|
2 years ago ::
Sep 08, 2011 - 10:06AM
#1
|
Date Joined:
Aug 17, 2009
|
I run a Dark Sun game so this idea might more properly belong in the DS sub-forum, but I figured more people read this one and I'm open to integrating ideas from any millieu so long as they're cool. In Dark Sun, any attack utilize arcane magic can also be made defiling, which allows a reroll but causes damage to party members.
Here's the sitch: in an upcoming game, any or all of my players' characters will have the opportunity to covertly acquire a defiling magical ability. I need to figure out how to implement this in terms of their character sheets. As it happens, no one in our party is an arcane casting class. I am looking for a simple way to give them a 'bonus' arcane attack power.
Ideally this winds up being a 'surprise' for some of the other party members when the Mul Fighter suddenly fires off a beam of necrotic energy and zaps everyone for 10 hp.
Of course I don't want to break the game by outfitting the entire party with an overpowering arcane ability. I'm thinking something along the lines of a weak daily or an even weaker encounter power. It probably needs to scale with level, though, or at least remain useful for the whole tier.
My first idea was to do this with a boon, but I haven't spotted any boons which grant powers along these lines. Maybe I've just missed it. Or maybe people have other suggestions?
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Sep 08, 2011 - 10:12AM
#2
|
|
|
In Dark Sun, the lore suggests that creatures that wander the deep desert change. They become more feral, more psionic, with big pointy teeth and scales and horns and such.
So, rather than give the PCs arcane abilities for some reason, why not have them mutate a la Gamma World? Give them each an alpha mutation (effectively an encounter power) that manifests in different, interesting ways. Maybe it's a spell that Thok the Mul has now or maybe it's not - either way, he now shoots radiation out of his eyes and roasts people where they stand. To balance it out, I would consider a drawback of some kind, like the permanent loss of a healing surge, until the mutation has been cured. If they like it, they keep it.
And don't worry about "breaking the game." You're the DM so you control the encounter design. If they get tougher as a result of your addition to the game, ramp up the encounters accordingly.
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Sep 08, 2011 - 10:45AM
#3
|
Date Joined:
Aug 17, 2009
|
So, rather than give the PCs arcane abilities for some reason, why not have them mutate a la Gamma World? Give them each an alpha mutation (effectively an encounter power) that manifests in different, interesting ways. Maybe it's a spell that Thok the Mul has now or maybe it's not - either way, he now shoots radiation out of his eyes and roasts people where they stand. To balance it out, I would consider a drawback of some kind, like the permanent loss of a healing surge, until the mutation has been cured. If they like it, they keep it.
While mutations are a cool idea, this particular need is tied to a plot point. It has to be an arcane defiling power. I've been building up to this 'acquisition of power' and I know some of my players are already anticipating taking advantage of it when the opportunity presents itself.
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Sep 08, 2011 - 11:00AM
#4
|
|
|
In that case, I would give them something along the lines of the half-elf's dilettante power. Take an arcane at-will power, make it an encounter power, tie the attack and damage to their main stats or level, and allow them to defile with it. It won't be terribly powerful which will limit the game-breaking aspect. If you feel it's too weak, use the 21st level bump version of the at-will. This way of doing it keeps it very simple.
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Sep 08, 2011 - 11:22AM
#5
|
Date Joined:
Aug 24, 2010
|
There actually is a boon that works along the lines of iserith's suggestion - Corellon's Boon of Arcane Might
|
|
|
|
2 years ago ::
Sep 09, 2011 - 1:30AM
#6
|
- Biohazard Barbie, on sale now!
Date Joined:
Sep 15, 2005
|
I run a Dark Sun game so this idea might more properly belong in the DS sub-forum, but I figured more people read this one and I'm open to integrating ideas from any millieu so long as they're cool. In Dark Sun, any attack utilize arcane magic can also be made defiling, which allows a reroll but causes damage to party members.
Here's the sitch: in an upcoming game, any or all of my players' characters will have the opportunity to covertly acquire a defiling magical ability. I need to figure out how to implement this in terms of their character sheets. As it happens, no one in our party is an arcane casting class. I am looking for a simple way to give them a 'bonus' arcane attack power.
Ideally this winds up being a 'surprise' for some of the other party members when the Mul Fighter suddenly fires off a beam of necrotic energy and zaps everyone for 10 hp.
Of course I don't want to break the game by outfitting the entire party with an overpowering arcane ability. I'm thinking something along the lines of a weak daily or an even weaker encounter power. It probably needs to scale with level, though, or at least remain useful for the whole tier.
My first idea was to do this with a boon, but I haven't spotted any boons which grant powers along these lines. Maybe I've just missed it. Or maybe people have other suggestions?
Dark Sun has psionic abilities like telekinisis...just give them Element specific 'bending' abilities like in Avatar - Last Airbender (earth, air, fire, water). If I remember one of the characters in the series developes the focus of Blood Bending (the ability to telekinetically manipulate water within a human body making a puppet out of them).
The Citadel Megadungeon: http://yellowdingosappendix.blogspot.com.au/2012/08/the-citadel-mega-dungeon-now-with-room.html
|
|
|
