Positive Conditions

[Kzach]

I've been considering this post ever since I first read it and I have to say that the more I think about it, the more excited I am about the entire concept of both positive conditions and save CONTINUES. This is something I genuinely hope to see in the future of D&D design.

 

[Stalker0]

Something like, "You're Awesome (save continues)"? Awesome characters get a +2 to defenses and attack rolls.

I have often thought that save continues effects would be an interesting duration to have.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

I have thought about this idea before, and I like it. But I never made anything out of it.

Random ideas:

• Enraged: You gain a +2/+4/+6 bonus to damage rolls and to strength ability and skill checks.
• Motiviated: You gain a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +1/+2/+3 bonus to skill checks.
• Inspired: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and a +2/+4/+6 bonus to skill checks.
• Focused: You gain a +2 bonus to attack rolls and a +2/+4/+6 bonus to damage rolls against one target.
• Cautios: You gain a +2/+4/+6 bonus to Perception checks and a +1 bonus to all defenses.

I think one argument against "Positive" conditions is that every positive condition is a standard game mechanical element you need to remember or cross-ference.

It's attractive ot just say "Hit: 1d8+WIS damage and one ally within 10 squares is focusd against the target until the end of its next turn". But it forces people to remember what "focused" does and cross-reference it.

It works for negative conditions, but even now there are some that most people probably don't remember correctly for some conditions (restrained comes to my mind.) Doubling up the number of distinct terms might be too much.

It would definitely require a very good name for each of the conditions to make them distinctive enough to remember subtilities. (My list might be a bad example.)

 

[SlimJim]

These 'conditions' are so simple that it doesn't really pay to have them as written out conditions. Most conditions are many things, which is why they're shortened into one word conditions.

 

[Morrus]

I did write a supplement covering a whole crapload of new 4E conditions (they're included in the 2010 EN World Annual), but it didn't occur to me to create positive conditions.

What an excellent idea!

 

[Crazy Jerome]

The problem with this lies in level comparison. Say the warlord (or similar leader classes) can inspire heroism. What happens when the level 30 dragon uses its fear aura? Can a heroic-tier heroism effect cancel an epic-tier fear effect? Or do the effects simply stack, like bonuses and penalties normally do? That would work, if the effects in question impart bonuses/penalties.

I'd consolidate the negative conditions, put them on a "disease track" kind of system, but then expand the track to cover the positive side. Now you don't have "stun" versus "in the zone". You have something like "battle awareness" with positive and negative adjustments possible. Opposite effects move you opposite on the track.

A 30th level dragon's fear doesn't mess around pushing you down the track. It just knocks you all the way to "fearfull". Positive "courage" from a relatively minor source bumps you up one spot at a time.