Ideas for new Traits

Stairc -Dan Felder wrote:

Good question. For the traits with prerequisites, you need to meet all the prerequisites. Otherwise it will say, Prerequisites: Talented or Dangerous. Not, Prerequisites: Talented, Dangerous.

So yes, some trait lines need to be fully dedicated to - which comes with high payoffs. The payoff at the end of Talented and Dangerous effectively lets you take both those traits again for the price of one trait.

Hmm. With that in mind, I think I should buff the "Loving Care" talent a bit. Considering it would take ages (in real time) to get it and completely limit your other trait options.

Loving Care
Prerequisite: Love, Care
You may roll to save against a single save-end condition affecting an ally, at the end of your turn (in addition to your own save-end condition saves). Successfully removing such a condition heals you and the target for 1d8 hit points.

The thing I'm noticing with traits though, is that for all the usefulness they might have, you spend a rather long time (real life and otherwise) before choosing another, but get only three of them at most. It feels like they should be more available, to give more options for combat builds and make some of the "less desirable" choices (e.g. Friendly Fire) an actual option to pick. Being limited to just three talents makes you want to choose only the best traits for your build, and makes traits that require you to commit automatically defunct if you can't benefit properly from all three traits.

Take the Dangerously Talented trait, for example. Dangerous is a very useful talent (and for some combat builds, it might even be essential for synergy). It reduces the restrictions of your combat choices and makes the actual combat experience better.

On the other side of the coin, Talented is rather pointless: An extra talent on your sheet isn't going to be of much use if you can't take that talent without sacrificing another one in its place and it doesn't help for the actual combat at all. The only real reason to take Armed is to allow yourself to get Armed & Dangerous, and only after you get dangerous first, otherwise you just have a extra unused talent on your character sheet.

And the reason why most would take Dangerously Talented is to get the extra "Dangerous" part of the deal. And to do so, they sacrifice all their other trait options. This wouldn't be an issue if there were more traits, but there are currently only three. Either you go for the full deal, or you can forget about it.

I'm considering making traits happen every 2 levels instead of 3.

Zarhon wrote:
Waste Not
Whenever you heal an ally or yourself for more than their maximum health allows, they gain the excess amount of healing in the form of temporary hitpoints, lasting for one round (For example, healing an ally with 28 hp for 6 hp, gives them 30 health + 4 temporary hp)

Is there such a thing as "maximum HP?" I only see the rules refer to "starting HP," and healing talents are divided in their usage of "re-gain" and "gain." I got the impression that you can go above 30 HP normally. Might want to add a sentence to the PHB to clarify this either way.

Perhaps "Talented" could get an extra benefit to ensure its usefulness? For instance, it could allow the player to ask the DM for a hint of which talent would be optimal for fighting the encounter (since the DM knows what the encounter will be like). Getting "Armed and Dangerous" could in turn have the DM give you an extra talent suggestion.

also, have some more traits:

Ball Emergency - Daily
You may use one of the combat talents you haven't picked for the current battle. You pay its PiP cost as normal.

Pinkie Discount - Daily
You halve the PiP cost of your next combat utility, rounded down. Abilities that cost only 1 PiP are free. This trait cannot affect talents that cost more than 8 PiPs. This trait cannot be combined with "Ball Emergency".

Surprise!
Prerequisite: Ball Emergency, Pinkie Discount
- "Ball Emergency" becomes a 2/day instead of a daily and the talents act as though affected by "Pinkie Discount" (original restrictions still apply).
- "Pinkie Discount" grants you two PiPs when you use it (this effect does not trigger from its use with "Ball Emergency").

Esoterus wrote:

Zarhon wrote:
Waste Not
Whenever you heal an ally or yourself for more than their maximum health allows, they gain the excess amount of healing in the form of temporary hitpoints, lasting for one round (For example, healing an ally with 28 hp for 6 hp, gives them 30 health + 4 temporary hp)

Is there such a thing as "maximum HP?" I only see the rules refer to "starting HP," and healing talents are divided in their usage of "re-gain" and "gain." I got the impression that you can go above 30 HP normally. Might want to add a sentence to the PHB to clarify this either way.

Will do. And yes, 30 is the max.

Esoterus wrote:Is there such a thing as "maximum HP?" I only see the rules refer to "starting HP," and healing talents are divided in their usage of "re-gain" and "gain." I got the impression that you can go above 30 HP normally. Might want to add a sentence to the PHB to clarify this either way.

Well I'm guessing friendly NPCs that assist you in a fight might have more/less HP than 30. Or the DM may introduce "Max HP boosting" mechanics for some fights (e.g. boosted by Celestia or something). Or someone might make a combat talents / traits that increases your maximum hit points in the future.

Stoic
You cannot be knocked out by ongoing damage.

Aura of Doom

Every time you enter combat, deal 1d6 damage to all foes.

Due to popular demand, I've doubled the amount of traits you can take in the leveling process. Players now gain additional traits at levels 3, 6 and 9.

This means we'll definitely need more traits.

So much Blood!
Any enemy that attacks you whilst you are suffering ongoing damage must flip a coin. If heads, they receive the same ongoing damage condition (with the same damage amount, duration and/or save-end possibility, where applicable), as though it was freshly afflicted onto them.*

Stalliongrad Roulette - Daily
Flip a coin. If heads, you perform a random ability at no PiP cost. If tails, you act as though dominated (under control of DM/enemy side) and perform a random ability at no PiP cost, hindering allies or helping enemies. This cannot effect abilities that cost more than 10 PiPs, or conjuration summons.

Stopwatch - 2/battle
You prevent up to two allies from being affected by enemy attacks or abilities, but also prevent them taking their turn or otherwise acting that round.

Time Turner - 2/Battle
Choose an ally. The next source of damage they take will be completely negated.

Clockstopper - 1/Session
Prerequisite: Stopwatch, Time Turner
Prevent all enemies from taking their turns or acting in any other way for a single round. This cannot be used more than once in any battle.

Inspiration
Whenever your allies gain a sum total of 6 PiPs together, you gain +1 PiP.**

Quick Recovery
You recover double the value of healing effects whilst unconscious.***

* If a bleed has a duration of 4 rounds on you and a enemy attacks you at round 3 of its duration, they get 4 rounds of that same bleed.
** If ally 1 gets +3 PiPs, ally 2 gets +2 PiPs and ally 3 gets +1 PiPs, the sum total of PiPs is +6 and you gain +1 PiP
*** Getting healed for 3 hitpoints whilst unconscious means you gain 6 hitpoints instead.

COME AT ME, BRO!
At the beginning of every battle, you gain +5 resistance, and go last in turn order. One target enemy must attack you on their first turn.

Solar Champion
You deal an extra 1d6 damage in direct sunlight.

Lunar Agent
You gain a permanent +3 resistance and immunity to stun when the moon is visible.

Hero of the Heavens
Prerequisite: Solar Champion, Lunar Agent
You gain a permanent +5 resistance, deal an extra 1d10 damage, and may make an extra save end attempt at the beginning of your turn.

Bronymous wrote:COME AT ME, BRO!
At the beginning of every battle, you gain +5 resistance, and go last in turn order. One target enemy must attack you on their first turn.

Solar Champion
You deal an extra 1d6 damage in direct sunlight.

Lunar Agent
You gain a permanent +3 resistance and immunity to stun when the moon is visible.

Hero of the Heavens
Prerequisite: Solar Champion, Lunar Agent
You gain a permanent +5 resistance, deal an extra 1d10 damage, and may make an extra save end attempt at the beginning of your turn.

Hero of the Heavens is a tad overpowered with the new get 6 traits level up plan. Prehaps you could add something of the stars and twilight/dusk somthing as additional requisites and add on one more thing to HotH

tygerburningbright wrote:Hero of the Heavens is a tad overpowered with the new get 6 traits level up plan. Prehaps you could add something of the stars and twilight/dusk somthing as additional requisites and add on one more thing to HotH

Oh yeah, I forgot about the extra traits. hmm.

Solar Champion
You deal an extra 1d6 damage in direct sunlight.

Lunar Agent
You gain a permanent +3 resistance and immunity to stun when the moon is visible.

Harbinger of Eclipse
Prerequisite: Solar Champion, Lunar Agent, lvl 6
Each day, choose one of the following effects:

• Deal an extra 3d4 damage
• Immunity to save ends effects

Hero of the Heavens
Prerequisite: Harbinger of Eclipse, lvl 9
You start combat with an extra PiP, gain a permanent +5 resistance, deal an extra 2d8 damage, and may make an extra save end attempt at the beginning of your turn.

Hero of the heavens is far, far too OP, even if it does require 4 traits to get. Combined with its prerequisites, you get a pony that permanently takes 5 less damage from everything, can deal up to 2d8+3d4+1d6(in sunlight) extra damage (a possible extra 36 damage to ANY of your attacks, along with two chances for a d8 special!) and makes two saves against save-ends (or is outright immune, at the cost of damage).

Solar champion and Lunar agent seem good, but based off the description, they are both unsuable in indoor areas, whilst solar champion is even more limited, if it requires direct sunlight. They should be just time based, rather than "in outdoor area where the sun/moon shines" based.

Harbinger of the Eclipse also looks fairly powerful. It feels like it should be limited (especially the save-ends immunity). Perhaps have it be a daily that last 2-3 rounds when triggered, but you get both effects at once?)

Zarhon wrote:Hero of the heavens is far, far too OP, even if it does require 4 traits to get. Combined with its prerequisites, you get a pony that permanently takes 5 less damage from everything, can deal up to 2d8+3d4+1d6(in sunlight) extra damage (a possible extra 36 damage to ANY of your attacks, along with two chances for a d8 special!) and makes two saves against save-ends (or is outright immune, at the cost of damage).

Solar champion and Lunar agent seem good, but based off the description, they are both unsuable in indoor areas, whilst solar champion is even more limited, if it requires direct sunlight. They should be just time based, rather than "in outdoor area where the sun/moon shines" based.

Harbinger of the Eclipse also looks fairly powerful. It feels like it should be limited (especially the save-ends immunity). Perhaps have it be a daily that last 2-3 rounds when triggered, but you get both effects at once?)

You have to be level 9 to get HotH. I kinda figured at that level you should be doing more damage. The first two are unusable indoors, yes, and Solar Champion requires direct sunlight, as in not during a thunderstorm, because you are drawing power- or at least inspiration- from the respected bodies (if its not clear, teh same goes for the moon in Lunar Agent- it has to be VISIBLE). The eclipse was never mean to combine the two, that's what the HotH is for, and it forces you to choose beforehand, instead of just having a fallback beast mode trump card- similar to how Wizards have to prepare spells in DnD.

The point of this trait line was to combine the effects and get more and more powerful, and the level requirements ensures you don't get the full power until waaaay later. If I read StairC's description right, lvl 9 here is roughly epic tier level in a DnD system. In my last game we fought a guy who dealt 27 damage to everyone with each hit. Obviously the Big Bad, we should have been fighting him around lvl 9 or 10, and I figured since we don't get extra health when leveling up, someone might want something that can hit hard and give us a shot at winning.

But I've said it before, I've never been good at mechanical balance. I can give out premises and ideas, and flavor text, and if my numbers are wrong, then someone better at it can come in and fix them.

Bronymous wrote:
You have to be level 9 to get HotH. I kinda figured at that level you should be doing more damage.

In general, if a combat trait path is so powerful it makes nearly all other combinations of traits look irrelevant... It's probably way too strong. If this option as it stands were published, I'm not sure how I could justify taking anything else.

Well its not up to me. You're the boss- all of those numbers are changeable. Bring them down if they need to be brought down. If the overall effect is too much, then trim it- I recommend back to the original.

Be Prepared! - Free Action [1/Battle]
Choose a combat talent you brought into the encounter. You may swap that combat talent for another talent on your list that you didn't bring into the encounter.

Crazy Prepared - Free Action [1/Battle]
Until the end of the turn, you may use a combat talent you possess but did not bring into this encounter - as if you had selected it for the battle.

Let's be creative! - Free Action [1/Battle]
Prerequisite: Be Prepared!, Crazy Prepared
Choose a combat talent you don't own. You may do one of the following:
- Swap one of the combat talents you brought into this encounter with the chosen talent.*
- Until the end of the turn, you may use the chosen combat talent - as if you had selected it for the battle and own it.

* You keep the talent for the rest of the encounter. No swapping back.

I love those three traits... They sound awesome. :3

Zarhon wrote:Be Prepared! - Free Action [1/Battle]
Choose a combat talent you brought into the encounter. You may swap that combat talent for another talent on your list that you didn't bring into the encounter.

Crazy Prepared - Free Action [1/Battle]
Until the end of the turn, you may use a combat talent you possess but did not bring into this encounter - as if you had selected it for the battle.

Let's be creative! - Free Action [1/Battle]
Prerequisite: Be Prepared!, Crazy Prepared
Choose a combat talent you don't own. You may do one of the following:
- Swap one of the combat talents you brought into this encounter with the chosen talent.*
- Until the end of the turn, you may use the chosen combat talent - as if you had selected it for the battle and own it.

* You keep the talent for the rest of the encounter. No swapping back.

"Yes, our teeth and ambitions are bared, be prepared!"

XD

Anyway, these do look pretty good to me. Gives you a lot of options.

Here's an idea that I bet will be controversial...

Take No Prisoners (or Coup de Grâce)
You deal triple damage to all unconscious enemies. You cannot target conscious enemies with damage-dealing attacks while an unconscious (but still-living) enemy is on the field.

But, any DM who's going to allow such a thing in their game is going to allow you to just finish off your opponents entirely anyway.

Unless you specifically target your opponents while still battling.

Just why would you ever do that because the battle is, by definition, still going on, which means there are non-unconscious ponies to attack who are a clear and present danger?

Spoiler:

Jason Shadow wrote:Here's an idea that I bet will be controversial...

Take No Prisoners (or Coup de Grâce)
You deal triple damage to all unconscious enemies. You cannot target conscious enemies with damage-dealing attacks while an unconscious (but still-living) enemy is on the field.

This skill sounds fun and totally evil to use. >:3

AProcrastinatingWriter wrote:But, any DM who's going to allow such a thing in their game is going to allow you to just finish off your opponents entirely anyway.

Unless you specifically target your opponents while still battling.

Just why would you ever do that because the battle is, by definition, still going on, which means there are non-unconscious ponies to attack who are a clear and present danger?

Spoiler:

Well there are a few times that I've been in a battle where 2 healing enemies that just wouldn't stay down. They just kept bringing each other back causing the battle to last an extra 5 rounds or so. But aside from facing enemy healers, the trait does seem rather pointless to take, and kind of dark, considering the setting.

Nope. Required- lvl9 Immediate Interrupt 1/session.
Use when an enemy does something. Now they didn't.