In-Combat Banter Mechanics?

[DevP]

I'd love to add a small mechanic to encourage more in-character banter during combat: nothing major, but just a one-liner or quip and some interaction between PCs to add some color. This is primarily for an online game where it's easy to drift into a quiet/mechanical mode. It's easier to lead by example for in-person games, but I'd like to try a little mechanical help.

I don't mind a small bit of extra power (for a relatively inexperienced group), but I'd rather avoid adding any complicated subsystems or such. I'm quite comfortable with using mechanics to encourage RP (e.g. FATE, Shadow of Yesterday, etc.), but I don't want to provide incentives that mess up what RP there is.

Any suggestions on what kind of rules would be a good fit for this? Some initial ideas:

(1) Banter [Encounter, Free Action]
Trigger: An ally makes a roll (attack, saving throw, skill check).
Effect: Interrupt the ally's turn with some dialogue. The ally may make a reroll, keeping the second result.

(1a) Or: Effect: Interrupt the ally's turn with some dialogue. Ally gets a +2 bonus to the roll.

Example:
Battlemind: (fails saving throw, is dazed)
Sorcerer: "Watch out! It's that one guy!"
Battlemind: (rerolls saving throw, still fails)

(2) Modify Action Points or Second Wind to require a small bit of monologue or taunting the foes to be used.

Example:
Warlock: (spends an Action Point to finish off a foe)
Warlock: "If you want to fight me, you're not the brightest..."

(3) Sarcasm Surge [Encounter, Free Action]
Trigger: You do damage with an attack power.
Effect: Add some monologue or taunting. The attack is turned into a critical hit.

 

[TarionzCousin]

Are these Banter Powers free? Or do they need to be taken in place of another power?

I like what I see so far.

In my games, I always give a +1 to any d20 roll if the player "adequately and entertainingly" describes what they are doing in great detail. This makes combat, searching for traps, skill checks, etc., less boring. "Entertainingly" often equals much laughter at the table, and the occasional +2 or automatic success from me.

 

[LostSoul]

Base it on Quests.

 

[Morrus]

Minor Action. Use Diplomacy, Bluff, or Intimidate vs. target's Will. Success gives +2 to hit on next attack vs. that target (or some similar effect).

 

[Saeviomagy]

I guess the question is: do you want to have your players coming up with witty one-liners, or do you want them rolling more dice?

I don't think that anything that involves rolling social skills is going to be what you're after (assuming you want the former).

So just adjudicate them. And trust the players to adjudicate in the other direction (ie - you throw out a witty one-liner with an attack, and if it's missing by one, trust them to go "yeah, that was pretty good: make that a hit").

 

[Nytmare]

It's not problematic for our group, but I had been contemplating adding a rule that before you used an action point (we also increased the number of action points in our game) the character had to say something.

 

[DevP]

My thought is that these powers should be free, because I'm trying to provide additional carrots (and I don't wan't anyone to think through some math and decide whether Banter or an Action Point is more efficient, or whatever).

I like the ideas. Morrus's idea is simply (and akin to "Aid Other" in a helpful way), but it does mean that players trained in those skils (or with higher Charisma) will be more effective at this assisting banter. Which may makes sense, but it depends on what you're going for. I would want any of the PCs to have an equal shot at helping here. So:

(4) Tactical Banter [Minor Action, At-Will]
Effect: Banter with an ally and roll a d20. On a roll higher than 10, the ally will have a +2 to any upcoming d20 roll that you specify (a saving throw, an attack, etc.). On a roll of 20, the player also gets their own +2 to any upcoming roll of their own.

To lean towards putting it in the target player's hands more generally:

(5) Banter Surge [At Will, Free Action]
Trigger: You're bantering with an allied PC.
Effect: Get a +1 bonus to a die roll. This can happen before or after the roll.
Special: This can be done once per session for each allied PC.

That covers both your own one-liners and when your allies are talking with you. I played an RPGA table with various +1 cards being traded around liberally, and feel good about their use to flatten some random dice curves, etc. There's a question of whether that works better as triggered by the active player (who chooses to start talking to an ally), or if it would be better if it's triggered by someone else talking to you (and you decide if you want ot expend the power).

So: who starts the interaction (the PC or the ally) and who chooses to allocate the bonus (the PC or the ally)?

 

[buddhafrog]

I like your goal a lot. I don't like the mechanics of making these actual encounter powers, etc. What I do in my game will not work in some.

In my game, all the players are younger and new to D&D, so although I'm rather inexperienced, they view me as Gandolf. Secondly, there is a ton of trust and cooperation in my games, so the players trust that I'm trying to usually be fair -- with an occasional trick up my sleeve ("oh wait, I just remembered he has another action point") to add flavor, but never in a situation that could actually kill the players.

In my game, it is relatively common for me to give a +1 or +2 bonus to a roll if the player has either a unique idea or describes his actions thematically, if another player offers useful advice, etc. I also do this at times if the PC does something that really fits his character - particularly brave or vengeful for example.

At the same time, if players hesitate too long before choosing an action, or maybe state what they're going to do, and then another player tells them why it's not a good idea so they "take back" the stated action, I'll often give a -1 or -2 to the following roll. I think I do this fairly and generally to the players benefit. It does encourage in combat banter and adds a little flavor.