The Confessor.

[Zaukrie]

Some incomplete thoughts, as I'm at work:

One possibility, to avoid the save and die effect, is to treat it like a disease, whose power over the target progresses with time.


Confessor's Caress:
1d6 plus stun (save ends, first failed save leads to confessors love).

Confessor's love:
Target saves each x (hour, day, week? - depends on how powerful you want it) - Target automatically "saves with a 20" if the confessor attacks the target.

First failed save: devoted - will protect confessor from any attack
2nd failed save: dominated....


another idea is to change confessors so they get more powerful over time.

level 1 at will could cause 1D6 and stun
level 5 could cause more damage and stun and devoted (as above)
level 10.....dominate - save ends.....

 

[Garthanos]

That does not give any of the flavor of the characters in the story...

I think I have an alternative solution which sort of re-allows save or die effects. It is a semi generic rule for extreme effects basically a hero may spend a healing surges worth of hit points to auto save against an effect, how they describe minimizing, avoiding or evading the effect becomes up to them, luck can intervene in some unusal ways.

While a confession has no normal minimal form so most would need be described as luck intervening or skilled last ditch effort to avoid the grasp.

The wierd circumstance of minimizing being minionized by one of the other PC's could be seen as revealing they have loved the other pc truly from the moment they saw them... ie Richard

 

[GothicProphet]

To elaborate further we could call her attack.
Confessors Grab: Confessor
Everyone knows the confessors touch amounts to death and avoid it even in non conbat situations with there very last bit of energy, even most animals sense this truth.
At-Will ✦ Martial
Standard Action melee
Target: One creature
Attack: Dexterity vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d8 + Dexterity modifier damage, and the target takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls against the confessor until the end of your next turn.
Level 21: 2d8 + Dexterity modifier "damage."
If the targets hitpoints are driven to zero or below by this attack the confessor has transformed you into her minion. This transformational effect can only be done once per day.

This attack or in some ways the threat of it is used as an offhand weapon attack in a dual weapon fighting style used by heroic confessors.

This idea certainly has merit and is one I'd be willing to entertain for the constraints of 4e's mechanics.

I think I have an alternative solution which sort of re-allows save or die effects. It is a semi generic rule for extreme effects basically a hero may spend a healing surges worth of hit points to auto save against an effect, how they describe minimizing, avoiding or evading the effect becomes up to them, luck can intervene in some unusal ways.

While a confession has no normal minimal form so most would need be described as luck intervening or skilled last ditch effort to avoid the grasp.

The wierd circumstance of minimizing being minionized by one of the other PC's could be seen as revealing they have loved the other pc truly from the moment they saw them... ie Richard

I know there are a few times Kahlan, our iconic Confessor, failed to unleash her power on her intended target, for a variety of reasons, and while I hate to re-introduce "Save or Suck" effects into 4e, adding strange rules for specific worlds isn't exactly new to D&D - Fear, Horror and Madness checks from AD&D Ravenloft anyone? - so they might have to be appropriate for this sort of world. Dreamwalkers would likely have to have some sort of Save or Suck in order to invade the mind of those whom are unbonded to the House of Rahl while those under the protection of the bond gain auto-success.

Sorry I haven't really been able to contribute much to this thread lately - as I really do enjoy this idea and want to make it a "reality" - but that evil, evil RL thing has been getting in the way. Hopefully I'll get some of my notes organized and be able to add in more ideas for the Confessor and other things mentioned within the series after I get back from my vacation (won't have 'net for a week!)

 

[Garthanos]

This idea certainly has merit and is one I'd be willing to entertain for the constraints of 4e's mechanics.

For me it keeps the flavor of the extremeness of the effect...
ibetter than having a damage type... it lets the hit points stay
as luck and energy. Allows the confessor to fight even
after use of the power, hey her enemy might not know she
cant take them right now.... and will still scramble like hell
tol avoid the possibility and gives the confessor a bit of defense
that isnt armor of faith reskinned ;-)