That only works if they available exclusive of one another, like if they're like the Dragonborn's Dragon Breath and Dragonfear powers where you pick one at the exclusion of the other. If you have them in the same stat block, then the problem hasn't been diverted. Also Mind-Blast as you have it now is a Close power like Dragon Breath that can be used effectively both by melee and ranged characters.
They will be at exclusion of one another. It will be like post-errata Drow where one must choose between one or the other. Maybe I should make Mind Blast target just one creature?
Have you ever wanted to play a character out of the norm? A character... reviled by society, something that offers you a unique role-playing challenge? Have you ever wanted to play something more hated and innately evil then Drow? Have you ever wanted to be a...Mind Flayer? Page 8 has the current complete version.
I'm thinking that Mind Blast (should it remain a close burst might look like this:
Mind Blast Illithid Racial Power Your incredible mental abilities leave your foes helpless to defend against their minds being decimated. Encounter* Psychic Minor Action Close blast 3 Target: All creatures in area Attack: Intelligence+2 vs. Will, Charisma+2 vs. Will or Wisdom+2 vs. Will Increase to _4 bonus at 11th level and +6 bonus at 21st level. Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier damage. The damage increases to 2d4 at 11th level and 3d4 at 21st level, and the target grants combat advantage until the end of their next turn. Special: When you create your character, choose Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom to use when making attack roles with this power. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and do not affect the power’s other effects.
I bumbed down the damage (from what should be d6s) to d4s to help balance with cranting CA. It might (and probably won't) work, but it's late when I'm posting this so my mind isn't at its best. I'm still considering making Mind Blast singular to make it more ranged-centered.
For some reason I can't edit my original post anymore (likely has to do with that large interim between activity), so we'll just have to ignore the original post for future changes.
Have you ever wanted to play a character out of the norm? A character... reviled by society, something that offers you a unique role-playing challenge? Have you ever wanted to play something more hated and innately evil then Drow? Have you ever wanted to be a...Mind Flayer? Page 8 has the current complete version.
Attack: Intelligence+2 vs. Will, Charisma+2 vs. Will or Wisdom+2 vs. Will Increase to _4 bonus at 11th level and +6 bonus at 21st level.
The new attack roll scaling convention is +3 at heroic, +6 at paragon, and +9 at epic to make up for the expertise fixes and the fact that powers like this have no accessory keyword like "Implement" or "Weapon".
Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier damage. The damage increases to 2d4 at 11th level and 3d4 at 21st level, and the target grants combat advantage until the end of their next turn.
Still seems a bit on the strong side, and I would definitely avoid durations that are dependant on your target's turns... What about if it grants combat advantage only until the end of your current turn? That's still plenty useful.
I'm still considering making Mind Blast singular to make it more ranged-centered.
That won't really make it more ranged-centered at all because it'll still be a close power and therefore perfectly usable by melee characters, but it would allow you to make it a bit more powerful.
Speaking of things that were badly designed, please check out this thread for my Minotaur fix. What have the critics said, you ask? "If any of my players ask to play a Minotaur, I'm definitely offering this as an alternative to the official version." - EmpactWB "If I ever feel like playing a Minotaur I'll know where to look!" - Undrave "WoTC if you are reading this - please take this guy's advice." - Ferol_Debtor_of_Torm "Really full of win. A minotaur that is actually attractive for more than just melee classes." - Cpt_Micha
Also, check out my recent GENASI variant! If you've ever wished that your Fire Genasi could actually set stuff on fire, your Water Genasi could actually swim, or your Wind Genasi could at least glide, then look no further.
Finally, check out my OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE article, an effort to give unique support to the races that WotC keeps forgetting about. Includes new racial feature options for the Changeling, Deva, Githzerai, Gnoll, Gnome, Goliath, Half-Orc, Kalashtar, Minotaur, Shadar-Kai, Thri-Kreen, Warforged and more!
The new attack roll scaling convention is +3 at heroic, +6 at paragon, and +9 at epic to make up for the expertise fixes and the fact that powers like this have no accessory keyword like "Implement" or "Weapon".
Still seems a bit on the strong side, and I would definitely avoid durations that are dependant on your target's turns... What about if it grants combat advantage only until the end of your current turn? That's still plenty useful.
Hmm... d4 (scaling) and granting CE until the end of your turn? And then possibly add feats to extend damage and/or duration?
That won't really make it more ranged-centered at all because it'll still be a close power and therefore perfectly usable by melee characters, but it would allow you to make it a bit more powerful.
I wasn't clear enough, sorry. I meant making it like range 5 or 10 or something (those are just two numbers I pulled out of the air). While it still apeals to melee chracters, it suddenly becomes a viable option for those at range if it's something like that and no longer a close power. Maybe make it at range but still be a blast or burst for all within? Or just have it target one creature?
Have you ever wanted to play a character out of the norm? A character... reviled by society, something that offers you a unique role-playing challenge? Have you ever wanted to play something more hated and innately evil then Drow? Have you ever wanted to be a...Mind Flayer? Page 8 has the current complete version.
Mind Blast Illithid Racial Power Your incredible mental abilities leave your foes helpless to defend against their minds being decimated. Encounter* Psychic Minor Action Close blast 3 Target: All creatures in area Attack: Intelligence+3 vs. Will, Charisma+3 vs. Will or Wisdom+3 vs. Will Increase to +6 bonus at 11th level and +9 bonus at 21st level. Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier damage. The damage increases to 2d4 at 11th level and 3d4 at 21st level, and the target grants combat advantage until the end of your turn. Special: When you create your character, choose Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom to use when making attack roles with this power. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and do not affect the power’s other effects.
Power as ranged:
Mind Blast Illithid Racial Power Your incredible mental abilities leave your foes helpless to defend against their minds being decimated. Encounter* Psychic Minor Action Range 10 Target: One creature in range. Attack: Intelligence+3 vs. Will, Charisma+3 vs. Will or Wisdom+3 vs. Will Increase to +6 bonus at 11th level and +9 bonus at 21st level. Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier damage. The damage increases to 2d4 at 11th level and 3d4 at 21st level, and the target grants combat advantage until the end of your turn. Special: When you create your character, choose Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom to use when making attack roles with this power. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and do not affect the power’s other effects.
Considering, since it'd be at an actual range, CA until end of either your or their turn.
Power as ranged blast or burst: Mind Blast Illithid Racial Power Your incredible mental abilities leave your foes helpless to defend against their minds being decimated. Encounter* Psychic Minor Action Blast 3 ( or Burst 1) in 10 squares Target: All creatures in area. Attack: Intelligence+3 vs. Will, Charisma+3 vs. Will or Wisdom+3 vs. Will Increase to +6 bonus at 11th level and +9 bonus at 21st level. Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier damage. The damage increases to 2d4 at 11th level and 3d4 at 21st level, and the target grants combat advantage until the end of your turn. Special: When you create your character, choose Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom to use when making attack roles with this power. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and do not affect the power’s other effects.
If I'm not entirely out of my nut (and If I am I'm sorry; still sleepy), then a ranged burst 1 and blast 3 are about the same, yes? The only difference is the square chosen for the blast can be within the range and the effected squares be out of the range, while the burst could only have at max, what, 3 squares out of range, right? Which one should I go with? And which version is preferred?
Have you ever wanted to play a character out of the norm? A character... reviled by society, something that offers you a unique role-playing challenge? Have you ever wanted to play something more hated and innately evil then Drow? Have you ever wanted to be a...Mind Flayer? Page 8 has the current complete version.
Have you ever wanted to play a character out of the norm? A character... reviled by society, something that offers you a unique role-playing challenge? Have you ever wanted to play something more hated and innately evil then Drow? Have you ever wanted to be a...Mind Flayer? Page 8 has the current complete version.
Illithid Racial Traits Average Height: 5’6”-6’2” Average Weight: 135-220 lb. Ability Scores: +2 Intelligence; +2 Charisma or Wisdom Size: Medium Speed: 6 squares Vision: Low-light vision Languages: Common, Deep Speech, choice of one other Skill Bonuses: +2 Arcana, +2 Intimidate or Insight Telepathy: You can communicate telepathically with any creature within 5 squares of you that has a language. Aberrant Origin: You descend from subterranean creatures with links to the Far Realm. You are considered to have the Aberrant origin for effects that relate to origins. Psychic Defense: You have resist 5 + 0ne-half your level to psychic damage. Far Realm Connection: You have your choice of either the Bore Into Brain or Mind Blast racial powers.
Bore Into Brain Illithid Racial Power Your tentacles lash out at your prey's head in hopes of a quick treat. Encounter * Minor Action Attack: Stronger of Dex or Str vs. Fort Effect: The creature is grabbed by you. If the target dies while grabbed, you regain 5 hitpoints. Every turn the target is still grabbed, you can make the following attack: Str vs Fort. 4 damage.
Mind Blast Illithid Racial Power Your incredible mental abilities leave your foes helpless to defend against their minds being decimated. Encounter* Psychic Minor Action Range 10 Target: One creature in range. Attack: Intelligence+3 vs. Will, Charisma+3 vs. Will or Wisdom+3 vs. Will Increase to +6 bonus at 11th level and +9 bonus at 21st level. Hit: 1d4 + Intelligence modifier damage. The damage increases to 2d4 at 11th level and 3d4 at 21st level, and the target grants combat advantage until the end of your turn. Special: When you create your character, choose Intelligence, Charisma, or Wisdom to use when making attack roles with this power. This choice remains throughout your character’s life and do not affect the power’s other effects
There. This is the basic stat block as I see it. Bore Into Brain benefits melee characters rather well, I think, and Mind Blast will work with Ranged. Of course, Mind Bast could still benefit melee-ers, but then again, any ranged power could benefit anyone, even if it's not in conjunction with their primary abilities. I'm in a slight bind with the Languages, though. Having three languages is a lot, but then again, Deep Speech won't be used much, at least in Heroic Tier. As far as Skill Bonuses go, I tried to stay with what seems in-line with the Illithid theme (magic, scary, and mind-reading). And as far as Ability Scores go, of the six, I think the three I chose work best, right? Only two can be taken, but I think the choice allows for some versatility.
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Avoid copy/pasting things in from other programs. It makes quoting you difficult because of all of the crazy ridiculous HTML that gets put everywhere.
Anyway. Bore Into Brain has a lot of issues: 1) It has no range. Should be Melee 1? 2) It has no target. Should be One creature? 3) It only has two ability score options to attack. As I've said repeatedly, the standard option of three is already way too limited, which is why I recommend going the same route as themes went, but only two is just horrid. 4) As an accessory-less attack power, this need built-in scaling attack bonuses to be useful. +3/+6/+9 pattern. 5) The HP gain is going to have to scale to remain useful at higher levels, though I'm wary of any additional effect beyond the grab. Grabbing as a minor action is pretty awesome. 6) There's not enough information about the second attack. For example, what sort of action is it? Does it scale? Does it really only get a single attack score option? Again, I'm wary of any additional effect beyond the grab, because grabbing as a minor action is pretty awesome, but if you are going to go with any additional effects, then those effects do need to function.
As for Mind Blast, I just can't get behind a Mind Blast that isn't a Blast.
And finally, for this statement: "Bore Into Brain benefits melee characters rather well, I think, and Mind Blast will work with Ranged. " Neither of these is true, and the reason that they're not true is exactly because of your limited attack score options. An Archer Ranger, for example, is a DEX-primary ranged character. As a ranged character, it will not ever want to be in a position to grab an opponent, but it can't make use of Mind Blast because its mental scores probably aren't good enough. Another example would be a Sword-Mage, an INT-primary melee character, or an Avenger, a WIS-primary melee character. As melee characters, both will be in the middle of the brawl constantly and thus won't have very many opportunities to use the Mind Blast power without provoking opportunity attacks, but neither can make good use of Bore Into Brain because they don't have the ability scores for it. Having one melee-centered power and one range-centered power is not enough to actually include all melee and ranged characters.
Speaking of things that were badly designed, please check out this thread for my Minotaur fix. What have the critics said, you ask? "If any of my players ask to play a Minotaur, I'm definitely offering this as an alternative to the official version." - EmpactWB "If I ever feel like playing a Minotaur I'll know where to look!" - Undrave "WoTC if you are reading this - please take this guy's advice." - Ferol_Debtor_of_Torm "Really full of win. A minotaur that is actually attractive for more than just melee classes." - Cpt_Micha
Also, check out my recent GENASI variant! If you've ever wished that your Fire Genasi could actually set stuff on fire, your Water Genasi could actually swim, or your Wind Genasi could at least glide, then look no further.
Finally, check out my OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE article, an effort to give unique support to the races that WotC keeps forgetting about. Includes new racial feature options for the Changeling, Deva, Githzerai, Gnoll, Gnome, Goliath, Half-Orc, Kalashtar, Minotaur, Shadar-Kai, Thri-Kreen, Warforged and more!
I'm afraid there's no real balance for either one to work with all of the possible classes of the type they are trying to work for, at least not without making sense. I mean, how could Mind Blast have a dex-based attack be easily justified? Also, all of the examples you mentioned have secondary or at least tertiary ability scores that should match up easily, as should most classes that fall in line with whichever power they choose. (Ranger: Wisdom [secondary], Sword-Mage: Strength [secondary], Avenger: Dex [secondary]). I honestly can't see a tertiary at anything lower than 12, which is still a +1, which, while not the highest still isn't at zero or a negative. (That is, of course, a 12 if they didn't just pour all of their points into primary stat leaving the others at like 10.)
As far as two-ability scores: Should I add Constitution? That wouldn't really round it out though... What do you suggest?
I'll add in scaling and targets etc., likely in my next post. I really forgot those things when I added the power in. Sorry, my bad.
Think of Mind Blast as blasting the mind (like blowing someone's . Or maybe I should make it something like Blast 3 in 10 squares? In which case would dealing d4s for damage counter-act granting CA?
As far as the secondary attack for Bore Into Brain, what attack options should I make it? I envisioned it as the Illithid trying to crack the victim's skull with it's beak (they have beaks, like octopi), which is why I went with Str.
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I'm afraid there's no real balance for either one to work with all of the possible classes of the type they are trying to work for, at least not without making sense. I mean, how could Mind Blast have a dex-based attack be easily justified?
This can be asked of quite a number of attacks in D&D. How does a Battle-Mind use CON to attack with its melee weapon attacks? How does an Avenger use WIS to attack with its melee weapon attacks? How does a Bard or Paladin use CHA to attack with their melee weapon attacks? How does a Dragonborn use STR or DEX for its Dragon Breath power? The answer is: Who cares? It's really just not a big deal.
Also, all of the examples you mentioned have secondary or at least tertiary ability scores that should match up easily, as should most classes that fall in line with whichever power they choose... I honestly can't see a tertiary at anything lower than 12, which is still a +1, which, while not the highest still isn't at zero or a negative.
Those are not high enough to make the attacks useful to those characters. This is a balance problem. Does the Halfling's Second Chance suddenly become not useful at all if you play a Barbarian? Is the utility of the Deva's Memory of a Thousand Lifetimes diminished by playing against type as a Battle-Mind? Can a Shard-Mind's Shard Swarm still be of benefit to a Ranger? See, none of those racial power have this problem that your attack powers have, and they don't have this problem because their utility is not tied to range or ability scores.
If you want to include racial powers that are exclusively useful only to a limited number of classes a roles, that's fine, but then you should include additional alternative options that are not so limited. ciaran had a fantastic idea for Bore Into Brain that would do just that, make it useful to all characters regardless of class, role, or ability scores.
Think of Mind Blast as blasting the mind (like blowing someone's . Or maybe I should make it something like Blast 3 in 10 squares? In which case would dealing d4s for damage counter-act granting CA?
I would buy that if every official version of Mind Blast wasn't a blast, but they all are. That is the iconic form of Mind Blast. If it's not a blast, then it's not really a Mind Blast. You had this fine before, I have no idea what you've all of a sudden decided to make it ranged.
Also, there's no such thing as a "blast within x squares". Blasts are adjacent to you. What you're thinking of is a burst, perhaps.
Speaking of things that were badly designed, please check out this thread for my Minotaur fix. What have the critics said, you ask? "If any of my players ask to play a Minotaur, I'm definitely offering this as an alternative to the official version." - EmpactWB "If I ever feel like playing a Minotaur I'll know where to look!" - Undrave "WoTC if you are reading this - please take this guy's advice." - Ferol_Debtor_of_Torm "Really full of win. A minotaur that is actually attractive for more than just melee classes." - Cpt_Micha
Also, check out my recent GENASI variant! If you've ever wished that your Fire Genasi could actually set stuff on fire, your Water Genasi could actually swim, or your Wind Genasi could at least glide, then look no further.
Finally, check out my OPTIONS FOR EVERYONE article, an effort to give unique support to the races that WotC keeps forgetting about. Includes new racial feature options for the Changeling, Deva, Githzerai, Gnoll, Gnome, Goliath, Half-Orc, Kalashtar, Minotaur, Shadar-Kai, Thri-Kreen, Warforged and more!
