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Message: <blockquote data-quote="GlaziusF" data-source="post: 4509722" data-attributes="member: 74166">It came to my attention that while the original document was nicely organized, it was very hard to follow for the casual reader. Therefore:You And StuntingA companion document to "Stunting And You", this is a quick guide to using the system, as opposed to just how it's organized.Step 1: Pick a CategoryThe stunt system is a way to model dramatic stunts. It does offer characters more flexibility, but its main intent is to put up a framework for all those crazy stunts you already have in mind but aren't quite sure how or if you can pull off. So here are the three categories of stunts and what they're trying to model. Once you've picked a category, move on to step 2.Modified ChargeThe main focus of a modified charge is movement. Stunts that involve moving in unusual ways to get into position for an attack will be pretty well modeled under the modified charge, whether it's sliding down a banister, bulling through difficult rubble, running up a wall -- even grabbing a rope to swing out to attack and back again. If you don't want to make an attack at the end of the charge, but instead something like a bull rush, keep the modified charge in mind but consider a setup attack instead.Setup AttackThe setup attack is about delivering damage or effects to a single target that don't necessarily come from your weapon. Sliding on a slick floor to body-check an enemy, tapping into an arcane ward to lash out with force, or clouting an enemy on the head to daze it are all covered by setup attacks. Setup attacks can also be used to hit something in the middle of movement, either as a standard action or a free action. Setup attacks can incorporate charges, but have a greater variety at the impact point than a charge attack. They don't do very high damage and can't be used against multiple targets - if you want to overcome those limitations, use a freeform attack.Freeform AttacksFreeform attacks need a stunt point to perform, but in exchange can spread over a wide area, do a lot of damage, or have powerful effects. They're for the big things, like toppling over a crumbling pillar, loosening the bolt on a water tower to bring it crashing down, or invoking a local deity to shed a blinding flash of light. Range doesn't matter much for freeform attacks, but the mandatory stunt point makes them overkill for stuff that isn't so impressive.Step 2: Lay the GroundworkNow that you've decided what category your stunt's in, you need to decide what you're going to be rolling to pull it off - what skill check or ability check will set it up, and how the followup attack (if any) will work. The skill check should relate to the process of the stunt, somehow. Athletics and Acrobatics are both pretty good bases for stunts, but some scenarios may suggest other skills. Free-form attacks especially leave things wide open.The followup attack is already decided for you in a charge, but a necessary component of setup attacks and an optional part of freeform attacks. You can make a weapon attack vs. AC, a Str or Con attack vs. Fort, a Dex or Int attack vs. Ref, or a Wis or Cha attack vs. Will. When used as part of a setup attack, a Str or Con attack is melee range, and the other attribute attacks have a slightly longer range. When used as part of a freeform attack, all followup attacks have the same range.Once you've decided what skill to roll to see if you pull off the attack, and what attack comes after that, move on toStep 3: Pile On BenniesThis is why you're stunting to begin with, right? Doing more than you could with your normal attacks. This is where you start racking up difficulty. Here are some notable beneficial elements for each type of attack.For a charge attack, the main draw is motion. You can extend your normal movement range, avoid opportunity attacks, plow through difficult terrain like it weren't there, move in decidedly non-straight lines, even temporarily "fly" to reach heights and cross chasms. Or do most of the above by going round trip. But there are attack benefits too, like making your charge from a surprising angle (say, right through a smoke cloud) or using one of your melee at-will powers instead of a basic melee attack.For a followup attack, you can spend a little difficulty boosting the range on ranged attacks or changing which defense your attack targets. If you're making the attack at the end of a charge you can add in whatever charge benefits you'd like as well. Something you'll almost certainly want is to make the followup a "practiced" attack, with a bonus of +2 per tier. This parallels a bonus you might get from a magic weapon or implement, since there aren't magic charging shoulders or head-bonking gauntlets. But the big draw is the damage and effect components. Damage can actually drop difficulty if you're okay with hitting weakly (the standard damage expressions are on page 42 of your DMG) but effects are pure bennie. Everything from pushing somebody around or knocking them prone to restraining, blinding, or stunning them, if you're willing to take the difficulty.In addition to the damage and effect components, a big draw of freeform attacks is their area target ability. You can drop an area burst, unleash a blast, or lay down a wall effect if you want to model something like a collapsing column which will hit a long, narrow range.Freeform attacks can deal any kind of elemental damage you want, since you're burning the stunt point, but if a followup attack deals elemental damage to a monster that takes more damage or suffers an effect like slowing from an elemental type, you need to work the damage and effects like you were trying to deliver them in the first place. Because, uh, you are.Step 4: Scale Down DifficultyThe last thing you want to use to bring difficulty to 0 or below is the check, so after you've gotten all the bennies you wanted, add on enough negative components to bring things down to 3, 2, or 1 for a hard, medium, or easy check, respectively. Having trouble getting it that low? Charges have balance components, where you fall over if you honk the charge or just grant combat advantage for a turn. The attack can also be made as a penalty. You can do that for followup attacks too, as long as they're not 'practiced'. For followup and free-form attacks, you can scale back on the damage the attack does, or if it's hit bottom already, add a backlash component to risk that you'll suffer the damage or effects you were trying to inflict on a failure. Backlash doesn't get any more negative with stronger effects, though, so keep that in mind.You can also require that a freeform attack succeed at a followup attack roll to hit. You can tweak this roll by making it "practiced" or target a different defense, but if you make it too easy you might end up making up the drop in difficulty and then some.You always take 3 points off the difficulty of a freeform attack, since you spend a stunt point to make one, but if you're having trouble bringing a modified charge or followup attack within skill distance, consider spending a stunt point.</blockquote>

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