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Friday, May 17, 2013, 8:33 PM
I need a place to gather a couple of essays I wrote in the Homebrew Fighter thread, which for a time sort of acted like Ironblue General on the DDN forum. Not only was it a dumping ground for every brain I was storming around with at the time, it lead to several not insignificant trains of thought and game design conclusions that I need to analyze further and whip into a reasonable semblance of shape. Am I even kidding myself that anybody is reading this and cares? Haha, nope. Pro bono, biatches! I'm just doing this for me. Okay, here's the stuff: Ability Frequencies
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At-will abilities are roughly 1x the power of a basic attack. Cantrips are meant to be the equivalent of weapons, and with a little less damage and a little more utility they succeed quite well at this. The Skill Tricks we've seen in earlier packets and I've written up in the rogue homebrew are deliberately balanced to appear as valid choices next to basic attacking, with the ones costing an action often being quite powerful in ways that don't have to do with dealing damage immediately.
All at-will abilities designed from here on should, for the most part, present the player with a compelling choice between it, and a basic attack. Okay, that's pretty simple to understand.
Encounter abilities are (legacy from 4e) roughly 2x the power of a basic attack, and as such are always a delicate balance. When some combats last only 4 or 5 rounds, I would hesitate (to say the least) to give any character the ability to use more than 2 such abilities per encounter. Not much more to say about this, as there are no current examples in the playtest. I think it's the perfect frequency of use for hybrid classes, though. I want to see paladins and swordmages (or whatever you wanna call 'em) working within a framework of basic attacks, a maneuver or two every other turn, and every battle getting a few signature 'turn the tide' type abilities with magic seamlessly growing from swordplay.
Daily abilities are you know what, who even has a clue. Not gonna touch this one right away. I think the extended rest rules need a good tweak, but I'm not there yet. Probably gonna tackle it when I do the cleric and the wizard.
That leaves a fourth category, an interesting one that has to do with active recharge mechanics and conditional triggers. Actually, you might want to break this up into a fourth and fifth category:
-Active recharge (spending specific, less powerful actions to get more powerful abilities back)
-Conditional triggers (rogues getting advantage!)
I'm tiredblue and I won't go into these deeply. I'll let you imagine how more of those could work. However, I will say that these two are probably somewhere around 1.5x the power of a basic attack, and they should show up in a lot more classes. Every time (almost every time) mechanics like these are attempted in my experience (3e and 4e), they've been not only successful, but wildly popular too. Avengers, Warblades, Swordsages, Warlocks (4e 'locks), and so on and so forth. Have A Preview
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Well I have to say, I'm getting more and more excited about this rendition of martial expertise. It was the one last major holdout between me and tackling the ranger and paladin classes, which are most likely next on the docket. Of all the huge letdowns of the last packet, a boring ranger and a boring paladin were the woooorst.
RANGER
Attack Expertise
Level Bonus Dice Class Features
1 +1 1d6 Combat Expertise, Favored Enemy, Favored
Terrain, Maneuver (1), Skill Trick (1)
2 +1 1d6 Favored Enemy Benefit, Skill Trick (1)
3 +2 2d6 Favored Terrain Benefit, Maneuver (1)
4 +2 2d6 Skill Trick (1), Wary
5 +2 2d6 Deadly Strikes (2), Maneuver (1)
6 +2 3d6 Skill Trick (1)
7 +2 3d6 Maneuver (1)
8 +3 3d6 Favored Enemy Benefit
9 +3 3d6 Favored Terrain Benefit
10 +3 3d6 Deadly Strikes (3), Feral Senses
PALADIN
Attack Expertise Channel
Level Bonus Dice Divinity Class Features
1 +1 1d6 1/day Channel Divinity, Combat Expertise,
Divine Favor, Maneuver (1), Oath
2 +1 1d6 2/day Divine Aura (1), Divine Sense
3 +2 2d6 2/day Maneuver (1)
4 +2 2d6 2/day Divine Aura (1)
5 +2 2d6 2/day Deadly Strikes (2), Maneuver (1)
6 +2 3d6 3/day Divine Aura (1)
7 +2 3d6 3/day Divine Health, Maneuver (1)
8 +3 3d6 3/day Summon Mount
9 +3 3d6 3/day -
10 +3 3d6 3/day Deadly Strikes (3)
To those keeping track at home, that's roughly half the progression for the same abilities that their parent classes get. All that stuff is very early in the planning stages (As much as one guy can 'plan' anything. Call it lucid daydreaming), and open to feedback and change. A few basic probes into the forum hivemind:
1. Do we want a spell-less ranger?
2. Do we want a spell-less paladin?
3. Do we find expertise that follows a few levels behind the fighter is suitable for a hybrid class and isn't too weak/too strong?
4. What is the difference between a subclass and a build option? (Protip: Not a trick question.)
5. Would you, only if you were sufficiently interested, design your own ranger/paladin/something else? (Protip: Also not a trick question! I love seeing other ideas.) Dead-Level-Free Leveling Plan (THANKS OBAMA)
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Go to this blog post and open up the spoiler that says 'On Using Your Skill Die'. It is a revision of the usual rules governing how characters advance their skills. Then, I guess if you're really a sucker for punishment you could slog through the spoiler that says 'On Skill Training, Weapon Proficiency, and Redundancy'.
If you followed all that, you could see how me adding skill trainings to classes here and there could start building a critical mass for a character's out of combat utility. Without much trouble you start getting skill focus in the areas you, well, focus in, and there are several opportunities outside of feats to pick up a skill trick or two. I'm not saying this is in any way definitive or a solution to the problems posed here, but it's supposed to help squeeze more exploration/interaction material into the game.
This also provides one cornerstone of a robust and fully dead-level-free leveling plan:
-Levels 1 and 11 are generally big ones for character growth anyway.
-Levels 2, 7, 12, and 17 are 'skill' levels in addition to whatever else you get.
-Levels 3, 6, 9, 13, 16, and 19 are feat levels. (Did I mention you should get two specialties/themes? But don't worry, the power level is being looked at. A lot of the problem simply goes away once powers are back in maneuver lists and out of feat lists.)
-Levels 4, 8, 14, and 18 are stat bump levels, but I want to have the option to swap these out for racial abilities. Human action point, Drow magic garbage, etc.
-Levels 5, 10, 15, and 20 are almost always big ones for the class, the combat math, and the character's resources. Deadly Strike, Spell levels, etc.
That's pretty idiot-proof right there, even for a class like the Barbarian. Pretty hard to find yourself without at least one meaningful choice every level.
There are those that would maintain the level plan is too crowded already. For them I say, high-level racial traits, feats, and skills are optional, so season to taste. Subclass Crisis
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To be honest, I'm not completely happy with fighting styles as they are presented. I read today's Q&A about subclasses and it confirmed a few of my suspicions regarding the intended role in the game of archetypes like knight and gladiator. What I wrote up were most definitely class builds. These are choices insular to and dependent on the rest of a class' mechanics, the way benefits interact with XD and so on. Certainly, something needs to be there, as it adds a little flair, or signature to how each fighter uses his resource that is unique compared to other fighters. Makes sense for a feature called 'fighting style'.
However, there are mechanisms that could be leveraged that drastically alter the way a character plays in all pillars of the game, and that was touched on a bit. That would be a subclass, and often (but not always) I would surmise that a defining characteristic of subclasses is they determine or alter a class' basic resource.
All of this is sort of a secondary observation to the major gripe I've been wrestling with since powerroleplayer posted this in another thread, and I applied it to all I had learned from my time with 3rd, 4th, and the compromise I'd been slowly making out of 5th. There was a magic of minimalism that I remember from my brief time with the first packet, and I know I am, for one, very susceptible to 'push-button bloat' with my designs, because it puts all the awesome things I want players to be thinking about down on paper.
But can you really make those sorts of decisions for them and expect them to be happy playing in your shoes? You tell them to gauge their dice, to alternate between simple attacks and maneuvers, to use a combat surge when they need to change their fortunes... But you are you really telling them what they want to know so they can create their own unique experiences with their character?
Hm. If I have a fault I guess it is being prone to a crisis, not exactly of faith, but of afterthought.
Anyway, I added a little bit to fighting styles to help distinguish them in the exploration and interaction pillars a little more. Some of them are kind of silly, and break my own rules about ancillary static bonuses, but they're a start. I'm dreaming of features that are far less micro-management focused and far more broad, bold, and improvisation friendly. More on those later. Next On the Docket
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Anyway, none of that is next on the docket for a rewrite. What I want to babble about right now for a moment is the meaty core of combat. Let's make that fun and interesting even before we start talking about maneuvers.
Actions in Combat
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Block:
When you wield a weapon or shield you are proficient with, you can use your reaction to block an incoming attack. Roll your skill die and subtract its result from the damage against you. If the damage drops to 0 or lower, you are still subject to any other effects of the attack.
Bull Rush:
You try to shove a creature, provided it is no more than one size category larger than you, by making a successful Strength check contested by that creature’s Strength check or Constitution check (the attacker chooses the ability). If you win this contest, you may push the creature up to a number of feet forward equal to half your remaining movement. You must move as far as the creature moves. If you lose this contest, you and the creature are grappled instead.
Charge:
You can move up to half your speed and make a single melee attack. You cannot move any farther in your turn.
Restrain:
Using at least one free hand, you try to grab and hold a creature no more than one size larger than you by making a successful Strength check contested by the creature’s Strength check or Dexterity check (the attacker chooses the ability). If you succeed, you restrain the creature. If you lose this contest, you and the creature are grappled instead.
While you’re restraining it, your attacks against creatures other than the one you have grappled have disadvantage, and you have disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws. You can stop restraining the creature at any time.
As an action, a creature restrained in this way can escape by succeeding on a Strength or Dexterity check contested by your Strength check.
Knock Down:
You try to knock a creature prone, provided it is no more than one size category larger than you, by making a successful Strength check contested by that creature’s Strength check or Dexterity check (the attacker chooses the ability). If you win this contest, the creature is knocked prone. If you lose this contest, you and the creature are grappled instead.
Two Weapon Fighting:
Once per turn when you wield two light melee weapons at the same time, you can make a free attack with your off-hand weapon, without spending an action. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the off-hand attack.
Weapon Properties
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Small:
A small weapon’s size and bulk make it advantageous in certain confined situations. Attacks made with small weapons do not suffer disadvantage while the attacker is grappled or restrained.
Heavy:
A heavy weapon’s size and bulk make it too large for a Small creature to use effectively. Small creatures reduce the damage die on all attacks made with heavy weapons by one step.
Conditions
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Grappled
-Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage, except against the other creature in the grapple.
-A grappled creature’s movement is halved (round down). When one grappled creature moves, the other grappled creature must move with it.
-A grappled creature has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.
A grappled creature is typically locked in a clinch with another creature, making that other creature grappled as well. Either member of a grapple can end that grapple for free on their turn.
Prone
-A prone creature’s only movement option is to crawl, unless it stands up. Standing up costs half that creature's movement.
-The creature takes a –2 penalty to attack rolls.
-The creature cannot take reactions.
-Melee attack rolls against the creature have advantage.
-A ranged attack roll against the creature has disadvantage, unless the attacker is within 10 feet of the creature.
Restrained
-A restrained creature’s speed becomes 0, and it cannot benefit from bonuses to its speed.
-Attack rolls against the creature have advantage, and the creature’s attack rolls have disadvantage.
-The restrained creature has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws.
-The restrained creature cannot take reactions.
A restrained creature is usually entangled, ensnared, or otherwise caught in a particular area.
Funny how these things go in cycles. A few maneuvers and playtests later and I'm right back to where the packet was in regards to two-weapon fighting. They got it mostly right this time, what do you know. 
But check out the new block. I'm becoming more and more convinced that core D&D combat needs a little balancing factor to offer any semblance of intriguing gameplay or drama in its most basic form.
The current order of operation is:
1. Attack, deal damage (or not).
2. Get attacked, get dealt damage (or not).
3. Repeat until one of you busts a leak in your HP pinata and candy goes flying all over the place.
It's pretty one-dimensional. Without creating and offering players and monsters a few meaningful choices in their manner of pinata busting in it's most basic form, it's going to be hard to get anyone engaged unless you tack on wild resource management sub-systems, and have them power long lists of exception-based push-button abilities. Oh wait... 
So now every single character in the game can block if they're holding a weapon or a shield. Minus 1d6/8/10/12 damage as a reaction, and EVERYONE can do it. This doesn't destroy the game's math for a few reasons:
-1d6 won't save most creatures from a PC's attack anyway.
-Corollary: Most PC attacks against weak monsters result in quite a bit of wasted damage.
-Reactions are always at a premium.
And this allows for a few unique scenarios not normally covered by basic combat:
-Attacking a creature and forcing it to block you lets you move away without eating an opportunity attack.
-Defensively-minded creatures are now just a little bit harder for focus-firing parties to take down, necessitating more creative tactics.
-PC's can get injured without feeling like they're on death row, and PC mortality becomes much more interesting (less swingy, more close shaves).
Now let's look at a hobgoblin warlord or something. High AC, Decently high HP, and he has a few good blocking/parrying options. If a PC deals 1d8+4 damage and 1d6 of that just goes down the drain, he might start to feel very insecure about his basic attack. Enter: Actions in Combat.
There are a few key changes I made up there:
-The attacker always chooses what ability score to target with a contest.
-It's possible to restrain a creature with one action now.
-Nearly all contests do something whether you succeed at them or not. The examples given end in a grapple if the attacker loses.
So now contests look very appealing. You can target that hobgoblin's low dexterity. Restraining is great, unless of course you deem the creature is too dangerous to keep close to you (many unarmed attacks and monster natural attacks will share the small weapon property described above), in which case you might want to knock it prone and get out of the way. And no matter what you do, you will at least succeed in tying him up for a round, in which the rest of the party can try to capitalize on your selfless heroism.
And there's the rub. You can always deal damage, sure. But how often in literature or movies do you hear about the hero wrestling with the villain over a bottomless pit? This is the kind of stuff I wanted to emulate and make possible.
In the absence of spells, maneuvers, or other craziness, it is often far preferable under this system to have at least one character initiate a contest with a big, tough creature, and get it into a bad position before swinging away. Against swarms of weak creatures, this sort of thing naturally falls by the wayside. It's not needed when the PCs are hacking their way through hordes. It only really kicks in when it needs to, against tough chieftains, BBEGs, and so on.
If you watch period films and historical accounts of medieval warfare, you might be surprised to learn how common this sort of combat was. Grabbing, shoving, pulling down and knifing are all very important tactical considerations against armored opponents.
Later I will go over how these changes affect the expertise system, and how you can expect truly competent warriors to act in a melee of brawling, wrestling, and blocking opponents. Shake, Shake, Shake
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Here's where we are right now:
At-Will Action: Basic Attack: Ability Check vs. DC; 1[W] + Ability Mod
At-Will Action: Contest: Ability Check vs. DC; advantage, loss of reactions, other benefits
I think those two make out alright at the moment. Advantage for the rest of the party really is a huge damage boost, and the target often won't be able to defend with a reaction. Speaking of reactions:
At-Will Reaction: Opportunity Attack: Ability Check vs. DC; 1[W] + Ability Mod; very conditional
At-Will Reaction: Block: - 1d6 melee damage; perhaps additional benefits for shields (ranged attacks and spells!)
Now we have a (roughly) complete system of checks and balances. Block tips the scale slightly away from basic attack, but damage still wins out against weak and/or outnumbered creatures. This maths out at low levels, but it's interesting to note that damage, due to deadly strikes (or whatever ends up being used for that) scales much faster than block does. This is offset by rising HP totals I think.
What's great about contests is they come with their own built in balance; losing them results in a very interesting condition for both parties of the contest (grapple), and of course the opportunity cost of taking that action instead of attacking. That's why I feel justified in making them do pretty powerful things like restrain (prone of course had to be buffed, and may need to get better still). Right now, I'm torn between adding more codified contest actions to do things like dazing, distracting, and taunting; and taking away all such rules-heavy adjudication and trying to implement the same system with a very broad singular action type: The Contest. I feel like I ought to do that to encourage improvisation. That's besides the point though.
Opportunity Attacks are still hanging out there, alone and unloved. Is the trigger too conditional for these guys? Do we need to juice up this action type now that block has entered the scene? I'd love some advice.
Now let's plug in expertise dice, the universal system of fighting competence as I've been working at it:
Every other turn Action: Maneuver Attack: Ability Check vs. DC; 1[W] + Ability Mod + xd6; other benefits
Every other-OTHER turn Action: Basic Attack: Ability Check vs. DC; 1[W] + Ability Mod; recharge 1d6
Every other turn Reaction: Maneuver Reaction: +/- xd6 to damage
Every other-OTHER turn Reaction: Fighting Style Benefit: Recharge 1d6
Do you see how competent fighter-types start matching up against regular combatants? They're sort of 1.5x as powerful, doing above and beyond the call of duty things once every 2 or 3 turns. Is that boost in power appropriate? And that is IT. Oh my sweet, everloving, entirely orthodox god. I just don't ever shut up. I'm going somewhere with all of this, I promise.
Saturday, May 4, 2013, 1:00 PM
Under the bounded accuracy system, an attack roll, a skill check, an ability check or whatever else has got three possible modifying points:
-Ability Modifier: from +1 to +5
-Class Bonus: from +1 to +5
-Proficiency Bonus: Anything from +1d6 to +1d12, or in my dream +2 to +5 (prof. bonus from 4e weapons but more range to account for more diversity)
Now, each of those modifying points has its own idiosyncracies, but the very first important take away is this:
The bounded accuracy system can only handle TWO of those three at any time. For ease of comprehension, they ought to be the same two.
Now, some points of interest about each:
Ability Modifier is the one the designer has far less control over. Especially if those terrifying ability score bump feats get implemented, but lets pretend the world isn't ending in fire. It's also, perhaps for the exact same reason, the one players tend to have the strongest bond with. I don't think I've ever met a PC who wasn't at least a little proud of his +4 attribute, for instance. When the playtest first launched, it had one of the most refreshing ability score arrays I'd seen in a while, but I guess that's because I was hot off the heels of 4e. Nothing higher than a 17 huh? Rounded scores everywhere? It was excellent. This was bolstered by some utterly inspired moves in early packets to decouple (bzzt, buzzword) ability scores first from skills, then from tasks themselves. Sometimes you had to be strong to jump. Sometimes you had to be agile.
IF the ability modifier is picked as one of the core accuracy modifiers of this edition, I would insist that ability score bump feats never see the light of day, and it would be like five christmases at once if, finally, ability scores were decoupled completely from attacks and all else. Sometimes you need to be quick to swat a giant bat out of the air with your greatsword. Sometimes you need to be strong to punch your arrow through a knight's armor. I understand that's controversial, but just imagine! A MAD world for everyone! Haha. Probably not gonna happen though.
Class Bonus. The designer has a bit more control over this one. Multiclassing springs to mind, that and the horror of adding fractions. I won't beat this one to death because I think it's fairly reigned in. If we had Ability Mod + Class Bonus, I'd probably do away with ability score bump feats (notice a trend) and be sure to bump class bonus up by maybe a point. Maybe not even though.
And Proficiency Bonus. This is personally what I want to see implemented. Notice that with Ability Mod + Class Bonus, it works great for attack rolls (and save DCs I guess), but suddenly you have to come up with something else for skills (or not skills, if you're not using skills. Guh. Modules) and I would prefer that we have a set formula for all calculations in the system. I suppose Class Bonus would be perfect if you added it to all the skills the class let you train, though. And then you applied that bonus to your background skills too? Whatever. Ability Mod + Proficiency Bonus is preferable.
Every skill you have trained has a proficiency bonus, and so does every weapon. I see it playing out one of two ways:
-All trained skills are at +4 and all weapons get somewhere from +2 to +5, depending on the damage and attributes it has.
-All trained skills AND proficient weapons get the skill die, scaling automatically from 1d6 to 1d12.
I think the latter is better. Every single calculation in the game is the exact same. 1d20 + Ability Mod + 1d6 and up. You get a lesser bell curve effect in there, AND it's very easy to remember. Roll two dice, add your mod. You lose an opportunity to differentiate weapons though.
Is that not high enough for the Average DCs as presented? 13 and 14 ought to be fairly easy marks to hit, around 65 to 70%. Perhaps this is best done with a slightly higher ability score array, though (again) no gorram +1 ability feats.
Anyway, that's what I want. AC and DC are equivalent and always contested against Ability Mod and Proficiency Die. Currently we have Ability Mod and Class Bonus, but for other things Proficiency Die, so despite my wild ramblings this is simpler, I promise.
SUMMATION:
The core Ability Check remains 1d20 + Ability Mod. The target number will always hover between the realm of 7-23.
ALL proficiency in this system, everything from thieves tools to longswords to trained skills, is represented by the Proficiency Die, which takes the place of the Skill Die. The proficiency die will, in all likelihood, start at 1d6 and bump up one step at levels 5 (1d8), 10 (1d10) and 15 (1d12).
This jives with the redundancy rules I posted previously in the rogue section. Getting skill training from multiple sources, for example, only bumps you up the skill ladder for that realm of expertise. First training (proficiency die), then Focus, then Supremacy, then Tricks.
Now, we have a little more space for buffs and debuffs with this system. There are no small static modifiers to keep track of, anywhere, ever. The small buff/debuff is represented by bumping the proficiency die, or the damage die, up or down one step. The large buff/debuff is represented by granting advantage or disadvantage.
All buffs scale naturally with the system, all buffs curve naturally within the bounds of... Bounded Accuracy.
Oh yeah, and saves can get the proficiency die too. So we no longer have to immediately give all our rogues advantage on all dex saves or something silly.
Tags:
5e,
ability check,
AC,
attack rolls,
bounded accuracy,
DC
, design theory,
DnD,
Game Design,
homebrew,
next,
playtest
Thursday, May 2, 2013, 7:49 PM
On Hit Points
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Each creature has a hit point maximum, which is the total of its Hit Die rolls (or the average of those rolls), its Constitution score, and any other modifiers. On Actions in Combat
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Bull Rush:
You shove a creature 5 feet, provided it is no more than one size category larger than you, by making a successful Strength check contested by that creature’s Strength check or Constitution check (the attacker chooses the ability).
Charge:
You can move up to half your speed and make a single melee attack. You cannot move any farther in your turn.
Grapple:
Using at least one free hand, you try to grab and hold a creature no more than one size larger than you by making a successful Strength check contested by the creature’s Strength check or Dexterity check (the attacker chooses the ability). If you succeed, the creature’s speed becomes 0 and cannot increase until the grapple ends.
Knock Down:
You knock a creature prone, provided it is no more than one size category larger than you, by making a successful Strength check contested by that creature’s Strength check or Dexterity check (the attacker chooses the ability).
Block:
When you wield a shield you are proficient with in your off-hand, you can use your reaction to block an incoming attack. Roll your skill die and subtract its result from the damage against you. If the damage drops to 0 or lower, you are still subject to any other effects of the attack.
Two Weapon Fighting:
When you wield two light melee weapons at the same time, you can use your action to make an attack with each weapon. You don’t add your ability modifier to the damage of the off-hand attack. On Heavy Weapons
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Heavy:
A heavy weapon’s size and bulk make it too large for a Small creature to use effectively. Small creatures reduce the damage die on all attacks made with heavy weapons by one step. On Specialties and Feats
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Combat Maneuver
Benefit: You learn one maneuver, and gain one expertise die, a d6. You can spend that die to use combat maneuvers that you have learned. When you use a maneuver, you decide how many expertise dice you spend on that maneuver. Then, you resolve the maneuver’s effects. Once you use an expertise die, it is expended. You have three ways to regain use of your expended expertise dice:
-You can use your action to regain all of your expended dice.
-Every attack you make that is not augmented by a maneuver recharges one of your expertise dice.
-Every physical contest you initiate with a creature recharges one of your expertise dice.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times, but must choose a new maneuver each time. If you already have expertise dice from this feat or another class feature, you do not gain any more.
Dual Wielding
Benefit: When you fight with two melee weapons at the same time, one of them doesn’t need to be a light weapon, provided you are proficient with both of the weapons. In addition, when you fight with two melee weapons at the same time, you may use your reaction to block as though you were wielding a shield.
FIGHTERAbility Adjustment: +1 to your Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution score Starting Hit Points: Your Constitution score Hit Die: 1d10 per fighter level Hit Points: 1d10 (or 6) per fighter level gained Armor and Shield Proficiencies: All armor and shields Weapon Proficiencies: All weapons Attack Expertise CombatLevel Bonus Dice Surge Class Features1 +1 2d6 1/day Combat Superiority, Combat Surge, Fighting Style, Maneuvers (2) 2 +1 2d6 1/day Maneuver (1), Martial Feat 3 +1 3d6 1/day Style Benefit 4 +2 3d6 1/day Maneuver (1) 5 +2 3d6 2/day Deadly Strikes (2), Style Benefit 6 +2 4d6 2/day Maneuver (1) 7 +2 4d6 2/day Martial Feat 8 +3 4d6 2/day Maneuver (1) 9 +3 5d6 2/day Unstoppable 10 +3 5d6 3/day Deadly Strikes (3), Maneuver (1) Level 1: Combat Superiority
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You have two d6s called expertise dice. You can spend expertise dice to use combat maneuvers that you have mastered. When you use a maneuver, you decide how many expertise dice you spend on that maneuver. Then, you resolve the maneuver’s effects. Once you use an expertise die, it is expended. You have three ways to regain use of your expended expertise dice:
-You can use your action to regain all of your expended dice.
-Every attack you make that is not augmented by a maneuver recharges one of your expertise dice.
-Every physical contest you initiate with a creature recharges one of your expertise dice.
You must be able to take actions to spend expertise dice. As you gain levels you gain additional dice, as noted on the Fighter table. Level 1: Combat Surge
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Once per day, you can use a combat surge on your turn. During that turn, you can take a second action, and in addition you can either:
-Recharge one expertise die.
-Roll one hit die and regain that many hit points.
At 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, the number of times per day that you can use a combat surge increases by one, and the number of expertise dice or hit dice you may recharge or roll increases by one. You may only ever use a combat surge once per turn. Level 1: Fighting Style
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Choose one of the following:
Duelist
Suggested Maneuvers: Disarming Strike, Parry
Suggested Specialty: Swashbuckler
Level 1: Skills
You may choose to gain either the Bluff or Tumble skill.
Level 1: Maneuvers
You gain Flurry of Blows as a bonus maneuver.
Level 1: Duelist's Finesse
When you make an attack without using a maneuver and have one hand free, you gain a bonus to damage with that attack equal to your Dexterity modifier. In addition, you gain a bonus to checks made to climb or jump equal to your Dexterity modifier.
Level 3: Deft Riposte
Once per turn, you can capitalize on an opponent's failed attack. When a creature within 5 feet of you misses you with a melee attack, you may recharge one of your expertise dice.
Level 5: Duelist's Grace
Once per turn, you can spend an expertise die to single out one creature to avoid. You can sustain this effect as long as you wish, but while doing so you cannot recharge that expertise die by any means. While this effect is active, whenever that creature moves within 5 feet of you, you can move 5 feet without provoking opportunity attacks.
Juggernaut
Suggested Maneuvers: Cleave, Tide of Iron
Suggested Specialty: Reaper
Level 1: Skills
You may choose to gain either the break an object or drive skill.
Level 1: Maneuvers
You gain Barreling Charge as a bonus maneuver.
Level 1: DON'T YOU KNOW WHO I AM? HE MUST NOT KNOW WHO I AM
When you make an attack without using a maneuver, you deal damage equal to your Constitution modifier to one creature adjacent to your target. You must deal this damage even if the only creatures adjacent to the target are friendly. In addition, you gain a bonus to checks made to break objects equal to your Constitution modifier.
Level 3: YEAH IT'S THE JUGGERNAUT BITCH
Once per turn, you can build up a furious head of steam. When you move more than 15 feet on your turn and an Opportunity Attack misses you, you may recharge one of your expertise dice.
Level 5: JUGGERNAUT I GOT THE FEELING SOMETHING'S SERIOUSLY WRONG WITH YOU
Once per turn, you can spend an expertise die to lend a frightening weight to your attacks. You can sustain this effect as long as you wish, but while doing so you cannot recharge that expertise die by any means. While this effect is active, you push every creature you hit with a weapon attack 5 feet.
Knight
Suggested Maneuvers: Jab, Protect
Suggested Specialty: Guardian
Level 1: Skills
You may choose to gain either the ride or sense motive skill.
Level 1: Maneuvers
You gain Parry as a bonus maneuver.
Level 1: Knight’s Prowess
When you make an attack without using a maneuver, you can reduce the damage of the next attack that hits you this round by an amount equal to your Wisdom modifier. In addition, you gain a bonus to checks made to socialize or follow proper etiquette equal to your Wisdom modifier.
Level 3: Steely Resolve
Once per turn, you can recover your strength while under assault. When you reduce the damage of an attack made against you or a friendly creature to 0, you may recharge one of your expertise dice.
Level 5: Knight's Challenge
Once per turn, you can spend an expertise die to issue a challenge to an enemy that can see or hear you. You can sustain this effect as long as you wish, but while doing so you cannot recharge that expertise die by any means. While this challenge is active, you have advantage on all attacks made against that target.
Gladiator
Suggested Maneuvers: Glancing Blow, Shift
Suggested Specialty: Reaper
Level 1: Skills
You may choose to gain either the intimidate or perform skill.
Level 1: Maneuvers
You gain Knock Down as a bonus maneuver.
Level 1: Gladiator’s Flair
When you make an attack without using a maneuver, you gain a bonus to damage with that attack equal to your Charisma modifier. In addition, you gain a bonus to physical contests equal to your Charisma modifier.
Level 3: Morituri Te Salutant
Once per turn, you can exult in the glory of blood you have spilled. When you reduce a creature to 0 hit points or fewer with your attack, you may recharge one of your expertise dice.
Level 5: Gladiator’s Cunning
Once per turn, you can spend an expertise die to single out one creature to guard against. You can sustain this effect as long as you wish, but while doing so you cannot recharge that expertise die by any means. While this effect is active, that creature cannot gain advantage against you.
Sharpshooter
Suggested Maneuvers: Punish, Shift
Suggested Specialty: Sniper
Level 1: Skills
You may choose to gain either the climb or spot skill.
Level 1: Maneuvers
You gain Precise Shot as a bonus maneuver.
Level 1: Sharpshooter’s Eye
When you make a ranged attack without using a maneuver, you gain a bonus to damage with that attack equal to your Dexterity modifier. In addition, you gain a bonus to checks made to spot or search equal to your Dexterity modifier.
Level 3: Long Shot
Once per turn, you can be reinvigorated by a lucky hit. When you make an attack roll and hit a target that is obscured, behind cover, or at long range, you may recharge one of your expertise dice.
Level 5: Sharpshooter’s Mark
Once per turn, you can single out an enemy to keep an eye on. You can sustain this effect as long as you wish, but while doing so you cannot recharge that expertise die by any means. While this mark is active, you have advantage on all attacks made against that target.
Warlord
Suggested Maneuvers: Glancing Blow, Punish
Suggested Specialty: Field Medic
Level 1: Skills
You may choose to gain either the administer first aid or recall military lore skill.
Level 1: Maneuvers
You gain Tide of Iron as a bonus maneuver.
Level 1: Warlord’s Prescience
When you make an attack without using a maneuver, you can choose one friendly creature that can see or hear you. That creature gains a bonus to damage with its next attack this round equal to your Intelligence modifier. In addition, you gain a bonus to inspire or motivate others equal to your Intelligence modifier.
Level 3: Turning the Tide
Once per turn, you can redouble your efforts in the face of overwhelming violence. When a creature that you can see or hear critically hits, you may recharge one of your expertise dice.
Level 5: Warlord’s Command
Once per turn, you can spend an expertise die to direct the actions of a friendly creature that can see or hear you. You can sustain this effect as long as you wish, but while doing so you cannot recharge that expertise die by any means. While under your command, that target has advantage on one attack roll it makes every turn. Level 1: Maneuvers
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You gain two maneuvers of your choice at 1st level, and one more at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level. You can choose from the general maneuver list and the fighter’s maneuver list.
Barreling Charge
When you get going, your entire body becomes a weapon.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: Move up to your speed and make a melee weapon attack. Roll all the dice you spent on this maneuver. You may assign each die rolled to a creature you moved within 5 feet of during this maneuver, but may not assign more than one die to a creature. You deal damage to that creature and reduce any damage dealt to you with that creature's opportunity attack by the result.
Brash Strike
You don’t just hit a dude, you flip out all over his junk and don’t even care.
Expertise Cost: 2 or more dice
Activation Time: None
Effect: When you hit with a weapon attack, you can spend expertise dice to deal additional damage. For every two dice you spend in this fashion, roll both and add only the highest to the total damage you deal.
Cleaving Assault
You can carry your momentum forward from an attack, carving through one foe into the body of another.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: Make a melee weapon attack, and if you hit you can deal additional damage to one creature adjacent to your target. Roll any expertise dice you spend in this way, and the adjacent creature takes damage equal to the result.
Disarming Strike
You wanted to chop off his whole hand, but you’ll settle for knocking the weapon out of his grasp.
Expertise Cost: 1 or 2 dice
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: Make a weapon attack, and if you hit, your target has disadvantage on its next attack. If you spent 2 dice on this maneuver, the target is disarmed instead.
Flurry of Blows
You unleash a flurry of light, quick attacks.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: Make a weapon attack with a light weapon you are proficient with. Make one additional attack per die spent on this maneuver, and on a hit, roll the expertise die in place of your damage die, and add no bonuses to the damage.
Glancing Blow
Even when your strike is only a glancing blow; you find a way to damage your opponent.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: None
Effect: Once per turn when you miss a creature with a weapon attack you can spend expertise dice to turn the miss into a glancing blow. Roll any expertise dice you spend in this way, and the target takes damage equal to the result. The damage is of the same type as the attack, but the glancing blow has none of the attack’s other effects and is not considered to have hit.
Jab
You can make quick, shallow attacks even when you focus your attention on other things.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: None
Effect: When you take an action other than making a melee or a ranged attack, you can spend expertise dice to make a melee or ranged attack against a creature within range during that action. If you hit, instead of rolling damage normally, you roll the expertise dice and use the result for your damage.
Knockdown Assault
The force of a blow, whether from an axe or an arrow, in just the right spot can cause a creature to stagger and fall.
Expertise Cost: 1 or 2 dice
Activation Time: None
Effect: When you hit a creature with a weapon attack and that creature is no more than one size category larger than you, you can spend a single expertise die to also knock that creature prone. If you spend a second die on this maneuver, roll that die. The target takes additional damage equal to the result rolled.
Lunge
You stretch out to strike at an enemy just out of your normal reach.
Expertise Cost: 1 die
Activation Time: None
Effect: Once per turn, when you take an action to make an attack, you can spend a single expertise die to increase your reach with that attack by 5 feet.
Parry
You can use your weapon or shield to turn aside an attack, reducing its impact on you.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When you are damaged by an attack while you are wielding a weapon or a shield, you can spend expertise dice as a reaction to reduce the damage. Roll any expertise dice you spend in this way, and subtract the result from the damage against you. If the damage drops to 0 or lower, you are still subject to any other effects of the attack. If you spend 2 or more dice on this maneuver, it does not cost you a reaction.
Precise Shot
You have expert aim, allowing you to make even the most improbable shots.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: None
Effect: When you make a ranged attack against a creature that has half cover or three quarters cover, you can spend a single expertise die. Roll the die, and add its result as a bonus to your attack roll. If the target has half cover, the maximum bonus from this die is +2. If the target has three-quarters cover, the maximum bonus from the die is +5. If you spend 2 or more dice on this maneuver, roll all the expertise dice you spend. You gain a bonus to the damage of this attack equal to the highest result only.
Protect
By splitting your attention between your opponents and your allies, you can intervene with a weapon or a shield when one of your friends would be harmed.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When a creature next to you takes damage from an attack while you are wielding a weapon or a shield, you can spend expertise dice as a reaction to reduce the damage. Roll any expertise die you spend in this way, and subtract the result from the damage against the creature. If the damage drops to 0 or lower, the creature is still subject to any other effects of the attack. If you spend 2 or more dice on this maneuver, it does not cost you a reaction.
Punish
You keep a watchful eye on your friends, and stand ready to defend them at a moment’s notice.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When a friendly creature within 5 feet takes damage from an attack while you are wielding a weapon, you can spend expertise dice as a reaction to make a melee or ranged attack against the creature that attacked them. If you hit, instead of rolling damage normally, you roll the expertise dice and use the result for your damage. If you spend 2 or more dice on this maneuver, it does not cost you a reaction.
Shift
You can adopt a more nimble stance, focusing some of your effort on stepping into safe spots on the battlefield.
Expertise Cost: 1 die
Activation Time: None
Effect: Once per turn, when you take an action to make an attack, you can spend a single expertise die to move up to 10 feet before or after the attack. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Smash and Grab
Not content with simply beating the piss out of your opponent, you grab his skinny ass and throttle him like the rag doll he is.
Expertise Cost: 1 or 2 dice
Activation Time: None
Effect: When you hit with a melee weapon attack against a creature within 5 feet of you, you can spend an expertise die to grapple that creature. If you spend a second expertise die on this maneuver and that creature is no more than one size category larger than you, you can restrain that creature as if you had succeeded on two grapple checks.
Tide of Iron
As you strike with a weapon, you can use a combination of your attack’s precision and the leverage of your strike to drive a target back.
Expertise Cost: 1 or more dice
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: When you hit with a melee weapon attack against a creature no more than one size category larger than you, you may spend an expertise die to push that creature. You may move 5 feet forward for every die you spend on this maneuver, pushing the creature as far as you move. If you spend at least 2 dice on this maneuver, roll all the expertise dice you have spent. If that creature comes into contact with any hard surface or another creature during this movement, you deal damage equal to the result rolled. Level 2: Martial Feat
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Benefit: At 2nd and 7th level, you gain a martial feat as a bonus feat. Level 5: Deadly Strikes
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Benefit: Once per round, when you make a weapon attack on your turn, you can make a second attack as part of the same action. If you have movement remaining, you can move between the attacks.
You can make a third attack as part of the same action starting at 10th level. Level 9: Unstoppable
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Benefit: You have advantage on saving throws against effects that would result in a complete or partial loss of control of your character. TO DO: More maneuvers. Make Fighting Styles better/more balanced. Add Style benefits. More Fighting Styles. Possibly put in saving throw boost, equivalent to Evasion. EDIT: Most of these things done to general satisfaction. When I've got this fella locked down up to level 10, I will have a few more basic system changes to make, such as reimagining martial feats and updating healing and recovery rules. Once that's done, we can safely say 2/4 COMPLETE.
Thursday, April 11, 2013, 7:16 AM
Rule changes I've pinned down so far: On using your Skill Die
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Whenever you make an ability check related to one or more of your skills, roll your skill die once and add the number rolled to the check’s result.
Your skill die starts as a d6. When you reach 7th, 12th, and 17th level, improve your skill die from a d6 to a d8, a d8 to a d10, or a d10 to a d12.
In addition, when you reach 2nd, 7th, 12th, and 17th level, you can either train in a new skill or choose a skill trick you qualify for. In short, you decide whether you want to broaden your character’s expertise or become even better at the skills you already have. On Deadly Strike
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Level 9: Deadly Strikes
Benefit: Once per round, when you make a weapon attack on your turn, you can make a second attack as part of the same action. If you have movement remaining, you can move between the attacks. On Skill Training, Weapon Proficiency and Redundancy
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Gaining Skills
A skill can be chosen only once. If you gain training in a skill you already have training in, you may instead take the bonus feat Skill Focus for that skill. If you get training in a skill you have Skill Focus in, you may take the bonus feat Skill Supremacy for that skill. Finally, if you get training in a skill you have Skill Supremacy in, you may learn a Skill Trick associated with that skill. Treat each area of knowledge of the recall lore skill as its own, separate skill for the purposes of training.
Specialist Specialty (teehee)
Level 1: Skill Training
Level 3: Skill Focus
Level 6: Skill Supremacy
Level 9: Skill Trick
Skill Supremacy
Prerequisite: Skill Focus feat
Benefit: Choose a skill you chose for the Skill Focus feat. When you gain advantage on a check associated with this skill, you roll 3d20 and take the highest result.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times, but you must choose a different skill each time.
Skill Trick
Benefit: Choose one of your skills when you gain this feat. You gain a skill trick associated with that skill.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times.
Weapon Proficiency
If you make an attack roll using a weapon with which you lack proficiency, you make the attack roll with disadvantage. If you gain proficiency with a weapon you are already proficient with, you may take the bonus feat Weapon Focus for that weapon. If you gain proficiency with a weapon you have Weapon focus for, you may take the bonus feat Weapon Mastery for that weapon. If you gain proficency with a weapon you have Weapon Master for, you may learn a maneuver from the general list that can be used with that weapon.
Weapon Master Specialty
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency
Level 3: Weapon Focus
Level 6: Weapon Mastery
Level 9: Combat Maneuver
Weapon Focus
Benefit: Choose a weapon with which you have proficiency. When you attack with this weapon, the damage die for that weapon increases by one step: d4 to d6, d6 to d8, d8 to d10, d10 to d12, and d12 to 2d6.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times, but you must choose a different weapon each time.
Weapon Mastery
Prerequisite: Weapon Focus feat
Benefit: Choose a weapon you chose for the Weapon Focus feat. When you attack with this weapon, the crit range for that weapon increases by one step: 20 to 19-20, and 19-20 to 18-20.
Special: You can select this feat multiple times, but you must choose a different weapon each time. On Setting a DC
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Trivial (DC 7):
In normal circumstances, a DC of 7 or lower represents a task that is so easy that it is not worth an ability check. An adventurer can almost always succeed automatically on a trivial task.
Easy (DC 10):
An easy task requires a minimum level of competence or a modicum of luck to accomplish.
Moderate (DC 13):
A moderate task requires a slightly higher level of competence to accomplish. A character with a combination of natural aptitude and specialized training can accomplish a moderate task more often than not.
Hard (DC 16):
Hard tasks include any effort that is beyond the capabilities of most people without aid or exceptional ability. Even with aptitude and training, a character needs some amount of luck—or a lot of specialized training—to pull off a hard task.
Very Hard (DC 19):
Only especially talented individuals need even try their hand at very hard tasks.
Formidable (DC 22):
Only the most highly trained, experienced, and talented individuals have a chance at success at a formidable task, and even they probably need mundane equipment or magic items to aid them.
Nearly Impossible (DC 25):
Tasks of this difficulty are so challenging that only demigods and their peers can succeed without assistance. And the rogue class is pretty much locked down up to level 10. May shuffle around a few abilities, grant ace in the hole earlier, things like that. Reconfiguring the class for the new apprentice tier leveling plan should be relatively easy; I'll make those changes when I know more about it. ROGUEAbility Adjustment: +1 to your Strength, Dexterity, or Intelligence score. Starting Hit Points: Your Constitution score Hit Die: 1d6 per rogue level Hit Points: 1d6 (or 4) per rogue level gained Armor and Shield Proficiencies: Light armor Weapon Proficiencies: Simple weapons, hand crossbow, light crossbow, long sword, rapier, short sword Tool Proficiencies: Thieves’ tools Attack Sneak Ace in Level Bonus Attack the Hole Class Features 1 +1 1d6 1/day Ace in the Hole, Rogue Scheme, Skill Tricks (2), Sneak Attack (1) 2 +1 1d6 1/day Skill Trick (1) 3 +1 2d6 1/day Scheme Benefit 4 +1 2d6 1/day Skill Trick (1) 5 +2 3d6 2/day Scheme Benefit 6 +2 3d6 2/day Skill Trick (1) 7 +2 3d6 2/day Sneak Attack (1) 8 +2 4d6 2/day Evasion, Skill Trick (1) 9 +2 4d6 2/day Deadly Strikes (twice) 10 +2 4d6 3/day Defensive Roll, Skill Trick (1) Level 1: Ace in the Hole
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Benefit: Once per day, you can turn an attack of yours that misses into a hit, or you can change your roll for a failed ability check or saving throw into a 20, provided you can take actions.
At 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th level, the number of times per day that you can use Ace in the Hole increases by one. You may only ever use Ace in the Hole once per turn. Level 1: Rogue Scheme
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Choose one of the following:
Acrobat
Suggested Skill Tricks: Scramble, Vault
Suggested Sneak Attack: Disrupt
Level 1: Skills
You gain the climb, jump, balance, and tumble skills.
Level 1: Tumbling Strike
When you make a successful check to climb, jump, or tumble, you gain advantage on the next attack roll you make.
Level 3: Sure Footing
While you are climbing, balancing, or otherwise hanging in a precarious position, you do not grant advantage to attacks made against you. In addition, you gain advantage on all checks made to balance or tumble.
Level 5: Hit and Run
When you successfully use sneak attack on your turn, you can move a distance up to half your speed as part of the same action. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Assassin
Suggested Skill Tricks: Sickening Finish, Vanish
Suggested Sneak Attack: Incapacitate
Level 1: Skills
You gain the bluff, intimidate, sneak, and sleight of hand skills.
Level 1: Isolated Strike
Once on your turn when you make an attack, you can give yourself advantage on the attack roll if there are no other creatures within 10 feet of your target.
Level 3: Hide in Plain Sight
You can attempt to hide when you are adjacent to at least 2 other creatures, and you gain advantage on all Charisma checks made to allay suspicion.
Level 5: Terminal Blow
When you use the Coup De Grace action on a creature with more than 0 hit points remaining, if you hit and deal damage, the creature dies outright.
Bully
Suggested Skill Tricks: Distract, Taunt
Suggested Sneak Attack: Garrote
Level 1: Skills
You gain the break an object, gather rumors, intimidate, and sense motive skills.
Level 1: Bully Tactics
Once on your turn before you attack, you can give yourself advantage on the attack roll if there are at least 2 or more creatures that are friendly to you within 5 feet of the target.
Level 3: Savvy
You can't be surprised while you're able to take actions.
Level 5: Cheap Shot
When you make an attack without advantage and deal damage to a creature, that creature's speed drops by 10 feet until the end of your next turn.
Rake
Suggested Skill Tricks: Feint, Superior Footwork
Suggested Sneak Attack: Dismantle
Level 1: Skills
You gain the balance, bluff, perform, and tumble skills.
Level 1: Flamboyant Tactics
When you make a successful check to bluff, perform, or tumble, you gain advantage on the next attack roll you make.
Level 3: Combat Maneuver
You gain Combat Maneuver as a bonus feat. In addition, you gain advantage on all Dexterity saving throws.
Level 5: Reposition
When you make an attack without advantage and deal damage, you may move up to 10 feet. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Scout
Suggested Skill Tricks: Detect Noise, Track
Suggested Sneak Attack: Ambush
Level 1: Skills
You gain the listen, recall lore (natural lore), spot and sneak skills.
Level 1: First Strike (Bonus Feat)
On your first round of combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that has not taken a turn during this combat.
Level 3: Sharp Ears
When you spend at least one minute being quiet and listening, you treat darkness as shadows and shadows as normal light, up to a radius of 30 feet. In addition, you gain advantage on all checks made to listen and spot.
Level 5: Hit and Run
When you successfully use sneak attack on your turn, you can move a distance up to half your speed as part of the same action. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Thief
Suggested Skill Tricks: Pick Pocket, Uncanny Dodge
Suggested Sneak Attack: Dismantle
Level 1: Skills
You gain the listen, open lock, sleight of hand, and sneak skills.
Level 1: Hide in Shadows (Bonus Feat)
You gain training in the sneak skill. You can attempt to hide when you are lightly obscured, such as if there are shadows deep enough to cover you from bright light or in a cloud of smoke.
Level 3: Sharp Eyes
When you spend at least one minute in darkness or shadows, you treat darkness as shadows and shadows as normal light, up to a radius of 30 feet. In addition, you gain advantage on all checks made to open locks and search.
Level 5: Mug
When you successfully use your sneak attack on your turn, you can make an immediate check to steal an item from your target as if you used the Pick Pocket skill trick.
Treasure Hunter
Suggested Skill Tricks: Disable Device, Use Magic Device
Suggested Sneak Attack: Incapacitate
Level 1: Skills
You gain the break an object, recall lore (choose folklore, magical lore, or subterranean lore), search and sleight of hand skills.
Level 1: Off the Top of your Head
When you make a successful check to recall lore, you gain advantage on the next attack roll you make.
Level 3: Swift Appraisal
When you spend at least one minute studying an object, you gain knowledge of roughly how much that object is worth, who might be most interested in it, and whether or not it has any magical properties. In addition, you gain advantage on checks made to haggle price, disable a device, or search for a valuable item.
Level 5: Grant Insight
When you make an attack without advantage and deal damage, you may grant one ally who can see or hear you advantage on their next attack roll against one of your targets. Level 1: Skill Tricks
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Skill tricks represent unique and specialized ways characters can leverage their skills during play. Often, a characters skill set is meant to be used in relaxed, slow-paced, or non-stressful situations, and it can be difficult to justify choosing fun and original actions during combat, when one should just be attacking. This is where skill tricks come in. While every character can use the improvised action and ability check system to good effect, a character with a skill trick has an action he is so practiced at he knows he can successfully pull it off in a dangerous situation.
To use a popular example, anybody can attempt to pick a pocket and some can even add their skill die to the total, but it's a risky move if the target is aware of your presence, or hostile by default. And forget about trying it while the target is swinging a mace at your head! A character with the pick pocket skill trick has the training and ability to pull it off while bypassing many of the dangers, and that is represented by the rules below.
You may only add your skill die to a roll called for by a skill trick if it is explicitly mentioned. When a skill trick asks you to spend your skill die, it is either being used to grant you a bonus in some other area, or is representing the inherent difficulty of the action you are attempting.
You gain two skill tricks of your choice at 1st level, and one more at 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th level.
Detect Noise
Prerequisite: Training in listen
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: You listen at a door, wall, or other barrier and spend your skill die to gain greater information about the other side. You automatically know the location of each creature within 30 feet of the barrier on the other side. If a creature within that range is attempting to conceal itself, you must successfully contest your Wisdom against its Dexterity to detect its location. Additionally, when you make an attack against an invisible creature that you can hear, the creature’s invisibility doesn’t impose disadvantage on your attack roll.
Distract
Prerequisite: Training in bluff or persuade
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When a creature within 10 feet of you that can see or hear you hits with an attack, you can make an unmodified Charisma check to reduce the damage of that attack. The DC of the check is equal to the attack roll you are targeting. If you succeed, roll your skill die and reduce the damage of the attack by that amount.
Feint
Prerequisite: Training in sleight of hand
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: Choose a creature within 5 feet of you that can see or hear you, and spend a skill die to contest your unmodified Dexterity against its Intelligence. If the creature loses, until the end of the next round, the next attack it makes has disadvantage, and the next attack made against it has advantage.
Mimic
Prerequisite: Training in persuade
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: You can spend your skill die to expertly mimic a creature’s voice, mannerisms, and quirks when making Charisma checks to disguise yourself as that creature. You can sustain this mimicry for as long as you wish, and do not need to keep succeeding on checks to disguise yourself. However, while you are doing this, you cannot use your skill die for any other purpose.
Pick Pocket
Prerequisite: Training in sleight of hand
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: You can attempt to covertly take a stowed item off another creature, even when that creature is aware of your presence. You make a Dexterity check and add your skill die to the total, contested by your target’s Wisdom check to spot. If your target wins the contest, you fail to retrieve the stowed item you sought and the creature notices your attempt. If you win the contest, you retrieve the stowed item you sought without alerting that creature.
Pry Open
Prerequisite: Training in break an object or sleight of hand.
Activation Time: 1 Action
Benefit: You can spend your skill die to attempt to quickly open a lock, disable a device, or force any kind of container or constructed object open, when it would normally take longer to safely do so. Make an unmodified Strength or Dexterity check to open or disable the object. You gain advantage on all saving throws made against effects caused by the object.
Scramble
Prerequisite: Training in climb
Activation Time: None
Effect: Once on your turn during your movement, you spend your skill die to climb without using an action. Make an unmodified Strength check to climb, even if there are no easy handholds in sight. The result in feet is how far you may climb during your movement, but may not exceed your total movement at any time, and you must start and end this movement on a horizontal surface.
Sickening Finish
Prerequisite: Training in intimidate
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When reduce a creature to 0 hit points or fewer with an attack, you may spend a reaction to display your murderous prowess. Choose one creature within 25 feet of you that can see or hear you, and contest your Charisma against its Wisdom, adding your skill die to your total. If the creature loses, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Superior Footwork
Prerequisite: Training in balance or tumble
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When you fall prone for any reason, you may spend your skill die and a reaction to remain standing instead. Alternatively, you can spend your skill die as a reaction to ignore difficult terrain until the end of this turn.
Taunt
Prerequisite: Training in bluff or intimidate
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: Choose a creature within 25 feet of you that can see or hear you. You may spend your skill die to contest your unmodified Charisma against its Wisdom. The creature automatically wins the contest if it is immune to being charmed. If the creature loses, it must use its movement on its next turn to move closer to you before using its action. The creature uses as much of its speed as it can to reach you and avoids dangerous terrain. If the creature attacks, it must target you with that attack.
Track
Prerequisite: Training in search, spot, or survival
Activation Time: 1 Minute
Effect: You can spend your skill die to look for signs of other creatures’ passage. You detect if any creatures have passed through the immediate vicinity (100 feet around you) within the last 24 hours. You learn the number of creatures, their sizes, and the speed and direction they were traveling. Under certain circumstances, an unmodified Wisdom check is required to detect the signs of passage:
-if more than a day has passed since the creatures passed
-if the creatures intentionally obscured their trail
-if weather has obscured their trail, such as after hard rain, heavy snow, or wind-blown sand
-if the terrain makes discerning a trail difficult, such over a river or a solid rock shelf
-if the area has been heavily traveled by many creatures, such as along a road or inside a city
Uncanny Dodge
Prerequisite: Training in balance, sleight of hand, or tumble
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When a creature you can see or hear targets you with an attack, you may roll your skill die and add the result to your AC against that attack. As part of the reaction, you must move 10 feet, but this movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Use Magic Device
Prerequisite: Training in recall lore (any)
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: When you attempt to use a magic item that you normally cannot use because it requires you to be a member of a different class or race or to have spellcasting ability that you lack, you may spend your skill die to make an unmodified Intelligence check (DC 10). If you succeed, you can use that magic item despite not meeting its requirements.
Vanish
Prerequisite: Training in sneak
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: You make an unmodified Dexterity check to hide as normal, but may spend your skill die to move up to your speed before you hide.
Vault
Prerequisite: Training in jump or tumble
Activation Time: None
Effect: Once on your turn, during your movement, you may roll your skill die to jump over obstacles and creatures in your way. The result is how high in feet you can clear the ground during your movement, and also a bonus to your AC against any opportunity attacks provoked by this movement. Level 1: Sneak Attack
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You gain a Sneak Attack option of your choice. At 7th level, you gain another Sneak Attack option of your choice.
Backstab
Benefit: Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to deal extra damage as listed on the rogue advancement table. When you roll two d20s for advantage, check both against the targets AC. If only one scores a hit, deal damage as normal. If two score a hit, deal damage as normal and add your sneak attack damage to the total. At 11th level, roll d8’s and not d6’s for your sneak attack damage with this feature.
Dismantle
Benefit: Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to forego dealing damage in order to render an enemy defenseless. When you roll two d20s for advantage, check both against the targets AC. If only one scores a hit, you may choose to either disarm the creature or knock it prone. If two score a hit, you may do both. Once on your turn when you have advantage and hit with two rolls a creature that is either disarmed or prone, you may deal extra damage as listed on the rogue advancement table.
Disrupt
Benefit: Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to forego attacking in order to create an opening for one of your allies to exploit. Push the target up to 10 feet as an action. One of your allies may then spend a reaction to make an attack against the target with advantage. When they roll two d20s for advantage, check both against the targets AC. If only one scores a hit, deal damage as normal. If two score a hit, you may add your sneak attack damage to their damage total.
Garrote
Benefit: Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to forego dealing damage in order to silently garrote an enemy. When you roll two d20s for advantage, check both against the targets AC. If only one scores a hit, the enemy is grappled by you. If two score a hit, the enemy is restrained by you as if you had succeeded on two grapple checks. Your attacks do not have disadvantage when you are grappling in this way, and once on your turn when you hit a creature grappled by you, you may deal extra damage as listed on the rogue advancement table.
Incapacitate
Benefit: Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to forego dealing damage in order to knock an enemy unconscious. When you roll two d20s for advantage, check both against the targets AC. If only one scores a hit, the creature is deafened until the end of your next turn and has disadvantage on its next attack. If two score a hit, the enemy falls unconscious for 1 minute, until it takes damage, or until someone uses an action to shake or slap it awake. Level 8: Evasion
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Benefit: When you make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage from an effect, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail. Level 9: Deadly Strikes
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Benefit: Once per round, when you make a weapon attack on your turn, you can make a second attack as part of the same action. If you have movement remaining, you can move between the attacks.
You can make a third attack as part of the same action starting at 19th level. Level 10: Defensive Roll
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Benefit: When you succeed on a Dexterity saving throw and take no damage as a result, you can move up to half your speed. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013, 8:46 AM
Something I've been meaning to talk about for a while that should lay the groundwork for a more elaborate reworking of class designs (as I intend to do).
There is a larger debate on the size and utility of discrete units of character design as they appear in the current packet, and how exactly balanced are feats in comparison to class abilities, and so on and so so. I'm not really going to open any of that up for discussion. Suffice that I have my solution to the problem, and these are the assumptions I will be working off here:
-Ability checks, a general list of possible actions springing from the six ability scores, improvised actions, and contests are the CORE of the game.
-A feat is roughly analogous to a major trait from race or background, and those are all benefits that stand outside the purview of most classes (would be equally useful to most).
-About half the feats in the game tend to be PASSIVE bonuses to things you can already do, letting you do them more often, quicker (as a reaction or a free action), with a greater chance of success, etc.
-The other half will open up access to ACTIVE abilities that are new things you probably couldn't do, and these will be reminiscent of 4e multiclassing feats (cantrips, skill tricks as described in my post on the Rogue, maneuvers, limited ability to mix potions, etc).
-Feats will NOT be a dumping ground for any specialized move or action that treads on the CORE of the game as listed above.
-They will also NOT be a big sky place where toys for the fighter (and all non-caster classes) go to die.
It was important I get that list down on paper as I'll probably have to reference it in the future.
Now, onto the subject of feat trees and specialties. This is a simple idea but took a while to fully germinate. It solves the problem of overlap between the 4 pillars of character design (race, class, background, specialty), and encourages a strong focus in character building.
Skill training, weapon proficiencies, hiding, and initiative bonuses all have several things in common. They are useful to most any character in the game, they are accrued from a wide variety of sources (in fact all four character pillars can and often do grant these bonuses), they are all ostensibly worth a feat, and they do not stack from multiple sources.
Addressing that last problem, I propose compounding feat trees that are standardized for these basic types of progression and bump characters up to the next rung of bonuses anytime they get that related bonus from any source. The final rung of bonuses will have to be essentially infinitely repeatable.
So here we have the Specialist Specialty (lol). It now looks like this:
Level 1: Skill Training (just one, unfortunately, more balanced that way)
Level 3: Skill Focus (prereq: training in skill)
Level 6: Skill Supremacy (prereq: focus in skill)
Level 9: Skill Trick (prereq: supremacy in skill)
Example 1: Human Rogue gets training in spot from his background, and takes this specialty, choosing spot as his skill for skill training. Well, he already has training in spot so he instead bumps it up to skill focus (spot). At level 3, he can take skill supremacy (spot), skill focus (anything he has trained), or skill training (something else). At level 6 he can take anything provided he has the appropriate prerequisites for the skill in question. He can start stacking skill tricks associated with spot, or keep broadening his other skills.
Example 2: Elf Rogue gets training in spot/listen from his race, training in spot/listen from his background, and training in spot from his specialty! At level 1 he has skill training and focus for listen; and training, focus, AND supremacy for spot, but he used up a lot of resources to get there. At level 3 he can start taking skill tricks, or supremacy for listen, or anything else.
Next up is Weapons:
Level 1: Weapon Proficiency
Level 3: Weapon Focus (bumps the damage die up by one)
Level 6: Weapon Mastery (increases crit range by one)
Level 9: Combat Maneuver (associated with weapon)
Example 1: Elf Wizard gets proficiency with longswords from race, and takes weapon proficiency as his specialty. At level 1 he has a d10 longsword, and by level 6 he's downright decent in a melee, especially if he took, oh I don't know, the bladesinger arcane tradition or something.
Example 2: Dwarf Barbarian is crazy about axes. He's up to weapon mastery by level 1. 'Nuff said.
Now, a word about combat styles. There are some good specialties floating around for two-weapon fighting, shields, polearms, and so on. Obviously, these specific feats have to be specifically trained into, so they exist as progressive feat chains outside of weapon proficiency. That said, suppose a Fighter (proficient with polearms) takes the polearm training feat? Yup, two instances of proficiency, so he's bumped up to weapon focus with those. I would, consequently, tone down the overall power of specific combat style feats so as not to completely overshadow as of yet unsupported weapon groups. Suppose some kind of monk tradition grants polearm training as a bonus feat? Same deal.
Okay, now for Armor. I'd say it's worth a specialty for any class to train up in armor if they so choose:
Level 1: Armor Proficiency (Light)
Level 3: Armor Proficiency (Medium)
Level 6: Armor Proficiency (Heavy)
Level 9: Armor Mastery (no prereq, cancels one penalty imposed by armor OR grants a defensively oriented maneuver)
This fixes up mountain dwarfs just fine, as long as their +1 AC bonus applies in all kinds of armor, which it might as well. Now they either boost proficiency by one step, override their disadvantage, or get a maneuver (spend a reaction to reduce damage by ED rolled?), making it appealing to wear that iconic dwarven mail in any circumstance.
Now that these big three are out of the way, there only remain a few small fixes to take care of. The Defender specialty grants shield proficiency, for instance, and so on.
The important rule, and the one that will need to be written by somebody who writes rules better than I do, is to emphasize that conflicting bonuses stack in this system, and nearly all specialties cap out in some kind of repeating top end bonus, that incidentally does NOT have anything to do with vertical progression. There is never any way to min/max your numbers (at least with feats), because you get one or two mechanical boosts and then just start picking up new *active* abilities associated with your field of expertise, which is horizontal progression.
Martial feat chains end in maneuvers, Expert feat chains end in tricks, Magic feat chains end in... Well, I'd say cantrips from that particular school, but we don't really have many of those designed yet. Plenty of time to work on magic later.
What, you may ask, is the bottom line? Why go to all the trouble? It certainly was a long explanation for a simple quality of life fix. The bottom line is, the design space for races, classes, background, and specialties is opened up. We don't have to worry quite as much about what belongs where, if there's too much overlap, or if it's just not appropriate to give out certain bonuses. Now, it's okay to have elves be good at longswords and bows. You can make that veteran soldier background that gets a free weapon proficiency instead of a good trait. You can put a free maneuver in the swashbuckler rogue scheme, for instance, and trust that racial bonuses and specialties will shore up the weaknesses and deliver a character decently proficient with his weapon.
Mad props to the guy who first turned me on to this idea. I don't remember who it was, buried in the ass end of broken dreams that is the forum archive. Anyway, somebody (not me) came up with this first, and I appropriated it. And allowed it to fully germinate I guess. So thanks, that guy!
Sunday, April 7, 2013, 8:28 AM
The purpose of this poll is to get an idea of the comparative popularity and support for each of the possible manifestations of the Fighter in 5e. I've listed in brief all the mechanics we've seen in previous Fighters, suggested on the forums, or irresponsibly dreamed up by yours truly. Here's how it works: Choose one, two, or three of the following options that appeal to you. Perhaps you think just one type of 'power' or move is enough for the Fighter? Good, just pick one then. More than three is almost definitely too much for one class, so that's the upper limit. In the comments, or the related forum thread I've created, please feel free to explain your choices, and argue endlessly with those who disagree. It will be like one big fighting Fighter poll discussion Fighter argument... fight. And we will all be thoroughly in character.
Monday, April 1, 2013, 7:00 AM
ROGUE Level Attack Bonus Sneak Attack Class Features 1 +1 1d6 Rogue Scheme, Skill Tricks (2), Sneak Attack 2 +1 1d6 Scheme Benefit, Skill Trick (1) 3 +1 2d6 - 4 +1 2d6 Skill Trick (1) 5 +2 3d6 Scheme Benefit 6 +2 3d6 - 7 +2 3d6 Sneak Attack 8 +2 4d6 Evasion, Skill Trick (1) 9 +2 4d6 Deadly Strike (twice) 10 +2 4d6 Ace in the Hole (1/day) Level 1: Rogue Scheme
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Choose one of the following:
Acrobat
Suggested Skill Tricks: Superior Footwork, Vault
Suggested Sneak Attack: Disrupt
Level 1: Skills
You gain the climb, jump, balance, and tumble skills.
Level 1: Tumbling Strike
When you make a successful check to climb, jump, or tumble, you gain advantage on the next attack roll you make.
Level 2: Sure Footing
While you are climbing, balancing, or otherwise hanging in a precarious position, you do not grant advantage to attacks made against you. In addition, you gain advantage on all Dexterity saving throws.
Level 5: Hit and Run
When you successfully use sneak attack on your turn, you can move a distance up to half your speed as part of the same action. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Assassin
Suggested Skill Tricks: Sickening Finish, Vanish
Suggested Sneak Attack: Incapacitate
Level 1: Skills
You gain the bluff, intimidate, sneak, and sleight of hand skills.
Level 1: Isolated Strike
Once on your turn when you make an attack, you can give yourself advantage on the attack roll if there are no other creatures within 10 feet of your target.
Level 2: Hide in Plain Sight
You can attempt to hide when you are adjacent to at least 2 other creatures, and you gain advantage on all Charisma checks made to allay suspicion.
Level 5: Terminal Blow
When you use the Coup De Grace action on a creature with more than 0 hit points remaining, if you hit and deal damage, the creature dies outright.
Scout
Suggested Skill Tricks: Detect Noise, Track
Suggested Sneak Attack: Ambush
Level 1: Skills
You gain the listen, recall lore (natural lore), spot and sneak skills.
Level 1: First Strike
On your first round of combat, you have advantage on attack rolls against any creature that has not taken a turn during this combat.
Level 2: Sharp Ears
When you spend at least one minute staying still and listening, you treat darkness as shadows and shadows as normal light, up to a radius of 30 feet. In addition, you gain advantage on all checks made to listen and spot.
Level 5: Hit and Run
When you successfully use sneak attack on your turn, you can move a distance up to half your speed as part of the same action. This movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Thief
Suggested Skill Tricks: Pick Pocket, Uncanny Dodge
Suggested Sneak Attack: Dismantle
Level 1: Skills
You gain the sneak, listen, open lock, and sleight of hand skills.
Level 1: Sneak Thief
You can attempt to hide when you are lightly obscured, such as if there are shadows deep enough to cover you from bright light or in a cloud of smoke. You can also hide behind an object that can cover at least a quarter of your body.
Level 2: Sharp Eyes
When you spend at least one minute in darkness or shadows, you treat darkness as shadows and shadows as normal light, up to a radius of 30 feet. In addition, you gain advantage on all checks made to open locks and search.
Level 5: Mug
When you successfully use your sneak attack on your turn, you can make an immediate check to steal an item from your target as if you used the Pick Pocket skill trick.
Thug
Suggested Skill Tricks: Distract, Taunt
Suggested Sneak Attack: Garrote
Level 1: Skills
You gain the break an object, gather rumors, intimidate, and sense motive skills.
Level 1: Thug Tactics
Once on your turn before you attack, you can give yourself advantage on the attack roll if there are at least 2 or more creatures that are friendly to you within 5 feet of the target.
Level 2: Savvy
You can't be surprised while you're able to take actions.
Level 5: Cheap Shot
When you make an attack without advantage and deal damage to a creature, that creature's speed drops by 10 feet.
Level 1: Skill Tricks
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Choose two of the following. At 2nd, 4th, and 8th level, choose one more:
Detect Noise
Prerequisite: Training in listen
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: You listen at a door, wall, or other barrier and spend your skill die to gain greater information about the other side. You automatically know the location of each creature within 30 feet of the barrier on the other side. If a creature within that range is attempting to conceal itself, you must successfully contest your Wisdom against its Dexterity to detect its location. Additionally, when you make an attack against an invisible creature that you can hear, the creature’s invisibility doesn’t impose disadvantage on your attack roll.
Distract
Prerequisite: Training in bluff, persuade, or intimidate
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When a creature within 10 feet of you that can see or hear you hits with an attack, you can make an unmodified Charisma check to reduce the damage of that attack. The DC of the check is equal to the attack roll you are targeting. If you succeed, roll your skill die and reduce the damage of the attack by that amount.
Feint
Prerequisite: Training in sleight of hand
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: Choose a creature within 5 feet of you that can see or hear you, and spend a skill die to contest your unmodified Dexterity against its Intelligence. If the creature loses, all attacks made against it until the start of your next turn have advantage.
Mimic
Prerequisite: Training in persuade
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: You can spend your skill die to expertly mimic a creature’s voice, mannerisms, and quirks when making Charisma checks to disguise yourself as that creature. You can sustain this mimicry for as long as you wish, but while you are doing so, you cannot use your skill die for any other purpose.
Pick Pocket
Prerequisite: Training in sleight of hand
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: You can attempt to covertly take a stowed item off another creature, even when that creature is aware of your presence. You make a Dexterity check and add your skill die to the total, contested by your target’s Wisdom check to spot. If your target wins the contest, you fail to retrieve the stowed item you sought and the creature notices your attempt. If you win the contest, you retrieve the stowed item you sought without alerting that creature.
Scramble
Prerequisite: Training in climb
Activation Time: None
Effect: Once on your turn during your movement, you may make a Strength check and add your skill die to climb, even when there are no easy handholds in sight. The result in feet is how far you may climb during your movement, but may not exceed your total movement at any time, and you must start and end this movement on a horizontal surface.
Sickening Finish
Prerequisite: Training in intimidate
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When you deal sneak attack damage, you may spend a reaction to display your murderous prowess. Choose one creature within 25 feet of you that can see or hear you, and contest your Charisma against its Wisdom, adding your skill die to your total. If the creature loses, it is frightened of you until the end of your next turn.
Superior Footwork
Prerequisite: Training in balance
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When you fall prone for any reason, you may spend your skill die and a reaction to remain standing instead. Alternatively, you can spend your skill die as a reaction to ignore difficult terrain until the end of this turn.
Taunt
Prerequisite: Training in bluff, persuade, or intimidate
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: Choose a creature within 25 feet of you that can see or hear you. You may spend your skill die to contest your unmodified Charisma against its Wisdom. The creature automatically wins the contest if it is immune to being charmed. If the creature loses, it must use its movement on its next turn to move closer to you before using its action. The creature uses as much of its speed as it can to reach you and avoids dangerous terrain. If the creature attacks, it must target you with that attack.
Track
Prerequisite: Training in recall lore (natural lore) or spot
Activation Time: 1 Minute
Effect: You can spend your skill die to look for signs of other creatures’ passage. You detect if any creatures have passed through the immediate vicinity (100 feet around you) within the last 24 hours. You learn the number of creatures, their sizes, and the speed and direction they were traveling. Under certain circumstances, an unmodified Wisdom check is required to detect the signs of passage:
-if more than a day has passed since the creatures passed
-if the creatures intentionally obscured their trail
-if weather has obscured their trail, such as after hard rain, heavy snow, or wind-blown sand
-if the terrain makes discerning a trail difficult, such over a river or a solid rock shelf
-if the area has been heavily traveled by many creatures, such as along a road or inside a city
Uncanny Dodge
Prerequisite: Training in balance, sleight of hand, or tumble
Activation Time: 1 Reaction
Effect: When a creature you can see or hear targets you with an attack, you may roll your skill die and add the result to your AC against that attack. As part of the reaction, you must move 10 feet, but this movement does not provoke opportunity attacks.
Use Magic Device
Prerequisite: Training in recall lore (any)
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: When you attempt to use a magic item that you normally cannot use because it requires you to be a member of a different class or race or to have spellcasting ability that you lack, you may spend your skill die to make an unmodified Intelligence check (DC 10). If you succeed, you can use that magic item despite not meeting its requirements.
Vanish
Prerequisite: Training in sneak
Activation Time: 1 Action
Effect: You make a sneak check to hide as normal, but may spend your skill die to move up to your speed before you hide.
Vault
Prerequisite: Training in jump
Activation Time: None
Effect: Once on your turn, during your movement, you may roll your skill die to jump over obstacles and creatures in your way. The result is how high in feet you can clear the ground during your movement, and also a bonus to your AC against any opportunity attacks provoked by this movement. Level 1: Sneak Attack
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Choose one of the following. At 7th level, choose one more:
Ambush
Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to deal extra damage as listed on the rogue advancement table. If you hit once, deal damage as normal. If you hit twice, add your sneak attack damage to the total.
Dismantle
Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to forego dealing damage in order to render an enemy defenseless. If you hit once, you may choose to either disarm the creature or knock it prone. If you hit twice, you may do both. Once on your turn when you have advantage and hit with both rolls a creature that is either disarmed or prone, you may deal extra damage as listed on the rogue advancement table.
Disrupt
Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to forego attacking in order to create an opening for one of your allies to exploit. Push the target up to 10 feet as an action. One of your allies may then spend a reaction to make an attack against the target with advantage. If both of their attack rolls hit, you may add your sneak attack damage to their damage total.
Garrote
Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to forego dealing damage in order to silently garrote an enemy. If you hit once, the enemy is grappled by you. If you hit twice, the enemy is restrained by you as if you had succeeded on two grapple checks. Your attacks do not have disadvantage when you are grappling in this way, and once on your turn when you hit a creature grappled by you, you may deal extra damage as listed on the rogue advancement table.
Incapacitate
Once on your turn, when you make an attack with advantage, you can choose to forego dealing damage in order to attempt to knock an enemy unconscious. If you hit once, the creature is deafened until the end of your next turn and has disadvantage on its next attack. If you hit twice, the enemy falls unconscious for 1 minute, until it takes damage, or until someone uses an action to shake or slap it awake. Level 8: Evasion
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Benefit: When you make a Dexterity saving throw to take only half damage from an effect, you instead take no damage if you succeed on the saving throw, and only half damage if you fail. Level 9: Deadly Strikes
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Benefit: Once per turn, when you attack, you can either roll extra damage or target multiple creatures as part of that attack. Choose up to two creatures within range and divide up to two of your damage dice between them. You may then make an attack roll against each target and roll damage for each attack.
You can target up to three creatures and roll the damage dice three times starting at 19th level. Level 10: Ace in the Hole
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Benefit: Once per day, you can turn an attack of yours that misses into a hit, or you can change your roll for a failed ability check or saving throw into a 20, provided you can take actions.
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