Paragon Path: Amok Destroyer

[the Jester]

Feedback, please- is this overpowered? I am not sure, given the drawbacks that growing large and "Hulking out" gives..

AMOK DESTROYER

“Even my powers of destruction pale before those of the tarrasque!”
Prerequisites: Barbarian class

Over two thousand years ago, a handful of terrible monsters called the tarrasques descended upon the island of Forinthia, ravaging it with incredible ferocity. Nobody could stand before them; they slew thousands of people and panicked millions more into fleeing from their homes. Armies, monsters, guerillas, adventurers- all fell like wheat before the scythe of the tarrasques.

Forinthia was devastated, its populace slain or driven out, its buildings crushed, its cities exterminated. It took centuries before a powerful cabal of beings managed to overthrow the last three tarrasques and allowed a trickle of people to return to the island that had been the center of a great empire for centuries.

Both on Forinthia and on the various islands and continents that the Forinthians had fled to, a cult revering the power of the tarrasques took root. After all, what was more worthy of emulation than such powerful beasts? Even when the established church strove to drive the cult underground, it survived and flourished in hiding.

You have stumbled onto the lore of this cult. Even though you may have little use for ancient secrets, the techniques and maneuvers that you have learned from the cult will serve you well in destroying those things that stand in your way.

AMOK DESTROYER PATH FEATURES
Amok Action (11th level): When you spend an action point to attack, you first grow one size category to a minimum of large size, pushing any adjacent creatures to be adjacent to your new space. If there is not sufficient room for you to grow to large size, you still grow, but are considered to be squeezing until you have enough room for your space. This gives you +1 on melee reach and attacks, a damage bonus on melee attacks equal to your Strength bonus, and a -2 penalty to AC and Reflex defenses. You remain large sized until the end of your next turn.
Destructive Fury (11th level): You gain a +5 bonus on Strength checks that you make to break objects, including breaking through doors, walls, etc.
Immense Strike (16th level): When you hit an enemy and you are large sized or bigger, you also push that enemy 1. If you score a critical hit, you instead push that enemy 2.


AMOK DESTROYER EVOCATIONS

Run Amok--- Amok Destroyer Attack 11
You attack the foe before you and then charge towards another.
Encounter; Primal, Weapon
Standard Action; Ranged 10
Primary Target: One creature.
Primary Attack: Strength vs. AC.
Hit: 2 [W] + Strength bonus damage.
Effect: You move 4, ending adjacent to an enemy other than the primary target. Make a secondary attack.
Secondary Target: One creature other than the primary target.
Secondary Attack: Strength vs. AC.
Hit: 2 [W] + Strength bonus damage.

Sudden Growth--- Amok Destroyer Utility 12
Your body suddenly swells to great size.
Encounter; Primal
Standard Action; Personal
Effect: You grow one size category to a minimum of large size, pushing any adjacent creatures to be adjacent to your new space. If there is not sufficient room for you to grow to large size, you still grow, but are considered to be squeezing until you have enough room for your space. This gives you +1 on melee reach and attacks, a damage bonus on melee attacks equal to your Strength bonus, and a -2 penalty to AC and Reflex defenses. You remain large sized until the end of your next turn.
Sustain Minor: The effect persists.

Rage of the Tarrasque--- Amok Destroyer Attack 20
With a roar, you enter a frenzied state capable of shattering walls or other objects.
Daily; Primal, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee weapon
Target: One creature.
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude.
Hit: 4 [W] + Strength modifier damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: Until the end of the encounter, when you attack an object, you deal an extra 3 [W] damage.

 

[radja]

first thing I noticed:
sudden growth and amok action should not stack. I would change amok action and keep sudden growth (it's already an encounter power, so you can grow in each encounter anyway).

some ideas for amok action:
-when you spend an action point, you can make a basic melee attack against any target in reach as a free action.
-when you spend an action point, you also get an extra standard action the next round.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

first thing I noticed:
sudden growth and amok action should not stack. I would change amok action and keep sudden growth (it's already an encounter power, so you can grow in each encounter anyway).

some ideas for amok action:
-when you spend an action point, you can make a basic melee attack against any target in reach as a free action.
-when you spend an action point, you also get an extra standard action the next round.

It would probably the easiest to let Amok Destroyer and the Action Point feature be the same thing.

Maybe: When you spend an Action Point to gain an extra action, you can immediately use the Amok Destroyer power. You can use the power even before you gained it as utility power, and using it with this ability does not expend the power.

Amok Destroyer Attack is somewhat similar to the Sword Marshall (or a simliar named Warlord Paragon Path) Encounter Power, IIRC. It might be too strong compared to that. I think that power is basically 2W Attack + Shift + 1W Attack. It would probably be okay to replace "Shift" with "move 4" since move means you provoke opportunity attacks (even if you get further.)

Of course, in the end you have to consider the whole package, and not compare power by power (especially since the Warlord is no Striker). But I think the powers are pretty good.

What you could do is reduce the damage to 1W+STR (maybe +CON?), but add a special benefit, like gaining Threatening Reach until the start of your next turn. If combined with a reach weapon and/or the Sudden Growth, this would be a nice extra.

 

[Starfox]

You have stumbled onto the lore of this cult. Even though you may have little use for ancient secrets, the techniques and maneuvers that you have learned from the cult will serve you well in destroying those things that stand in your way.

The italicized part makes no sense to me; you are sure using their secrets, what you might not care for is their dogma.

 

[Turtlejay]

Encounter powers with sustain are basically always on. I'd make the utility a daily. Especially with the effect of adding str damage, that is basically 2xstr to every attack. If the barbarian multis fighter for come and get it, which they should if they take this PP, then. . .wow. they are now able to be adjacent 50% more creatures, and do double the strength damage. Every encounter.

Jay

 

[EP]

Seems that if it's for a barbarian, connecting it to a rage power makes the most sense. What about this?

AMOK DESTROYER PATH FEATURES
Amok Action (11th level): When you spend an action point to attack, you can push a number of targets equal to your Strength modifier one square. If there are less targets adjacent to you than your Strength modifier, you can push those available targets additional squares until you reach your Strength modifier. For example, if your Strength modifier is +5, you can push up to 5 targets. If there are only 3 targets adjacent to you, then you can push 2 targets an additional square or one target by 2 more squares.
Destructive Fury (11th level): You gain a +5 bonus on Strength checks that you make to break objects, including breaking through doors, walls, etc.
Immense Strike (16th level): If you target uses a shield or cover, you can inflict 1[W] less damage to remove the target's AC bonus from the shield or cover until the end of your next turn.

AMOK DESTROYER EVOCATIONS

Run Amok--- Amok Destroyer Attack 11
You attack the foe before you and then charge towards another.
Encounter; Primal, Weapon
Standard Action; Ranged 10
Primary Target: One creature.
Primary Attack: Strength vs. AC.
Hit: 2 [W] + Strength bonus damage.
Effect: You move 4, ending adjacent to an enemy other than the primary target. Make a secondary attack.
Secondary Target: One creature other than the primary target.
Secondary Attack: Strength vs. AC.
Hit: 2 [W] + Strength bonus damage.

Howl of Tremors--- Amok Destroyer Utility 12
Your body suddenly swells to great size.
Encounter; Fear, Primal
Minor Action Close blast 3
Target: All enemies within the blast
Effect: All squares within the blast are considered difficult terrain until the end of your next turn. Any targets must remain equal distance from you until they make a saving throw. If you approach, they must use their next move action to maintain that distance at a minimum.

Rage of the Tarrasque--- Amok Destroyer Attack 20
With a roar, you enter a frenzied state capable of shattering walls or other objects.
Daily; Primal, Weapon
Standard Action; Melee weapon
Target: One creature.
Attack: Strength vs. Fortitude.
Hit: 4 [W] + Strength modifier damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: You grow one size category to a minimum of large size, pushing any adjacent creatures to be adjacent to your new space. If there is not sufficient room for you to grow to large size, you still grow, but are considered to be squeezing until you have enough room for your space. This gives you +1 on melee reach and attacks, a damage bonus on melee attacks equal to your Strength bonus, and a -2 penalty to AC and Reflex defenses. You remain large sized until the end of your next turn.

 

[Starfox]

Immense Strike (16th level): If you target uses a shield or cover, you can inflict 1[W] less damage to remove the target's AC bonus from the shield or cover until the end of your next turn.

The problem with ignoring shields is that AC is not calculated this way in 4E, especially not for monsters. 4E AC is monolithic; it doesn't consist of different parts like in 3E. There are no touch attacks or attacks that ignore Dex modifier, shield modifier, or non-force armor, or any other part of total AC any more. If you want to emulate a 3E touch attack, you make it an attack against Reflex or another NAD.

 

[EP]

The problem with ignoring shields is that AC is not calculated this way in 4E, especially not for monsters. 4E AC is monolithic; it doesn't consist of different parts like in 3E. There are no touch attacks or attacks that ignore Dex modifier, shield modifier, or non-force armor, or any other part of total AC any more. If you want to emulate a 3E touch attack, you make it an attack against Reflex or another NAD.

But it does increase a target's AC. Since a fair bit of the original Amok Destroyer involved destroying objects, it seemed more functional to take this power and apply it practically in combat. The amok destroyer bashes shields and smashes solid objects a target hides behind thereby making him easier to hit. It's actually more designed to counter monsters using cover but shields work just as well if the GM put on in their hand.

Now that I think about it, there should be something for superior cover in there too. Being able to reduce AC by 5 at that level seems a little overbalanced.

 

[the Jester]

So here are a few of my thoughts and changes, given your guys' feedback.

I think I'll drop it down to a daily- that's still pretty darn good. With a sustain minor thrown in, that makes a 12th level amok destroyer big for 1 combat + 1 round +1 round per milestone in each day. Adding the enlargement ability to the rage of the tarrasque ability makes it 2 combats + 1 round + 1 round per milestone. That seems pretty well on target to me.

Regarding the damage of Run Amok- I believe that a total of 4 [W] split between two targets is about on par with other barbarian paragon paths. Now I'll admit that I didn't exactly re-read every single one of them, but I did skim a representative sample in the Compendium.

I'm not going to do any shield-breaking stuff in this paragon path.

Thanks for the feedback!