). It's especially odd for the traditionally flexible half-elf.

 

[Dungeoneer]

The 'natural' values of the d20 matter tremendously throughout 13th Age, not just for certain classes. For example, if you are duel-wielding you get to reroll your attack on a 2. So a duel-wielding half-elf who rolled a 3 could make it a 2 and get to roll a second attack. It's actually a pretty great ability, although obviously some classes benefit from it more than others. But that's typical for a d20 game.

On the flip-side, I don't know if I would play a sorcerer as anything BUT a half-elf.

 

[Tun Kai Poh]

As a house rule, I'd say a player can choose the elven racial power of his character's elven side as a replacement for the Surprising power if they play a class that doesn't benefit from changing natural rolls...