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4 years ago ::
Nov 08, 2009 - 4:03PM
#1
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Date Joined:
Nov 12, 2005
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So, I find myself taking a first whack at homebrewing a new class. Well, updating a 3rd party setting to 4e, and that requires a new class: the steamborg. A steampunk cyborg. Considering their iron toughness, defender seems an ideal role. So before I brew up a bunch of powers, I wanted to come up with the basic premise of how the class works. And I find myself pushing the boundaries of what it means to be a defender. The role of a defender is to encourage enemies to attack the defender first - by punishing enemies for doing otherwise. Thus far, this has always meant a mark mechanic that allows the defender to get in an extra attack if enemies ignore the defender. But I wanted to break the mold a little here with the steamborg. Not greatly, but at least try out something new. The steamborg still marks enemies, and the steamborg still punishes enemies for ignoring that mark. But I'm redefining punishment. Within the DragonMech setting, steamborgs struggle with a mind no longer completely human, prone to bouts of becoming an unfeeling machine. I wanted to capture this with the mark. When you attack the steamborg's allies, you draw out his inner Terminator. In his... well, rage isn't quite the right word... he becomes an unstoppable killing machine. When you ignore his mark, he immediately gains temporary hit points and a bonus to damage rolls until the end of his next turn. I really like this form of discouragement: ignore this defender, and he becomes unstoppable - you better not ignore him. And the damage boost is there to give some offensive power to this defender. For feats, I'm thinking one gives him a +1 bonus to attack rolls when the mark's effect is triggered, another grants him an instant saving throw (against only 1 effect) when the mark is triggered, and there's a utility power that lets him recover hit points when the mark is triggered. And this is warlord-style healing - just refusing to go down. I think it's an interesting idea, and I'd like to explore it, but do you think it's balanceable? Being so different, it'll be harder to compare. In its favor is the fact that the mark's effect triggers with no action (and the steamborg places marks like the fighter - lasting until end of next turn, a no action effect applied to every attack). On the other hand, the effect isn't stackable, so a steamborg who has several enemies trigger the mark gets no benefit after the first one.
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4 years ago ::
Nov 08, 2009 - 5:00PM
#2
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Date Joined:
Jul 10, 2003
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temp HP + damage bonus sounds good. what power source? what stats? str + con? con + int?
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4 years ago ::
Nov 08, 2009 - 11:41PM
#3
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Date Joined:
Sep 29, 2009
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Why is this a class and not just the warforged race?
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4 years ago ::
Nov 09, 2009 - 12:02AM
#4
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Date Joined:
Apr 11, 2009
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Sounds like a promising idea, but you would have to make the temp HP pretty good to make it a worthwhile deterent. Like maybe, temp HP equal to your level?Either that, or allow the temp HP to stack, but give it a diminishing return for multiple enemies. Like say... first guy gives you 10 temp, the next one gives you 7 temp, then 5, then 3, then 1. I dunno, but the basic idea of encouraging enemies not to attack your allies by actually bolstering yourself is a good idea. I think the damage bonus is a good idea too. As for the powers, you might want to give it a dose of leader. Like, transfer some of his temp HP to allies, or something.
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4 years ago ::
Nov 09, 2009 - 7:58AM
#5
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Date Joined:
Sep 21, 2008
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Tmp and a damage bonus isn't a punishment effect, its a power up effect. Besides a more machine like concept should avoid tmp. Perhaps the following might be more interesting. "If a enemy marked by the Steamborg makes an attack against an ally without targeting the steamborg, the steamborg as an immediate reaction deals 1[W] damage to the enemy and gain resist damage equal to 1/2 con until the end of the steamborgs next turn. "
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4 years ago ::
Nov 09, 2009 - 8:53AM
#6
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Date Joined:
Nov 12, 2005
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Thanks for the feedback all. GeneralHenry, it's a new power source: Steam. The DragonMech setting very clearly has this extra power source. It can also be adapted into non-steampunk settings as an alternative arcane defender, one that's basically a half-golem type thing. Bringing back grafts for the win. Str-based attacks, Con and Int both secondary. (Which really fits, as they were important stats in the 3.5 class). The Unbreakable build is secondary Con, and the Gadgeteer build is secondary Int. The first really plays up the becomes tougher aspect, while the Gadgeteer has an array of non-weapon attacks and odd tricks. Kind of Inspector Gadget as a warrior. Sea-Envy, I had considered using the Warforged as a cyborg race and allowing feats like Revenants have to indicate former race, but going back to the inspiring setting, there's actually real potential as a class, with all the built-in tricks. Chameleon-X and Bait-hammer, after speaking to some friends, I'm inclined to say that Resist All might actually be the better fit. And I cannot figure out how to make temp hp sharing work for a steamborg. And Bait-hammer, isn't it a deterent to not want to give your enemy a power up? It's an odd take, but I like it. And why can't more machine-like things get temp hp? That's exactly how they're explaining warforged toughness.
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4 years ago ::
Nov 09, 2009 - 1:16PM
#7
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Date Joined:
Jun 30, 2008
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I say it should also give a bonus to hit, to make it more likely the Steamborg can punish the enemy. Its an interesting take and I like it... its not gonna be all that sticky though so you should have some powers that make it harder for an enemy to move away and easier for the Steamborg to follow a target. Also maybe give riders to power when benefiting from that frenzy ability of his... like they gain new effects in addition to the damage boost (or in place).
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4 years ago ::
Nov 09, 2009 - 4:41PM
#8
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Date Joined:
Nov 12, 2005
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Good idea, Undave. I was actually considering a bonus to attack as well, but I wondered if I was trying to take the concept in too many different ways if I gave an attack, damage, and survivability boost as the mark effect. Glad to know it won't be too much. I was actually debating the two builds each getting its own mark boost. Gadgeteers pull random tricks out of nowhere, granting a bonus to attack rolls (not combat advantage mechanically, but the same basic fluff). I was thinking maybe an encounter reroll ability. The Unbreakable or Strongarm steamborgs might get a heavier damage boost, making them secondary strikers. That sounds like Strongarm would be the more appropriate name. Maybe that's three builds now: Gadgeteers are the accurate ones, Strongarms the hard-hitting ones, and Unbreakable the resilient ones. Maybe their class feature is a free saving throw, once per encounter. Yeah, immediate reaction, whenever they're hit by an attack with an effectg a save can end. Immediately roll a save to end it. Hmm... stickiness - that's a tricky one. Well, gadgeteer steamborgs would have a few slowing, restraining, and dazing powers. Smoke screen, flash grenades, grappling lines, chain-tanglers, etc. Strongarm could get grab attacks with crushing claws or the like. Unbreakable steamborgs get charge attacks and resist all against AoO provoked during the charge. And generally utility powers like that. Oh yeah, they're definitely getting powers with added effect while in this killing frenzy.
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4 years ago ::
Nov 09, 2009 - 10:27PM
#9
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Date Joined:
Jun 30, 2008
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Well you could make it so the Frenzy (Battle Frenzy or Killing Frenzy is a good name for a class feature) grants a free shift when it triggers, just to make it easier for them to follow their target. Sounds like you got a plan there: each type of Steamborg get a different boost when their Frenzy is activated and a different class feature encounter power. One gets a bonus to accuracy and a reroll once per encounter. His powers would be more controllerish with more varied effects that can hit multiple targets around him.He would be the stickiest of the three. One gets a bonus to damage with an encounter minor action attack power that only works while in a Frenzy (or something). His powers are more Striker in style, letting him do more damage to a specific foe and move about. He would generally be more mobile than the other two. And one gets a bonus to resiliance with an encounter power that give him a free saving throw with a bonus to the roll as an interupt. His powers would have a slight Leader bent, with powers that grant temp HP, share defense bonus with adjacent allies and also powers that redirect hits toward him. He wouldn't be as mobile or as sticky as the other two but a middle ground and would work the best at protecting other melee allies.
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4 years ago ::
Nov 11, 2009 - 8:33AM
#10
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Date Joined:
Nov 12, 2005
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All right, I'll definitely consider adding a shift to the Killing Frenzy. I definitely agree that the gadgeteer (accuracy reroll build) is a secondary controller. The strongarm build... hmm... I like the idea of getting an attack power as its encounter power. Definitely damaging. But I was thinking more like a +1d6 per tier, once per encounter, while in a Killing Frenzy. Definitely a secondary striker. Playing up the barbarian aspect. I also like the idea of a Bend Weapon attack power being one for this build. I could so picture this: you swing a sword at the steamborg, and he grabs it and bends the blade. A weakens effect. I hadn't pictured strongarms as the really mobile steamborg, but I guess it's doable. For them it would probably be immediate reaction/interrupt powers that let them get an AoO or even a charge against marked enemies that leave them behind. I'm struggling to see an unbreakable steamborg being secondary leader and sharing temp hp. A steamborg is getting the temp hp for not having enough demihuman left to really die - you can't share that. I suppose they could be inspiring in their resilience and comforting knowing that you have this unstoppable killing machine on your side. For their stickiness, I think it's mainly that they get a small amount of damage resistance from AoOs provoked while charging/moving. Because of their iron hides, they'll just charge through hoards of enemies to get to their friends and not care. Geez, I'm really making them into barbarians with the defender role, aren't I?
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