Looking for an XP value / Level

[Lord Zardoz]

Just a customized minion, but with a specific power meant to keep more important NPC's alive. It is mostly a re-skinned Human Rabble minion.

Red Cloak Fodder Level 2 Minion (Red Cloak == StarTrek Red Shirt)
Medium natural humanoid XP ??
Initiative +2 Senses Perception +0
HP 1; a missed attack never damages a minion.
AC 18; Fortitude 14, Reflex 14, Will 14;
Speed 6
Short Sword (standard; at-will) Weapon +6 vs. AC; 4 damage.
Noble Death: A Red Cloak may take a hit for an adjacent ally, as long as the attack did not also include its self as a target.
Alignment Any
Str 14 (+2) Dex 10 (+0) Wis 10 (+0)
Con 14 (+2) Int 9 (–1) Cha 11 (+0)
Equipment Short Sword, Small Shield, Studded Leather

On the one hand, this minion can go a long way towards keeping more important creatures alive, and that may make a fight more difficult by keeping a dangerous opponent alive longer. It can also screw a PC who tried to nail a villain with an Encounter or Daily power. (Oh, you scored a crit with your 4 [W] Encounter power that stuns? Too bad the Red Cloak ate that...)

On the other hand, as an ability it does not damage the players and it does reduce their numbers even faster.

If someone can suggest an alternate mechanic that serves to protect the primary Villain without screwing my players, it would be appreciated.

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[Starfox]

I like this idea and donöt find it unballancing.

Isn't the point here to screw the players? After all, you want to soak their big attacks. What you are doing is creating a striker impediment that controller can solve - which is great as far as I can see. Just don't do it every time. You might also want to give your players some kind of warning, make sure a redshirt uses this ability early on in the battle.

Minions have a relatively high damage output and low resilience. I find it generally makes more sense to have non-minions take hits for minions than the other way around.

 

[LostSoul]

I like it. It makes the players have to think a little more.

I think the normal XP would be okay (I also think minions are overvalued in XP terms).

Kobold slyblades (and some other kobolds, I think) have a similar power where they can direct an attack to an adjacent minion as an immediate reaction (so only once per round).

 

[RangerWickett]

By the way, if you want to make something bold using this board, you need to put b inside brackets like , not bold like [bold].

More info here EN World D&D / RPG News - BB Code List

 

[Lord Zardoz]

I like this idea and donöt find it unballancing.

Isn't the point here to screw the players? After all, you want to soak their big attacks. What you are doing is creating a striker impediment that controller can solve - which is great as far as I can see. Just don't do it every time. You might also want to give your players some kind of warning, make sure a redshirt uses this ability early on in the battle.

Minions have a relatively high damage output and low resilience. I find it generally makes more sense to have non-minions take hits for minions than the other way around.

The point is not to screw the players so much as it is to provide me a convenient means of helping plot critical NPC's remain alive in combat. It is a subtle distinction. To that end, either having some means for the PC to defeat / bypass the ability, or forcing the minion to make a roll to have the ability succeed would be convenient. Alternately, making it a Minor or Move action for the Minion might be good, but that adds some book keeping to a Minion type (In game, it would be too easy to forget who is Minion 8 protecting if Minions 2, 5, and 10 are also adjacent to the same guy, and some minions moved while others did not).

I want the ability to work at least 50% to 60% of the time against level appropriate opponents.

But you are right, this sort of ability does create opportunities for a Controller type to shine.

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