Skill Stunts: Reloaded

[Alex319]

This is a system for "skill stunts" - special stunts that can be done using skills during combat - inspired by Stalker0's skill stunt system in this thread: http://www.enworld.org/forum/4e-fan-creations-house-rules/240732-skill-stunts.html but more streamlined.

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Skill Stunt Format

Check: The skill used and the required DC.
Action: The action required to use the skill stunt.
Success: The effect that happens on a success.
Failure: The effect that happens on a failure. If there is no Failure line, there is no effect on a failure, although the action is still spent and the stunt is still expended.
Bonus: A bonus effect that occurs if the DC is beaten by the indicated amount.

Acquiring Skill Stunts

Each character chooses one skill stunt tied to each skill in which he is trained. A character may choose an additional skill stunt (for a total of two) from each skill in which he has Skill Focus. Whenever a character acquires training or Skill Focus in a new skill, he chooses an additional skill stunt tied to that skill. Stunt choices can be reselected if desired using the normal retraining process.

Using Skill Stunts

To use skill stunts, players must spend “stunt points.” An Encounter Stunt Point (ESP) must be spent to use an encounter stunt, and a Daily Stunt Point (DSP) must be spent to use a daily stunt. Players have a maximum of one ESP and one DSP at heroic tier, two ESPs and two DSPs at paragon tier, and three ESPs and three DSPs at epic tier. ESPs reset to maximum after each short rest, and DSPs reset to maximum after each extended rest. Note that each individual stunt may still only be used once per encounter (or day if it is a daily stunt) regardless of the number of stunt points a character has.

Creating New Skill Stunts

Players should be encouraged to come up with creative new stunts to do with their skills. A general guideline for coming up with new stunts is that they should not duplicate the effect of attack powers. Characters already have plenty of ways of harming enemies using their class powers and attacks, and the purpose of the skill stunt system is to enable characters to do a wider variety of things, not to allow characters to simply pump up their damage dealing ability.
To determine an appropriate DC for a new skill stunt, use the guideline that If the stunt is as powerful as an Nth level utility power of the same type (encounter or daily) then its DC should be about 20+N.

The Stunts

Coming soon...

 

[Stalker0]

Alex, I think a combination of our two ideas could produce a good result.

For example, I like your idea of selecting a skill stunt with a trained skill, and one with skill focus.

But I think the stunt point idea is cumbersome and unneeded. But you could stick with my -5 to the skill for repeated stunts.

So if I have a high skill, that means I get to do my stunt frequently in combat. But since you only have a select number of stunts, you don't get the issue with a large amount of complexity you felt was present in my system.

 

[Syrsuro]

If I am reading this properly, I don't like the approach as much as I do Stalker0's approach.

My reading of this is that the character chooses a specific skill stunt and that is their 'thing' and only that (at least for a given skill). I.e. (using examples from Stalker's approach) if my Acrobatics stunt is "easy retreat" I don't have the option to "run the walls" if I need to get around a corner.

To me this is the antithesis of what skill stunts are for. They are not intended to simply give the players new powers and abilities.

They are intended to allow the players to 'think outside of the box' and come up with interesting ways to use their skills to interact with the environment. To open up the game and encourage innovation and creative play.

So an approach that actually places restrictions on what they can do - although very much in keeping with the 3.x design philosophy of codifying everything - is the precise opposite of what I want from a skill stunt system.

Or am I reading your system wrong?

Carl

 

[Alex319]

Stalker0:

I see what you're saying, but it still doesn't seem like it solves the problem of a very large amount of skill stunt uses per encounter. You're still going to be able to use a skill stunt 2-3 times per encounter for every trained skill, leading to a lot of skill stunts. The only difference is that now you have to use the same stunt for a particular skill every time.

The mechanic I was going for with the "stunt points" was similar to the mechanic used for magic item daily powers, where each one can only be used once and you have a limited number of uses of any of them per day. But you're right, that does seem to complicated and maybe should be simplified (after all, I've played with several people who were confused by the magic item daily power thing...)

Syrsuro:

You read my system correctly, but now that I think of it, you're probably right. It is probably a better idea to allow people to choose what skill stunt they can use on the fly. If you're only allowed to use one skill stunt per encounter, then that will reduce the slowdown enough.

 

[Alex319]

Skill Stunt System v.0.2:



Skill Stunt Format

Type: Whether the stunt is an encounter or a daily stunt.
Check: The skill used and the required DC.
Action: The action required to use the skill stunt.
Success: The effect that happens on a success.
Failure: The effect that happens on a failure. If there is no Failure line, there is no effect on a failure, although the action is still spent and the stunt is still expended.
Bonus: A bonus effect that occurs if the DC is beaten by the indicated amount.

Using Skill Stunts

Each character may use one encounter skill stunt per encounter, and one daily skill stunt per day. There are also the following feats that can be selected to increase the number of stunts players can use:

Stuntman (Heroic): The character may use one additional encounter skill stunt per encounter. This feat may be taken multiple times, and its effects stack. Regardless of this feat, a character may not use the same encounter skill stunt more than once per encounter.

Stunt Expert (Heroic): The character may use one additional daily skill stunt per day. This feat may be taken multiple times, and its effects stack. Regardless of this feat, a character may not use the same daily skill stunt more than once per day.

Creating New Skill Stunts

Players should be encouraged to come up with creative new stunts to do with their skills. A general guideline for coming up with new stunts is that they should not duplicate the effect of attack powers. Characters already have plenty of ways of harming enemies using their class powers and attacks, and the purpose of the skill stunt system is to enable characters to do a wider variety of things, not to allow characters to simply pump up their damage dealing ability.
To determine an appropriate DC for a new skill stunt, use the guideline that If the stunt is as powerful as an Nth level utility power of the same type (encounter or daily) then its DC should be about 20+N.

The Stunts

Coming soon...

 

[Stalker0]

Stalker0:

I see what you're saying, but it still doesn't seem like it solves the problem of a very large amount of skill stunt uses per encounter. You're still going to be able to use a skill stunt 2-3 times per encounter for every trained skill, leading to a lot of skill stunts.

Keep in mind, the DCs presented originally are not easy. Even a DC 20 going to 25 becomes very challenging. Now sure a person how takes skill focus and has a racial bonus will be better, but...isn't that the point of getting those bonuses?

 

[Alex319]

Okay, now for what you've all been waiting for, the stunts:

Acrobatics:

Quick Maneuver (Minor Action, Encounter, DC 20):

Success: Shift one square.

Bonus: For every 5 points by which you beat the DC, you can shift one additional square.

Around The Corner (Free Action, Encounter, DC 20):

Success: You can move diagonally between two spaces even if one (but not both) of the spaces that is adjacent to both the start and the end space has an obstacle in it. (This power only allows you to ignore the obstacle; it doesn't by itself give you any movement.) This benefit lasts only for a single square of movement.

Bonus: If you beat the DC by at least 5, the benefit lasts until the beginning of your next turn. If you beat the DC by at least 10, the benefit lasts until the end of your next turn.

Arcana:

Counterspell (Immediate Interrupt, Encounter, DC = Target's Will Defense)

Trigger: When an opponent starts casting a spell.

Success: The opponent's spell does not function. The action the target used to cast the spell is still used up, although the spell is not expended.

Bonus: If you beat the DC by 10 or more, the spell is expended.

Athletics:

Scaling Attack (Encounter, Standard Action, DC 20, must be adjacent to a climbable surface):

Success: You scale the wall quickly and coming crashing down on your opponent in a powerful and unexpected attack. Make a melee basic attack with a +2 modifier to the damage roll. You are considered to have combat advantage for this attack.

Bonus: For each 10 points by which you beat the DC, increase the damage bonus by 2.

Special: Any modifiers that may apply to climb the surface apply to the DC of the check.

Quick Charge (Encounter, Standard Action, DC 20)

Success: You charge, but you move one square instead of two or more squares.

Failure: You still move one square and make a melee basic attack, but you receive a -4 penalty on the attack roll and it does not count as a charge.

Bluff:

Feint (Encounter, Standard Action, DC = target's Will defense)

Success: Select either yourself or one ally. The target grants combat advantage to the player you selected until the beginning of your next turn.

Special: You may perform this as a move action by taking a -5 to the check, or a minor action by taking a -10 to the check.

Diplomacy:

With the Army We Have (Daily, Standard Action, DC 20)

Success: You rally your allies to fight despite being faced with overwhelming odds. Until the end of the encounter, you and all allies gain an attack bonus of +1 for each level the encounter is over their own during any attack they make using an action point.

Bonus: If you beat the DC by 5 or more, then if the encounter is 2 or more levels above their own, each player gains an additional +1 to all attack rolls made during that encounter.
If you beat the DC by 10 or more, then if the encounter is 3 or more levels above their own, each player gains a free action point that is lost it not spent by the end of the encounter.
If you beat the DC by 15 or more, then if the encounter is 4 or more levels above their own, players may spend up to two action points in this encounter rather than one.

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More coming soon...