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Message: <blockquote data-quote="catastrophic" data-source="post: 5666144" data-attributes="member: 81381">Hey all, i've been toying with a monster idea, so I thought i'd share it. THE MANO-A-MANO The Mano-a-Mano is a monster with the tactical role of a soldier, but what's different about this monster is the narrative role they play in the story of the battle.  The MaM is designed to operate as a duellist- a melee combatant who engages a single PC in a dramatic one on one battle, which is somewhat detached from the broader combat.  The MaM can be used to play the role of the personal nemesis of a warrior, or just the kind of classic big nasty bruiser that heroes of a certain bent often find them self facing in their adventures. A concept like this can make for good spotlight time if handled well, but can go poorly if it's too restrictive, or simply not successful- which is why I designed this monster to fit the niche This 'sub-role' is a departure to normal 4e combat, which is, rightfully dominated by teamwork- but this has some unintended consequences when you try and create the dramatically appropriate one-on-one duel. The monster is built to give the duel some room, without the rest of the party detracting too much from the confrontation by trying to help out- but without punishing them too harshly for doing so. Essentially what I'm going for here is soft isolation that makes the duel the optimal tactical choice for the party. If the party gets involved a little bit, that's fine, but they're probably better off tackling other targets. I've made the monster as a level 6 soldier with mm3 math, dealing average damage+effects and focused mainly on movement and bonus attacks. I'm not using stats or skill for the monster, because that's going to be more down to their character details. The 'flavour' of the monster's powers is that of two humanoid combatants locked in a whirling, chaotic melee a close range. As they battle, their rapid movements and position make it difficult for their allies to lend a hand, and those coming close are met with aggressive response by the MaM, who jealously guards their chosen prey, even from their allies! The 'zone of carnage' is not magical, but represents the fact that anyone in the melee is moving rapidly about the space in question, and very close to one another. Here's the design- there's some more analysis after the monster block if you're interested. Of course, feedback and alternatives are welcome, as this is a perpetual work in progress. <img src="http://elfgame.catastrophegames.com/pics/Mano-a-Mano.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " data-size="" style="" /> Duels can be problematic in most tactical rpgs, including 4e. On one hand, a dramatic one on one duel to the death is usually not feasible in a normal, challenging fight- for most roles, even isolating strikers, the aid being given by defenders, leaders, and controllers is pivotal to winning the fight. This causes a conflict between two of the main play-styles- on the one hand, people after a dramatic confrontation, on the other hand, people wanting to perform as well as possible in combat.  But on the other hand, if you create a 'set piece' which for instance, isolates a single hero from the group so they can duel with a nemesis, then against the system doesn't support this easily, because roles tend to get in the way. Some strikers can stand up well in a solo fight, but also tend to be vulnerable- some even have isolation mechanics that are useless if there aren't other foes on the battlefield. OTOH many defender classes might seem to fit a duel, but often don't do well without an ally to protect. And of course, too much DM fiat defining the battlefield like this can wear thin for some players. This monster design isn't a perfect solution for these problems, but rather an attempt to create a space in a battle where a pc can have a decent amount of 'alone time' with a foe, in the way that is often seen in various action movies and other works. One might argue that the 'lone hero' is not the default narrative for 4e or rpgs in general- but rps should be flexible enough to give people these sorts of 'genre moments' if it is possible to do so. The monster's design is restricted to melee combat- a ranged duel may be viable, but would need a very different design. Unfortunately, a viable core 'duellist' role mechanic seems unlikely, and although a duellist monster role might be viable, ultimately such monsters operate as soldiers by definition. ModificationChanging the level of the monster would mainly be about the basic math, and giving them more movement and forced movement. Some dms might want to give the MaM a bit more damage, or bit more 'shrug off' to avoid being stunlocked or otherwise neutralised. Others may want to remove one of the shrug off effects, or limit nemesis slide to once per round or turn.  A 'signature attack' with additional effects is also a good option to add, but that would depend on your campaign and the character the monster is used to portray. This is a long-ish monster sheet, but the mechanics are relatively straightforward, so adding a single signiature attack is simple enough.</blockquote>

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