L4D2 Versus Mode: Introducing the Infected [D&D4E, PEACH!]

[Xallace]

A silly little idea I had. Done partly because the idea of Special Infected running through a high-fantasy world as wizards and whatnot was too good to pass up upcoming this summer is a 4E Modern project of my own design, which will be incorporated into a Left 4 Dead conversion project!

And who knows? Maybe these'll see play sometime.

The Boomer

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"Argh, it slimed me!"

Ability Scores: +2 Constitution, +2 Intelligence
Size: Medium
Speed: 5 squares
Vision: Low-Light

Languages: Common, Choice of one other
Skill Bonuses: +2 Endurance, +2 Nature
Infected Undeath: You count as both a living creature and an undead creature.
Controlled Digestion: You gain a +5 bonus on saving throws against poison and disease effects.
Corpulence: When you would be pushed, pulled, or slid, reduce the distance by 1, to a minimum distance of 0.
Rupture: The first time you are reduced to 0 hit points or fewer in an encounter, you can use your Bile encounter power as an immediate interrupt, even if you've already used it this encounter. Bile becomes a Close Burst 3 with this ability.
Bile: You gain Bile as an encounter power.


Bile
Encounter
Minor Action Close Blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: Strength +2 vs Reflex, Dexterity +2 vs Reflex, Constitution +2 vs Reflex
Hit: Target grants combat advantage and loses the benefits of concealment or invisilibity against creatures with the (undead) keyword until the end of your next turn.
Special: Increase to +4 bonus at 11th level, and +6 bonus at 21st level.

Racial Feats

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Barf Bagged
Prerequisite: Boomer, Bile
Benefit: Your Bile encounter power becomes a Close Blast 5.

Blinding Bile
Prerequisite: Boomer, 11th level
Benefit: Any creature hit by your Bile encounter power is blinded until the end of your next turn.

Lasting Bile
Prerequisite: Boomer, 11th level
Benefit: Any creature struck by your Bile encounter power grants combat advantage and loses the benefits of concealment or invisilibity against creatures with the (undead) keyword (save ends).

Developer Commentary

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The biggest thing that bugs me about the boomer is the Constitution bonus. Boomers are pretty easy to kill, they pop with almost no provocation. But, what else makes sense to base its abilities off of? Couldn't think of an ability score that fit better, so Con it was. I always thought boomers were pretty smart, so the Intelligence bonus makes sense to me.

Besides, who wouldn't want to play a boomer swordmage, warlock, or wizard?

The Charger

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"It's OK, those 5 chargers in a row made me realize how @#$%ed we are anyway."

Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Constitution
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common
Skill Bonuses: +2 Endurance, +2 Intimidate
Infected Undeath: You count as both a living creature and an undead creature.
Runner's Stamina: You can use your Second Wind as a minor action.
Stability: If you are the victim of an attack that would push, pull, or slide you, reduce the distance by 1 square.
Hulking Hand: You gain proficiency with the Charger Unarmed Strike. This is a one-handed weapon provides a +2 proficiency bonus, deals 1d10 damage, and counts as part of the Hammer weapon group. You can enhance your Charger Unarmed Strike as you could any hammer. If you disenchant your Charger Unarmed Strike, it does not crumble into dust.
Deadly Charge: You gain the Deadly Charge encounter power.

Deadly Charge
Encounter * Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Effect: You charge and make the following attack.
Target: One Creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs AC, Constitution +2 vs AC
Hit: 2[W] + Strength modifier damage and you may choose to continue the charge. If you do so, you push the target a number of squares equal to the distance you move.
Special: Increase to 3[W] + Strength modifier damage at 11th level, and 4[W] + Strength modifier damage at 21st level.

Racial Feats

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Long Distance Carrier
Prerequisites: Charger
Benefits: When you charge, your speed increases by 2.

Meat Tenderizer
Prerequisites: Charger, 11th level
Benefits: Your Charger Unarmed Strike gains the Brutal 2 property.

Scattering Ram
Prerequisites: 11th level, charger
Benefit: After hitting a creature with your Deadly Charge encounter power, the remainder of your charge can pass through enemies' squares. If you enter an enemy's square, make the following secondary attack.
Secondary Attack
No Action Melee Weapon
Target: One Creature
Attack: Strength +6 vs AC
Hit: 1d6 points of damage and the target is pushed a number of squares equal to your Strength modifier.
Miss: Your charge ends, and the target is slid 1 square.

Unnatural Arm(or)
Prerequisite: Charger, 11th level
Benefit: As long as you are not wielding a weapon, you gain a +2 bonus to your Armor Class.

Developer's Commentary

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Ahh, the charger. Big, dumb, and brutal. Syncs up nicely with a Rageblood Barbarian, doesn't it? The charger was the easiest of the infected to develop abilities for; just make it bigger, faster, and harder! I'm a little worried about power on this bad boy, though.

The Hunter

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"Come on out, wussy!"

Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
Size: Medium
Speed: 7 squares
Vision: Low-Light

Languages: Common
Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Stealth
Infected Undeath: You count as both a living creature and an undead creature.
Crazylegs: You can roll twice on any Athletics check and take the better of the two results.
Burning Wrath: While you are taking Ongoing Fire damage, your melee attacks deal additional Fire damage equal to 5 + 1/2 your level.
Hunter's Pounce: You gain the Hunter's Pounce encounter power.


Hunter's Pounce
Encounter * Weapon
Standard Action Melee Weapon
Target: One Creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs Reflex, Dexterity +2 vs Reflex, or Constitution +2 vs Reflex
Hit: 1[w] + Strength modifier damage and the target is knocked prone, and you enter the target's square. As long as you remain within the target's square, it cannot stand up.
Special: You may choose to jump up to your speed before making the attack.
Special: Improve to 2[w] + Strength modifier damage at 11th level. Improve to 3[w] + Strength modifier damage at 21st level.

Racial Feats

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Claw Hunter
Prerequisites: Hunter
Benefit: You gain a claw attack that provides a +3 profiency bonus, deal 1d6 points of damage, has the off-hand property, and counts as a light blade. You may enhance this claw as you would any other weapon. If you choose to unehance your claw, it does not crumble into dust.

Double Jump
Prerequisites: Hunter, 21st level
Benefits: You can use your Hunter's Leap power twice in an encounter.

Free Jump
Prerequisites: Hunter, Hunter's Leap
Benefits: You gain the Free Jump encounter power. You cannot use your Hunter's Leap power in the same encounter you use your Free Jump power.

Free Jump
Encounter
Immediate Interrupt Personal
Effect: You leap up to your speed.

Jumping Jack Smash
Prerequisites: Hunter, Hunter's Leap
Benefits: When you use your Hunter's Leap encounter power, your weapon gains the Brutal 1 property.

Reliable Leaper
Prerequisites: Hunter, 11th level
Benefits: Your Hunter's Pounce encounter power gains the Reliable keyword.

Developer Commentary

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The hunter; the "cool kid's" infected, no? Well, at least it's the infected the fangirls turn to when they want a "smexy zombie."

The hunter was actually pretty tough at first; but once I actually started really thinking about it, the abilities were only natural. Heck, the reason they have so many feats and such is because it was hard to get everything a hunter could do into the racial features.

You may notice that the hunter would make a brutal rogue. It's kinda supposed to be; not that it was designed with one class in mind, but I feel like rogue would be the hunter's "favored class," so to speak.

The Jockey

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"Ellis, is that you!?"

Ability Scores: +2 Strength, +2 Dexterity
Size: Small
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Normal

Languages: Common
Skill Bonuses: +2 Acrobatics, +2 Athletics
Infected Undeath: You count as both a living creature and an undead creature.
Manic Tumbler: You can roll twice on any Acrobatics check and take the higher of the results.
Mania: You gain a +1 bonus to Will saves, and a +5 bonus against Charm effects.
Saddle Hop: When you grab a target, you can choose to move into their space. The target grants combat advantage until you are no longer in their space and grabbing them.
Riding High: You can move a grabbed target as a Move action, rather than a Standard Action.

Racial Feats

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Back in the Saddle
Prerequisites: Jockey, 11th level
Benefits: If a target escapes from your grab, you gain a +2 bonus on Strength checks to grab the target until the end of the encounter.

Qualified Rider
Prerequisites: Jockey
Benefits: You gain a +2 bonus to your Fortitude and Reflex against attempts to escape from your grab.

Developer Commentary

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Oh jockey, how I despise you. You lead to nothing but embarrassing deaths that take all the cool out of the zombie apocalypse. Oh well.

Upon perusing the combat section of the PHB, I realized that everything a Jockey was capable of was part of the system already! The answer to this was to make jockeys simply better at those aspects; namely, Grab attacks. Jockeys are the undisputed kings of grappling (for better or worse). Their other abilities, Mania and Manic Tumbler, are attempts to round them out a little bit so their not so much a "one trick pony" (GUFFAW).

Considering classes, rogue and fighter would be the way to go with feats. Add some specific grappling benefits here and there... maybe a special one for Jockey Sorcerers or something (since they get those Str/Dex bonuses) where they can cast spells on-the-ride. Maybe they can consider a ridden target to be "higher ground" or something with a different feat, as well.

The Smoker

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"It's that nasty tongue thing!"

Ability Scores: +2 Dexterity, +2 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-Light

Languages: Common
Skill Bonuses: +2 Athletics, +2 Perception
Infected Undeath: You count as both a living creature and an undead creature.
Poison Resistance: You have resist Poison 5 + one-half your level.
Toxin Cloud: When you are reduced to 0 hit points or fewer, your square and all adjacent squares become lightly obscured. If already lightly obscured, they instead become heavily obscured. This effect ends when you die or your hit point total rises above 0.
Tongue Pull: You gain the Tongue Pull encounter power.

Tongue Pull
Encounter
Standard Action Ranged 10 squares
Target: One Creature
Attack: Strength +2 vs AC, Dexterity +2 vs AC, or Wisdom +2 vs AC
Hit: The target is pulled up to 3 squares and immobilized until the end of your next turn.
Special: Improve to +4 bonus at 11th level, and +6 bonus at 21st level. At 11th level, the target is pulled up to 6 squares, and at 21st level the target is pulled up to 10 squares.


Feats

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Big Drag
Prerequisites: Smoker, Tongue Pull, 11th level
Benefits: The range of your Tongue Pull encounter power increases by 5, and the distance the target is pulled increases by 5 sqaures as well.

Chain Smoker
Prerequisites: Smoker, 21st level
Benefits: You can use your Tongue Pull encounter power twice in an encounter.

Developer Commentary

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Now the smoker is classic. Good ol' smoker; reliable, useful, and, um, kinda smelly I guess.

I had trouble with the ability scores, but Dex and Wisdom were as good as any; It's got some precision on that tongue, and I imagine it needs good perceptive ability to be able to snag survivors from such distances.

Sadly, the smoker also suffers a lack of useful features. Poison resistance, obscuring smoke, and a pulling/immobilizing encounter power gear him towards controller, but he just feels a little... lacking.

The Spitter

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"That long-neck ***** hit me!"

Ability Scores: +2 Intelligence, +2 Wisdom
Size: Medium
Speed: 6 squares
Vision: Low-Light

Languages: Common, choice of one other
Skill Bonuses: +2 Bluff, +2 Intimidate
Infected Undeath: You count as both a living creature and an undead creature.
Acid Reflex: The first time you become bloodied in an encounter, any enemy that moves adjacent to you until the beginning of you next turn takes 5 points of acid damage.
Acid Resistance: You have resist Acid 5 + 1/2 your level.
Firespit: You gain the Firespit encounter power.

Firespit
Encounter * Acid, Zone
Standard Action Area burst 2 within 5 squares
Target: Each enemy in blast
Attack: Constitution +2 vs Reflex, Intelligence +2 vs Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Constitution modifider damage or 1d6 + Intelligence modifier damage. The area becomes a zone of acid that deals 5 points of acid damage per round to any creature standing within. The zone lasts until the end of your next turn.
Effect: You are slowed until the end of your next turn.
Sustain Minor: The zone persists until the end of your next turn. Each round the acid damage increases by 5. You can only sustain this zone for 3 rounds.
Special: Increase to +4 bonus and 2d6 damage at 11th level, and increase to +6 and 3d6 damage at 21st level. At 21st level, the zone damage increases by 10 each round.


Racial Feats

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Great Expectorations
Prerequisites: Spitter, Firespit
Benefits: Your Firespit encounter power becomes an Area Burst 3 within 5 squares.

Spit Happens
Prerequisites: Spitter, Firespit, level 21st
Benefits: You can use your Firespit power twice in an encounter.

Developer Commentary

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Why does the Spitter have Intelligence and Wisdom bonuses? Well, the spitter always seems to me to be a little more intelligent than some of the other infected, and needs some good perceptive capabilities to be able to launch that spit correctly.

So why does she get a Bluff and Intimidate bonus? You tell me she's not scary. Go ahead. You're lying if you say otherwise. And Bluff, well, what else do I give her?

Like the Smoker, the Spitter is plagued by lack of interesting abilities. Her Firespit is meant to be quite powerful and make up for it, though. In addition, I feel Race-Class feats would help round her out a little more; I was thinking of some good wizard ones, or just feats based on area effects.

[Mulletmanalive]

I was hoping these were going to be the kernal for some kind of Left For Dead 4e conversion, which might have finally been a good use [in my opinion, i find it too much like a mmorpg] for 4e and it's board obsession...

[Xallace]

I was hoping these were going to be the kernal for some kind of Left For Dead 4e conversion, which might have finally been a good use [in my opinion, i find it too much like a mmorpg] for 4e and it's board obsession...

It is, in a way. Once this (finals) week is over and I can finally get cracking on 4E Modern, at any rate. So look forward to that!

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Just some thoughts...

Health Kit
Activation: 1 full-round Action, drawing attacks of opportunity.
Benefit: You expend a Healing Surge, and heal your Healing Surge value + 1d10 hit points per tier.


Adrenaline
Activation: 1 minor action.
Benefit: You expend a Healing Surge, and gain 5 temporary hit points per tier, a +2 bonus to your speed, and 1 action point. Benefits last 5 rounds.


Pills
Activation: 1 move action.
Benefit: You gain 10 temporary hit points per tier. These fade at the end of the encounter.


Pipe Bomb
Item, Explosive
Ranged burst 10 and burst 2 within 10
Target All minions within burst 10.
Attack Dexterity +2 (per tier) vs. Will within burst 10 of impact.
Hit Shift target 5 towards point of impact.
Effect Make the following attack in burst 2 from the point of impact.
Attack 2 Dexterity +2 (per tier) vs. Reflex
Hit 2d8 fire damage (per tier)

[icastflare!]

okay I like the ideas introduced in this thread. gives me an idea for a campaign.

[Moofaa]

Wait, theres a 4E Modern?

These critters look very cool by the way. I might have to come up with an excuse to use them in one of my campaigns.

[NineThePuma]

I think he meant he was going to make a 4e Modern. Which would be awesome.

[Xallace]

I think he meant he was going to make a 4e Modern.

Yep! I mean, Gnownek's got a version with quite a bit of effort put into it, though I don't know what happened to it... anyway, search it out if you're interested in the meantime.

Edit!@Djinn: Yes, I do believe that will work.