Please critique these tactical powers

[alvrod]

Hello

I'm thinking to use these new powers in my game. I'd love to hear your thoughts on whether they are balanced and would work well. The point is to give the players a couple of tactical choices supported by the mechanics. I'm doubting whether to give them for free to everyone or to require a feat to get them and would be specially interested to know your thoughts on that.

So, here they are.

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Jump Back Utility 1
You yield ground to avoid damage
At Will
Immediate reaction
Trigger: You are hit by a melee attack
Requirement: There is a movement legal square behind you
Effect: Take half damage. The attacker pushes you 1 square. If the square you move into is difficult terrain, you are prone.
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The point of this power is to simulate you jumping back when being attacked to avoid the attacker. It's at-will but very tactical because often you won't have a legal square behind you. It also gives a mechanic where you get a benefit to "cornering" your opponent or ganging up on him, because then he won't be able to use it.

Another option would be to have it work like this:
Immediate interrupt
Trigger: You are hit by a melee attack
Requirement: There is a legal square behind you
Effect: Get a +2 to relevant defense. The attacker pushes you 1 square. If the square you move into is difficult terrain, you are prone.

Which one would you think would work best? Is half damage or +2 to Def the proper modifier?

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Suppression Fire Utility 1
This is my square. There are many like it but this one is mine.
At Will
Standard Action Any attack
Target: One square within range
Effect: Until the beginning of your next turn, any creature entering your square gives you an Opportunity Attack at +2 to attack, even if the creature entered it by shifting or being forcefully moved.
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So you spend your standard action and threaten one square. It even works with ranged weapons or powers so a wizard could do it with his Magic Missile. This also allows for defensive formation tactics. A line of Fighters in a narrow passage could easily keep a lot of enemies at bay this way, because of their Combat Superiority. And it's very tactical since you only threaten one square.

I also wonder if the +2 to attack is balanced. It represents your increased chances to hit since you're focusing on attacking anything that enters that square. Maybe it would be more balanced if using it provoked OAs as well?

Thanks for any comments . If anyone has links to other similar tactical powers, preferably powers that can be given to all combatants for free.

 

[DanmarLOK]

Actually there's a house rule class out there that has a power like suppression fighter, I forget the name of the class, I'll search my site and dig it out. The concept of the class was a controller who controls zones to help control monsters.

Jump back at first look doesn't seem too bad but on reflection the +2 defense immediate interrupt seems the better of the two. Since it's an immediate interrupt that is planned to negate the damage or simply add +2 to the defense against the attack roll that caused it and if the +2 would cause the attack to fail it fails?

I think it needs limitations though (as pictures of a combat of jumping beans comes to mind) of some sort. Perhaps something as extreme as (weakened until the end of your next turn (save avoids))? Yes you can avoid a hit but you have a 45% chance to deal half damage your next turn. That makes it primarily a defensive tactic.

Just a thought.

 

[alvrod]

Actually there's a house rule class out there that has a power like suppression fighter, I forget the name of the class, I'll search my site and dig it out. The concept of the class was a controller who controls zones to help control monsters.

That's interesting, I'd like that link! However the point here is to give this options to everyone, not just one class.

Jump back at first look doesn't seem too bad but on reflection the +2 defense immediate interrupt seems the better of the two. Since it's an immediate interrupt that is planned to negate the damage or simply add +2 to the defense against the attack roll that caused it and if the +2 would cause the attack to fail it fails?

The point is that if the +2 to defense causes the original attack roll to miss, then the attack fails, otherwise it hits. However usually the player won't know whether the +2 is enough to cause the attack to miss or not!

I think it needs limitations though (as pictures of a combat of jumping beans comes to mind) of some sort. Perhaps something as extreme as (weakened until the end of your next turn (save avoids))? Yes you can avoid a hit but you have a 45% chance to deal half damage your next turn. That makes it primarily a defensive tactic.

That could be an option, I had thought of limiting Jump Back to characters in light armor but adding a condition seems better actually. And maybe even adding your armor check penalty to the saving throw.

Thanks for your thoughts. Do you think these can be balanced to give for free to everyone?

 

[Alex319]

The point is that if the +2 to defense causes the original attack roll to miss, then the attack fails, otherwise it hits. However usually the player won't know whether the +2 is enough to cause the attack to miss or not!

IIRC, it was specifically stated that powers that provide defense bonuses after the attack is rolled are intended to be used after you know the roll and so know whether or not the plus will make a difference. Also, many DMs tell players what the attack roll was so the players can say if it hit (avoiding the DM having to remember all the PCs' defense values). It's probably not worth changing this just for the sake of one power.

Also, there are a few problems with making it a "push" (forced movement): Dwarves can negate it (so they can get the benefits without even having to move back!) it can be used even if immobilized (makes no sense), the enemy can choose where to move it (so he can choose to try to push him into a pit, when logically the jumping back player could choose where to jump back to).

What I would suggest is to reword the power as "the attacker pushes you one square" as "Shift one square to a position that is not adjacent to the attacker. You are allowed to shift into difficult terrain, but if you do, you fall prone. If you successfully shift, take half damage from the attack."

 

[alvrod]

Alright, thank you for your thoughts, I'm considering them in this reformulation:

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Jump Back Utility 1
You yield ground to avoid damage
At Will
Immediate reaction
Trigger: You are hit by a melee attack
Effect: Shift one square to a position that is not adjacent to the attacker. You are allowed to shift into difficult terrain, but if you do, you fall prone. If you successfully shift, you take half damage from the attack and are weakened until the end of your next turn.
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Suppression Fire Utility 1
This is my square. There are many like it but this one is mine.
At Will
Standard Action * Any attack
Target: One square within range
Effect: Until the beginning of your next turn, any creature entering your square gives you an Opportunity Attack at +2 to attack, even if the creature entered it by shifting or being forcefully moved.
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I think these would be balanced enough to give away to everyone. It will allow my players to have more tactical options and to react to attacks. So I'm quite happy with it .

Do you guys know of similar powers? That is, balanced tactical options to give players more options in combat.