Sociotard Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 I flipped through the preview books for DnD 4th at the bookstore. They mentioned how all classes get spell-like abilities in this edition. Warriors and rogues have different special effects than wizards (skill instead of magic), but the mechanics are the same. One of those 'skill based' spells intrigued me. The guy said it was tentatively called "Feather Me Yon Oaf". Once per day the Warlord can shout that command and all his allies in earshot get one free move to make one ranged attack against one target which the Warlord specifies. I'm not sure how to do this HEROicly. Option one is to make a huge RKA, indirect, 1 charge. That kinda works, unless a team member has a ranged drain (poison dart) or an advantaged attack. Option two is Speed, usable by other, ranged, only to make 1 ranged attack vs. specified target, 1 charge. And I don't know how much that limitation is worth. Thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comic Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf Summon? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf My thought is that, like many D&D isms, this is very mechanical and lacking any SFX rationale. By what logic is it that, suddenly, everyone within earshot has the ability to fire off a missile attack, regardless of what they were doing, because this guy yells, but they can only fire at the target he designates? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jtelson Posted March 30, 2008 Report Share Posted March 30, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf The idea that Inspiration is a thing having a magic or magic-like effect on the people around you is pretty standard for D&D. So in a setting where that's possible, I can see a series of powers/abilities like the one described. I'd probably build this one as an Indirect RKA, reduced penetration, limited by the number of available allied archers within the sound of my voice. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sociotard Posted March 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf I think the special effect was supposed to be "awesomely inspirational leadership", like how bards can inspire peoples with song. Even HERO bards do that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf I think the special effect was supposed to be "awesomely inspirational leadership"' date=' like how bards can inspire peoples with song. Even HERO bards do that.[/quote'] Whatever works for you. For me, being so very specifically inspirational that I cause you to have an immediate ability to drop everything, but only to take one very specific action against a specific target, seems less than logical. Inspiring one to do one's best overall (a bit faster - SPD aid; a bit more accurate - OCV levels UBO or DEX Aid; hit a bit harder - STR Aid; a bit more skilled - stat AID or Levels UBO) seems much more plausible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Thia Halmades Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf Oh. There are a few ways to do it: 1) It's a PRE attack used to inspire everyone to attack a single target; that's the easiest way to do it. The Warlord gets +Stupid PRE, makes a PRE attack to anyone in ear shot, and they all (as they find his suggestion compelling) expend their action firing at the aforementioned target. That's the proper, dirt easy way to do it. Everything else is a PIA, and includes things like RKA + AutoFire 20 (or up to the number of units available to make an attack) with a massive to-hit bonus (+OCV) but that's not really 'what's happening.' So I'm going to say giant PRE attack, vs. allies, to inspire a single, coordinated attack. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf If it were Doctor Who, it would be for Brigadiers and be called "You there, chap with wings, six rounds rapid." Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CrosshairCollie Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf Autofire RKA, one shot per ally who can hear you and is armed with an appropriate weapon. Indirect, yeah ... damage limited by the weapons the people in question are using. Sounds about right. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Comic Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf I think the PRE attack idea is nice, and superior to the source material. However.. To simulate the attacks of allies, since I'm not seeing that this is 'of only one ranged attack type', I recommend Summon, much like Darkseid's Omega Blast, to Summon the ranged attacks of one's allies, if your goal is to exactly copy the original power. This way, the attacks each get the CV, damage, special effect and so forth of your allies. Of course, it still is messy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Killer Shrike Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf As always, beware of being too literal. I recall glancing at the preview book at the bookstore a few months ago and seeing mention of that ability. However, I don't recall the specifics. As far as I do remember however, isnt it just a variation on the Bardic inspiration abilities, granting bonuses to people to accomplish the directed task and not a means of forcing people to take specific actions regardless of their inclination or ability to do so? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sociotard Posted March 31, 2008 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf It doesn't force anybody to shoot anybody. If the fighter decides he doesn't want to expend his crossbow bolt just yet he is welcome to abstain. Anybody who wants to take the free shot, can. Anybody who doesn't want to doesn't have to, but they can't use the free action for something else. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hugh Neilson Posted March 31, 2008 Report Share Posted March 31, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf 1) It's a PRE attack used to inspire everyone to attack a single target; that's the easiest way to do it. The Warlord gets +Stupid PRE' date=' makes a PRE attack to anyone in ear shot, and they all (as they find his suggestion compelling) expend their action firing at the aforementioned target.[/quote'] As far as I do remember however' date=' isnt it just a variation on the Bardic inspiration abilities, granting bonuses to people to accomplish the directed task and not a means of forcing people to take specific actions regardless of their inclination or ability to do so?[/quote'] It doesn't force anybody to shoot anybody. If the fighter decides he doesn't want to expend his crossbow bolt just yet he is welcome to abstain. Anybody who wants to take the free shot' date=' can. Anybody who doesn't want to doesn't have to, but they can't use the free action for something else.[/quote'] This is the catch. In d20, giving (or getting) an extra action is much more trivial than it is in Hero. It happens commonly in d20. With that in mind, and reminded of some discussions of attacks of opportunity, I think the best answer may be a Naked Advantage: Trigger which is Usable By Others to allow a single triggered attack of each ally's missile attack against the designated target, Triggered (quite naturally) by saying "Feather me yon oaf". Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyjimjam Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf So let me get this straight, the "warlord" has the ability see an opening on the "oaf" and, in turn, call the attention of an ally to it, who will in turn exploit said opening? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf The telling thing here is - is the ally a character or an effect? How abstract is it? Do your allies make a CV roll, a hit location roll and a damage roll each? Or do you add them all together and abstract it as a modifier? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teflon Billy Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf Wow, could they be ripping off MMRPG any more? Sheesh, with 1st and 2nd Ed AD&D they at least tried to keep a venere of being based on fantasy literature. Bleh. TB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lapsedgamer Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf This is too silly to be dignified with a write-up, IMO. I am glad I got away from D&D twenty-five years ago. It was not an ideal system back then, but it seems like it was worlds better than the new stuff. Simply craptacular! Based on this tripe, I want my own ability called "Beer Me!" All of my followers and allies within earshot are compelled to provide me with a Stella forthwith. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Curufea Posted April 22, 2008 Report Share Posted April 22, 2008 Re: Feather me yon oaf Based on this tripe' date=' I want my own ability called "Beer Me!" All of my followers and allies within earshot are compelled to provide me with a Stella forthwith.[/quote'] I thought that was an inherent GM power? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jimmyjimjam Posted May 6, 2008 Report Share Posted May 6, 2008 Feather me yon game for she is past her prime. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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