Pechvarry
2010-05-10, 08:50 PM
I have a few design philosophies at work here. The first is to bring up the lower levels of optimization. Which is to say, the weaker abilities are getting some juice to become more appealing. The other is to implement some nice stuff for roles that are typically heavily feat-taxed just to stay decent at their job (two weapon fighters and tanks being my foci today).
Endurance
Benefits: As normal, plus: You may ignore the speed penalty from wearing armor on a number of move actions equal to (Con Mod) per encounter.
NotesTrying to power up armored characters in a realistic manner. I've seen CON and VIT as balancing methods in assorted tabletop systems before, and I think it makes sense. As stated, a double-move costs 2 of your per-encounter uses. So what about charge actions and run actions? Should I even bother allowing it to work with those full round tricks? If I don't, then for heavy armor fighters, the Run action is strictly inferior to 2 con-boosted move actions (while supplies last, of course). Is this fine and acceptable? Would people use Endurance more if this were part of it? As a side note: this should makes Steadfast Determination (PH2) a much easier decision.
Toughness
Benefits: HD+3 additional HP. Basically, normal Toughness + Improved Toughness (CW).
Improved Shield Bash
Benefits: When you perform a shield bash, you may choose to either still apply the shield’s shield bonus to your AC or, if the attack is successful, you may choose to give up your shield bonus to AC to impose a penalty on your struck foe equal to your shield bonus. The change to AC and penalty to opponent's attacks lasts until the start of your next turn.
NotesAs you can probably tell, the idea is to make even a non-optimized, Core-only heavy melee a decent tank. Shield bashing for extra damage is asinine; giving it a property to trade in your defense against all targets to make a single target less deadly to the whole party is... well, it's a start. And with only the most basic of feat expenditures.
Two Weapon Fighting
Prerequisites: Dex 13 <---see what I did, there? hah!
Benefits: If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon, even when making a standard attack action. When fighting in this way you suffer a -6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a -10 penalty to the attack with your off hand. If your off-hand weapon is light the penalties are reduced by 2 each. (An unarmed strike is always considered light.)
Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Prerequisites: as normal
Benefits: Whenever you are entitled to an iterative attack from BAB, you may make another attack at the same BAB with your off-hand weapon.
NotesThis is just improved and greater TWF rolled into one feat. It also allows a 4th attack for BAB 16+ folk. It could probably use some stronger wording for countering ruleslawyer abuse.
Two Weapon Offense
Your familiarity with fighting with two weapons affords you a number of offensive advantages.
Prerequisites: Two Weapon Fighting, BAB +2, Dex 15
Benefits:
You may add full strength to your offhand weapon's damage. You may also attack with both weapons at the end of a charge, accepting normal two-weapon fighting penalties.
NotesI've reduced this down to just the offensive (and mostly brute strength) functions. This isn't a necessary feat, but it creates room for a more STR-oriented two-weapon fighter. I still have it laid out in my mind that a charge-focused character could choose to grab only 2 feats - TWF and TW Offense for a 1-2-pow charge build. Meanwhile, a dex-y, Shadow Blade type character that cares about neither charging or STR-to-damage could avoid this feat and simply grab TWF and Improved TWF.
Probably needs more.
I've had some ideas for the Run feat, but nothing's stuck yet. Anyway, feel free to critique. I'd like to get these polished and as simple as possible.
Endurance
Benefits: As normal, plus: You may ignore the speed penalty from wearing armor on a number of move actions equal to (Con Mod) per encounter.
NotesTrying to power up armored characters in a realistic manner. I've seen CON and VIT as balancing methods in assorted tabletop systems before, and I think it makes sense. As stated, a double-move costs 2 of your per-encounter uses. So what about charge actions and run actions? Should I even bother allowing it to work with those full round tricks? If I don't, then for heavy armor fighters, the Run action is strictly inferior to 2 con-boosted move actions (while supplies last, of course). Is this fine and acceptable? Would people use Endurance more if this were part of it? As a side note: this should makes Steadfast Determination (PH2) a much easier decision.
Toughness
Benefits: HD+3 additional HP. Basically, normal Toughness + Improved Toughness (CW).
Improved Shield Bash
Benefits: When you perform a shield bash, you may choose to either still apply the shield’s shield bonus to your AC or, if the attack is successful, you may choose to give up your shield bonus to AC to impose a penalty on your struck foe equal to your shield bonus. The change to AC and penalty to opponent's attacks lasts until the start of your next turn.
NotesAs you can probably tell, the idea is to make even a non-optimized, Core-only heavy melee a decent tank. Shield bashing for extra damage is asinine; giving it a property to trade in your defense against all targets to make a single target less deadly to the whole party is... well, it's a start. And with only the most basic of feat expenditures.
Two Weapon Fighting
Prerequisites: Dex 13 <---see what I did, there? hah!
Benefits: If you wield a second weapon in your off hand, you can get one extra attack per round with that weapon, even when making a standard attack action. When fighting in this way you suffer a -6 penalty with your regular attack or attacks with your primary hand and a -10 penalty to the attack with your off hand. If your off-hand weapon is light the penalties are reduced by 2 each. (An unarmed strike is always considered light.)
Improved Two Weapon Fighting
Prerequisites: as normal
Benefits: Whenever you are entitled to an iterative attack from BAB, you may make another attack at the same BAB with your off-hand weapon.
NotesThis is just improved and greater TWF rolled into one feat. It also allows a 4th attack for BAB 16+ folk. It could probably use some stronger wording for countering ruleslawyer abuse.
Two Weapon Offense
Your familiarity with fighting with two weapons affords you a number of offensive advantages.
Prerequisites: Two Weapon Fighting, BAB +2, Dex 15
Benefits:
You may add full strength to your offhand weapon's damage. You may also attack with both weapons at the end of a charge, accepting normal two-weapon fighting penalties.
NotesI've reduced this down to just the offensive (and mostly brute strength) functions. This isn't a necessary feat, but it creates room for a more STR-oriented two-weapon fighter. I still have it laid out in my mind that a charge-focused character could choose to grab only 2 feats - TWF and TW Offense for a 1-2-pow charge build. Meanwhile, a dex-y, Shadow Blade type character that cares about neither charging or STR-to-damage could avoid this feat and simply grab TWF and Improved TWF.
Probably needs more.
I've had some ideas for the Run feat, but nothing's stuck yet. Anyway, feel free to critique. I'd like to get these polished and as simple as possible.