Martial Rituals

[Quickleaf]

Right but were did all those silly magic items come from ;-) and if the concept is interesting enough then making it a "Rite of binding" is more fun.

Great idea Garthanos! I could see this divided into 3 rites by tier, maybe the heroic one is just a penalty (equal to proficiency bonus with the weapon) to enemies using it against you, paragon prevents enemy from using powers with weapon keyword with weapon against you, and epic take ongoing damage for each round they wield it?


I've just finished my rough draft of a 3 rites, what do you think?

Heroic Weapon Form
Sweat flies from your hair as your blade whirls about you in preparation for battle.

Level: 1
Cost: 1 healing surge
Category: Technique
Duration: Extended rest
Key Skill: Acrobatics/Athletics

Choose an at-will, an encounter, and a daily attack power to create a weapon form. When you successfully perform the at-will and encounter powers in this order make an Acrobatics/Athletics check if you miss with your daily power to determine your benefits (in addition to any other benefits of missing)

Athletics/Acrobatics Check.....Miss Result
19 or lower..........Make a basic melee attack against the same target
20-39..........Make the at-will attack against the same target
40 or higher.........Make the encounter attack again against the same target

You may apply your form once per encounter until you take an extended rest during which time you may create a new weapon form. Practicing the form requires one hour which may be taken from your extended rest (you only require 5 hours sleep).


Signature Weapon
Your blade has become synonymous with you wherever you travel, as your enemies will learn.

Level: 6
Cost: Special
Category: Obeisance
Duration: Special
Key Skill: Intimidate

Choose one weapon to bond with – you expend a healing surge and reduce your maximum number of healing surges for as long as you are bonded to the weapon. The bond lasts until you choose to dismiss it. Until then, any enemy wielding the weapon against you or your allies suffers an attack penalty according to the results of an Intimidate check.

Intimidate check.....Enemy's attack penalty
19 or lower............-2
20-39...................-5
40 or higher...........-10


Work Through Pain
Closing your eyes and gritting your teeth you forget about the searing poison in your veins.

Level: 3
Cost: Special
Category: Meditation
Duration: Short rest
Key Skill: Endurance

With this rite you suppress one enduring condition of your choice, but you may only spend a limited number of healing surges during the short rest according to your Endurance check.

Endurance check.........Healing Surges you can expend
19 or lower......0
20-39.............1
40 or higher.....2

 

[Daniel D. Fox]

I don't know, something doesn't seem right about them. Those sorts of effects could be applied through Feats without the expense of a marginal amount of Healing Surges to acquire combat benefits. You could even extend them into creating new Encounter or Daily powers that are akin to stances.

My thoughts regarding Rituals (or Rites in this case) are to grant noncombat-related benefits that allow a Martial character to extend his sphere of influence. My immediate thoughts went towards a Fighter version of a reskinned Eye of Alarm,

 

[Garthanos]

I don't know, something doesn't seem right about them. Those sorts of effects could be applied through Feats without the expense of a marginal amount of Healing Surges to acquire combat benefits. You could even extend them into creating new Encounter or Daily powers that are akin to stances.

My thoughts regarding Rituals (or Rites in this case) are to grant noncombat-related benefits that allow a Martial character to extend his sphere of influence. My immediate thoughts went towards a Fighter version of a reskinned Eye of Alarm,

A healing surge does feel costly for benefit of the signature weapon... in particular because of the true infrequency of an opponent gaining access to and attempting to use your weapon against you, heck in D&D isnt this more likely to be you mind controlled and using your weapon against allies?

Working through the pain is different because it seems like it could be used only when needed.

Heroic weapon form also makes using it mostly under your own control and so likely to come up in battle, it is fighting against something people really dont like ...the uselessness of losing their daily when it fails. And it feels like someone using a "kata" attack sequence so that is rather cool.

And yes Eye of Alarm could be reskinned nicely ... call it "Ears of the Wolf"

 

[Quickleaf]

I don't know, something doesn't seem right about them. Those sorts of effects could be applied through Feats without the expense of a marginal amount of Healing Surges to acquire combat benefits. You could even extend them into creating new Encounter or Daily powers that are akin to stances.

My thoughts regarding Rituals (or Rites in this case) are to grant noncombat-related benefits that allow a Martial character to extend his sphere of influence. My immediate thoughts went towards a Fighter version of a reskinned Eye of Alarm,

Yeah Moniker, you're right that those rites I posted earlier were treading into combat territory too much.

Still, I still think there's lots of potential for this concept, even with rites that have no effect in combat - which I agree is the better direction.

I'll propose a couple rites in this vein:

*Herculean Effort (increase carry/lift/drag limits)
*Scout (numbers & types of foes, possibly other info like hostages, etc)
*Scavenge (with a short rest treat an improvised weapon as a simple weapon, or a mis-sized suit of armor as -2 AC but useable for an encounter)

I think Herculean Effort is a good model for the "Skills +" variety of rite, which enhances one skill (in this case attribute) in a specific use.


Gauge Opponent
Studying your future opponent in action, you size up their prowess.

Level: 2
Cost: 1 healing surge if opponent is of higher level
Category: Strategy
Duration: Requires a short rest
Key Skill: Insight/Perception

When you observe a warrior in action during a short rest you learn about their fighting style.

Insight/Perception Check.....Result (cumulative)
19 or lower......................Whether they are higher or lower level; and their tier.
20-39.............................Role; and if you recognize their fighting style.
40 or higher.....................Their exact level; and their main attack power.

Herculean Effort
Straining yourself to the breaking point, you gather every ounce of strength you have.

Level: 4
Cost: 1 healing surge
Category: Might
Duration: Short rest
Key Skill: Athletics

You increase your ability to carry, lift and drag according to the results of an Athletics check.

Athletics Check.....Result
19 or lower..........You can carry your Strength x 15, lift your Strength x 30, and push or drag your Strength x 65. Gain +2 bonus to Strength check to open a portcullis.
20-39.................You can carry your Strength x 20, lift your Strength x 40, and push or drag your Strength x 80. Gain +4 bonus to Strength check to open a portcullis.
40 or higher.........You can carry your Strength x 30, lift your Strength x 50, and push or drag your Strength x 100. Gain +6 bonus to Strength check to open a portcullis.

Rally
Lungs burning, you give a fiery speech, elevating the morale of your followers.

Level: 3
Cost: 1 healing surge
Category: Obeisance
Duration: Until next short rest
Key Skill: Diplomacy/Intimidate

During a short rest, you inspire a group of NPCs, elevating their combat effectiveness according to the result of your Diplomacy or Intimidate check.

Diplomacy/Intimidate Check.....Result (cumulative)
19 or lower..........................A number of noncombatants equal to your level become minions.
20-39.................................A number of minions equal to you half your level become standard creatures.
40 or higher.........................A number of standard creatures equal to one quarter your level (rounded up) become elite creatures, applying a class template.

Strengthen Defenses
In anticipation of the coming siege, you barricade doors, shore up the walls, and create trapped choke points.

Level: 3
Cost: 1 healing surge, special
Category: Strategy
Duration: Until next extended rest
Key Skill: History

This rite allows you to draw on your knowledge of military history and siege warfare to increase the hit points of your defenses, create arrow slits, and create difficult terrain according to the results of your History check. You may also have time to create a trap or two.

History Check...Door/Wall HP bonus...# Extra Arrow Slits...# Squares of Difficult Terrain...Traps (cost 100 gp per level)
19 or lower......5......1......4......1 trap half your level
20-39............10.....2......8.......1 trap equal to your level
40 or higher....15.....3......12......2 traps equal to your level or 3 half your level

Sundering Bash
Positioning carefully against the marble pillar, you back up, take a deep breath, and charge at it.

Level: 2
Cost: 1 healing surge
Category: Might
Duration: During a short rest
Key Skill: Athletics

Increase your damage done against an object, or gain a Strength bonus to break a wall or door, according to the result of an Athletics check.

Athletics Check.....Extra Damage/Strength bonus to break wall or door
19 or lower...........+ 1[W]/+2
20-39.................+2 [W]/+4
40 or higher.........+3 [W]/+6

 

[Quickleaf]

*Bump*

I'd love to see more ideas in this thread - there's a lot of potential for interesting rites. I've attached a .pdf of my work today on a couple martial rites.

And, you heard it from me first, martial rites of some form will be in Martial Power 2.

 

[Garthanos]

*Bump*

I'd love to see more ideas in this thread - there's a lot of potential for interesting rites. I've attached a .pdf of my work today on a couple martial rites.

Wow that rally effect of upgrading from minion to story significant character is a very powerful effect... mechanically you have made them 4x as effective... and in some ways you have also turned them into the kind that gets stories told about them. Legends of people fighting against uneven odds and what have you.... this is certainly something of mythic porportion. If you wanted to limit it perhaps it can only be done if they are in some ways suffering defeat or notably out numbered. Or make that condition a modifier on the skill roll.

And, you heard it from me first, martial rites of some form will be in Martial Power 2.

Hmmm, ok you managed to open your mouth first so I will just second the idea.

 

[Quickleaf]

Wow that rally effect of upgrading from minion to story significant character is a very powerful effect... mechanically you have made them 4x as effective... and in some ways you have also turned them into the kind that gets stories told about them. Legends of people fighting against uneven odds and what have you.... this is certainly something of mythic porportion. If you wanted to limit it perhaps it can only be done if they are in some ways suffering defeat or notably out numbered. Or make that condition a modifier on the skill roll.

Yeah, I reduced the power a bit, make it a level 12, and renamed it "Call to Arms".

I'm working on the forced march rite, and it required me to ad lib some rules missing in the DMG. Thing is I'm having trouble figuring out how the rite benefits PCs at higher levels. Any ideas?


[sblock=FORCED MARCH (NEW RULES)]
Normally a character can’t travel more than 10 hours in one day. An additional hour of travel requires a character to make a DC 20 Endurance check. Success buys the character another hour, while failure costs the character a healing surge. Then the check is repeated at DC 25, then DC 30, and so on. A character without healing surges who fails a check takes damage equal to his level; at 0 HP the character collapses. A character cannot regain healing surges or hit points lost to a forced march until she or he takes an extended rest.[/sblock]


Forced March
Time and fatigue are meaningless now. One foot before the other. It is the soldier's way.

Level: 1
Cost: Special
Category: Exploration
Duration: Lasts until extended rest
Key Skill: Endurance

You push yourself and your companions to keep traveling despite exhaustion, shouldering the packs of frailer people, and serving as an example to the rest with your pure grit. An Endurance check determines how successful you are. You cannot use this rite when traveling overland at double pace.

Endurance Check.....Result (cumulative)
19 or lower...............Each time you succeed an Endurance check during a forced march you may take the healing surge loss that one companion would suffer by lightening their burden.
20-39......................You follow a steady pace. Spend X number of healing surges, where X determines how many extra hours your group can travel without the DC of the Endurance check increasing above 20. After this time however, the DC jumps to what it would have been if it were increasing all along.
40 or higher...............??

 

[Garthanos]

Yeah, I reduced the power a bit, make it a level 12, and renamed it "Call to Arms".

The extra ordinary effect of a larger number of people performing with heroic stature seems to have occurred in legend/history but the situations were rarish and mythic, I think the game should indeed enable rare and mythic things to happen... it could involve high level religion or diplomacy (... but never intimidation only the lower end of effects can be achieved that way) and if the effect is high enough on the skill as to seem like a critical hit... its actually kind of cool.
Powerful can be ok if it brings something cool to the table.

I'm working on the forced march rite, and it required me to ad lib some rules missing in the DMG. Thing is I'm having trouble figuring out how the rite benefits PCs at higher levels. Any ideas?

Remember as a rite / ritual the user only had to spend time and/or money to get it.. it isn't eating up a capability slot so if it doesn't benefit at higher levels it doesn't mean the ability isn't worthwhile.

I think Martial Rites frequently take more time to learn less money than Arcane and Religious rituals.

 

[Garthanos]

I was looking at signature weapon, you upped the power on it a bit making it more appealing, I'd say that is a good call.

Another signature weapon idea
It might always make its way back to its owner... if taken that person loses it or is forced to give it up to someone else who then has it stolen or it gets stuck in a wound (or in between floor stones after a severe attack).. or whatever and by seeming happen chance it eventually ends up in the hands of its rightful owner.

I can't remember who but somebody on this list had there world set up where objects might become spontaneously magical the subject of these rites would be prime targets for that effect.

 

[evilgenius8000]

There's a group of rituals in Mongoose Publishing's Quintessential Fighter which are, in fact, called "martial rituals" and are meant for the less magically inclined party members. I can't comment on their usefulness, unfortunately; I don't own the book.