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Message: <blockquote data-quote="redrover" data-source="post: 4389214" data-attributes="member: 70799">Stances: Thanks so much! I guess I was so focused on feats, I stopped looking under powers. (*Double D’oh*) (*kicks self*) <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f631.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":o" title="Eek!    :o"  data-smilie="9"data-shortname=":o" />       Anyhow, what I thought about stances was wrong, so the word “stance” in my feat ideas should be replaced. Seems to affect Sundering Strike, Giant’s Throw, and Tipping.        I will just have to find another term to use when a move action is expended to set up a feat, which is then completed with a standard action. “Deliberate attack?” “Combination attack”? “Complex attack?” Hmm…       ((The concept would also fit an Aiming feat (sacrifice your move action for some bonus – better attack, better damage, better crit chance, etc. Maybe a feat chain that gives one of these at each Tier?) But that’s not really for minotaurs.))     General Note: Following and down with your comments up through ‘Beginning Feats. Cool.       FR Background Book: (*salivating*) Can’t wait!       Fork Thread: Maybe in future. Makes no sense to me to start a speculative discussion about stuff we know is in prep. IMO once we know it’s in prep, it’s too late for board talk to be useful—project is probably too far along. If someone from WotC was to start a thread…well, that would be different. As it is, I think it more useful to talk about topics that are not confirmed near completion.       Posts: Yeah, I write off-line, too. It’s just that sometime I get online and start editing a bit…       Horn Slash redux: Yep, I think it’s looking good.       Had a few new thoughts on the old unarmed/natural weapon/gore feat topic:       Unarmed vs. Gore Redux: I’ll take another stab at this concept from a slightly different angle. Remember the thought that the default should be the weakest attack?       Well, assume our weakest attack is the “generic” unarmed strike. No one would take one of these in deadly combat if a weapon was available. All nonspecific unarmed strikes deal the same amount of “generic” damage, as listed in the weapon tables. At this level, choice of unarmed attack mode (punch, kick, bite gore, etc.) is merely cosmetic and can be considered flavor description.       However, once we add a feat (or power) into this mix, we have added a definitional factor and an enhancement to a previously generic attack mode. The attack, when augmented by the feat, is no longer generic, by virtue of the special effects granted by the feat. Such an attack is better than the generic attack and may be a useful as a weapon attack.       The player’s choice to activate the feat has lifted the combat mode out of the “generic” category and into the category of a specific attack mode.   The attack can still be used generically if the feat is not used. However, if the feat is used, we have to look at the situation to see if the attack mode would be hindered or stopped by tactical factors.       If so, any local condition that stops the now-specific attack mode from being used also prevents the feat from being used. Another generic attack mode might be used according to the generic default attack rules, provided it is not also blocked by the existing tactical factor.       For example, Hammer Punch might be an unarmed combat power that delivers 2[W] + save vs. knockdown (prone), where the “weapon” is a hand dealing unarmed damage. The power might be an at-will, unlocked by the feat Pugilist.       Do we then get a whole path of attacks keyed to the feat Pugilist? How do you organize them in a book of say a dozen feat-based paths – by path, by chapter (feat chapter, power chapter), or some other scheme? Do we close a gateway feat or leave it infinitely expandable? How do advanced racial feats and powers fit into this scheme?     brief pause...     Khaalis: Did I mention that one impetus for the Tipping feat was your Mount thread? Will try to get a post up there over the weekend.       Raging Bull: Found a very old thread on half-orcs that I may weigh in on. Found an example in MM of same power with two different names: Minotaur Ferocity, Orc Death Blow. Recommended changing latter to Ferocity for the PC version, since a later Orc power is Inspire Ferocity.       If new Raging Bull is essentially the Human Berserker racial trait, I wonder if the existing MM name should be used. I’ve always thought it’s a bit confusing if the exact same ability has multiple names. Maybe should write around this. (Wag of the Finger to WotC for Dragonborn Senses, which locks what should be a generally available racial trait to one race).       Warforged: I’m pretty sure I don’t have access to DR364 here—is this material online?       Hunter’s Heritage, Fear: Well, a basic racial trait +2 save vs. fear is, perhaps, a little weaker than a +2 Skill bonus, since the application is more limited (but maybe not enough to be significant here) Let’s assume balance effect of "skill or save"  is a wash.       We already take Racial Skill bonus + Training + Focus for skills without batting an eye, so I don’t see a big balance issue here.       Running the numbers, a +2 racial fear save gives the minotaur a 10% advantage over humans on a fear save, which is a reasonable boost for a racial advantage, and a total of 65% recovery success. Adding the feat at +25% brings the total to 90% recovery vs. fear, with racial and feat bonuses essentially out of the mix for further boosts.        This primarily leaves power and magic bonuses to get the minotaur over 100% recovery from non-boosted fear effects after single round. As I recall, attributes don’t affect saves at all.        This (the 90% level) is rather where I would expect minotaurs to be at their default level, which is 10th. (I’d be more comfortable with 80-85% than 90%, but am willing to take 90% as a working outside limit).       Perhaps, doing the racial +2 and shifting the +5 save to Paragon Tier could be considered.       New Idea: While the following was inspired by the minotaur buffed vs. fear, it also might be useful to minotaurs less so.        <ul> <li data-xf-list-type="ul">Bull’s      Fortitude (Heroic)      Prerequisites: Minotaur      Benefit: When you suffer a fear effect that would normally make you      move (flee, shift, or so on), you can remain in your current square until      the end of your next turn. If you make your saving throw vs. fear at that      time, you recover normally; otherwise you suffer the forced movement.</li> </ul>      (Originally I wanted to call this “Shake It Off”, but that’s taken by the Warlord. Effectively, the minotaur at 100%+ vs. fear can be paused, but not run off, which speaks to racial stubbornness. The other significant aspect is that while he’s shaking it off, the minotaur is effectively pinned in his square, which has other tactical consequences.)        Natural Cunning/Hunter’s Heritage: I have long suggested NC be canned. But HH I think is a really core for the race.        I seem to recall that some of your earlier drafts had a +2 Perception bonus as a racial trait. However, I’ve been letting your versions overwrite instead of keeping a copy of each, so I have no way to check this.       (*scribbles in “Little Black Book of Design* “Keep all versions.”).       That said, the Alertness and Focus bonuses, anyone can get. Minotaurs have always had exceptional perception/senses as a race, so a nominal racial boost over what the general run of characters can expect seems reasonable to me.       In 4e, that’s pretty much a +2 racial boost.       I guess what it boils down to is: of three bonuses (perception, dungeon proficiency, and fear save), which two are most thematic. For a civilized minotaur (surface dwelling, ship competent), I’d go with perception and fear save. Your mileage may vary.       I must admit, I have not taken a close look at negative save modifiers in 4e yet. At my current knowledge level, I would expect to start running into -2 at Paragon and -4 at Epic, but that might be more 3e than 4e. Maybe I’ll shake loose some time to look at this.       Done for now. <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile    :)"  data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></blockquote>

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