Power design: Weapon locking

[Rechan]

I had an idea for a monster's thematic power. The idea is a sword fighter with something like a sai or sword-breaker in the off hand. Or one of those sequences where the two guys lock swords and push until one yields.

The idea being that the monster uses the power, and now the target cannot use powers with the Weapon keyword.

Although that feels a little clunky. Suggestion?

 

[Bagpuss]

You might want to look at the Sticky Shield ability of the Kuo-toa creatures in the Monster Manual. They have a disarm technique.

 

[FireLance]

How about making it work off grab? When the power hits, the target is grabbed and cannot use a weapon that he is wielding until escape. The target may also escape the grab as a free action by releasing his weapon, but if he does so, the weapon drops in the creature's space.

 

[Rechan]

You might want to look at the Sticky Shield ability of the Kuo-toa creatures in the Monster Manual. They have a disarm technique.

No, I don't want to Disarm. It's more like 'Make a save or you can't use this weapon'.

Look at the Fey Knight. 'Stab of the Entangling Wind'; the fey knight makes an attack with his longsword, the target is restrained, but the knight can't use the sword until the target is no longer restrained.

Similar, except that it's the other way around; the target can't use their weapon.

How about making it work off grab? When the power hits, the target is grabbed and cannot use a weapon that he is wielding until escape. The target may also escape the grab as a free action by releasing his weapon, but if he does so, the weapon drops in the creature's space.

That may very well work.

 

[Bagpuss]

Well your first issue is Sword-breakers break swords, which is a no no in 4th Ed. So you might be better having it as a cloak or some other such device that only binds the weapon.

Then do you want to have it as an attack form (like the Fey Knight) or a parry (like the Sticky Shield).

Do you want it to be automatically successful (say an immediate interrupt on a miss), or have a chance of failure? Also like the Fey Knight and unlike the Sticky Shield, while it is active the power should not be able to be used again.

Want conditions do you want attached? Immobilized or Restrained. I can see reasons for using either.

To me it sounds like should be a defensive action and thus a immediate reaction or interrupt on a missed attack. You could then apply the Restrained condition, with the additional provision that the weapon used that missed cannot be used to make further attacks. The Restrained Condition can be removed by dropping the weapon.

Dropping a Weapon is virtually no penalty at all though since it is only a minor action to pick it up, and it doesn't even provoke OA. Unless it drops in the enemies space in which case that would be a pretty powerful ability. Note the kuo-to is level 12 and drops it in your space, so you only waste a minor action.

 

[Revinor]

Be very careful with action denial tied to specific types of attack. 4th edition has done away with antimagic fields for a reason.

If you want to do something like this at all, consider having it also working with implements (wand could be also 'disarmed', Harry Potter Expelliarmus comes to mind ).

 

[Mithreinmaethor]

The player could just free action release the weapon and either punch using their powers or draw a second weapon and use their powers

 

[DanmarLOK]

Maybe something like:

Chain Attack
+X vs AC; xdx+x; on a hit the creaturename can make a secondary attack, Entangling Chains.
Entangling Chains (encounter)
+X vs Ref; on a hit the target loses the use of the weapon or implement it is holding (save ends).

 

[DracoSuave]

Weapon Lock, recharge no target is restrained by Weapon Lock
+x vs AC, xdx+x damage and a secondary attack.
Secondary attack +x-2 vs Reflex, target is restrained and weakened (save ends both). Target may drop his weapon to end both conditions.


That said, this is one of the few situations where Swordbond actually is good.

 

[Cadfan]

Its a home brew monster, so it only has to be good enough for YOU to work it.

So you can probably just go with something like, attack v reflex, on a hit, your weapon is locked, unless you let go of the weapon in which case you haven't got it anymore. As long as your weapon is locked, the enemy can't use this power again because his weapon is locked as well. If you make a strength check versus your enemy's fortitude, you can pull your weapon free.

That's clunky, but it only has to work at one gaming table, and it only has to work for a villain. If you wanted a power for a PC to use, it would need to be properly balanced and carefully thought out, but in this case all you need is a memorable tactic for a bad guy.