Ask a Simple Question - Get a Simple Answer

The wording is what the iffy part is: The traits all imply that each of the trait "challenges" is unique to that trait ("Throw the Gauntlet" challenge vs "Iron Warden" challenge, for instance) and thus cancel each other out, rather than stack/simultaneously trigger (since it does seem like something that could be easily broken in half by stacking, and most of the combat stuff is biased towards the "no stack to prevent abuse" rule).

Should update that, or add a note to specify that the traits actually stack, but are unique/triggered only for the "owner" player. As well as the whole "everything triggers at once, even if dazed etc" part.

Maybe remake it like how inspiring presence works currently (gain ability to challenge, choose effect out of selection, more traits to pick another effect...)? That branch of traits is practically identical in purpose, but much clearer on its ruling.

I wouldn't say the wording is iffy. Taken literally, it specifically refers to your challenge - not a challenge based on a specific ability. Multiple abilities provide ways to challenge enemies. "Challenge" is just like any other keyword. However, few abilities work like this in the system - most are unique to themselves - so the answer can be counter-intuitive (even when written correctly). A comment on the traits would probably be a good idea.

I love it when simple questions spawn involved debating. Where's my popcorn when I need it!?

Great to hear it from Dan though; that makes the combo much simpler to keep track of.

Just calling it "challenge" can get confusing real fast - you have to differentiate it between players, so if more than one player has "challenge" abilities, things get complex. How do you tell what challenge belongs to who?

There's also the fact that you don't apply the challenge the same way: Two of the traits do it automatically with any attack, two do it for a minor action. Makes keeping track of them cumbersome/complex (especially since most DMs house-rule "if you forget it, it doesn't happen").

You can also pretty much apply the challenge to any creature, including allies/yourself, whether on purpose or by accident. It sort of allows a weird scenario where a character can challenge himself, use an attack, and then force that attack to hit himself because he challenged himself.

That...is very good to know. I'd always thought the challenges were unique to the traits, and taking more than one challenge based trait was bad because only one could be used at any given time.

Mark of Shielding + Mark of Defense + Challenge yourself + Attack any target of choice with "Taunting Strike".

=

You force your attack to be redirected to yourself, and the attacked creature (you, since redirected) gets 1d12 temp hp as an interrupt, before taking a meager 1d4 damage and 3 vuln (against your own attacks!   ), whilst gaining three pips.

That's hilarious, but it isn't exactly a question. If you want to discuss funny builds that's great - but this isn't exactly the thread for that.

I think the build is being brought up for a point... Though what point it is I don't see myself either Dan. Other then maybe something that silly is kinda insane to be game-legal? I'm not totally sure...

Sunbeam is working on the initial rebalancing. I believe he's finished the first wave of rebalancing all the traits, talents and items. We're going to still have to go over all the work and check it, plus redesign quite a few of the abilities and decide which to keep and which to cut - plus create math to deal with some of the weirder cases.

We might end up releasing this like the abilities doc, instead of waiting to finish everything we might get enough done to have a working system and add the trickiest things later. Some of the traits would take over a hundred times longer to balance than others, because of how they interact with other moving parts.  We might leave that minority of effects for last so people can start playing with the more balanced system sooner.

Hope the items get turned into a traits... Cause I've grown to hate the Items... They're the biggest sourse of imbalanced mess the game's combat has... Even more so than the Crits ever was.

Xel Unknown wrote:Hope the items get turned into a traits... Cause I've grown to hate the Items... They're the biggest sourse of imbalanced mess the game's combat has... Even more so than the Crits ever was.

That acutally sounds pretty cool, just having traits flavored as items.

[-8] Hyperbeam - Standard Attack [Created by Bronymous]
Deal 3d20 damage to target creature and skip your next turn. If you roll a 20, activate all 3 of your special moves (for each 20 you roll).

Dimensional Cape - 1000 Gold
Trinket
Once per battle, you may use the following combat talent.
[0] Hideaway - Minor Utility [1/Battle]
You cease to exist and can take no actions until the start of your next turn. While in this state of nonexistence, you can affect no creature and no creature can affect you in any way. At the start of your next turn, you reappear.

Sooo, that would mean I vanish for two rounds, right?

I'd think you reappear, and then not do anything do your next turn, but that's an interesting possibility.

I think because of the rules as written it could allow you to disappear for two rounds.... But that'd be subject to GM opinion I think.

You *would* disappear for two rounds - because you skip your next turn entirely (not just the actions on your turn). Really nifty.

Particularly if paired with certain traits I have already discussed at length   

Another, unrelated question though. The conjurations each have so-many HP when they are conjured... is this also meant to be their maximum hit points? Or could I use healing moves to exceed it? (In particular I'm thinking of Spectral Warden and Rabbit.) I know I should be able to give them temporary HP... it's the normal kind I'm unsure of.

It should be their max HP.

Any given HP amount is also the creature's Max HP unless otherwise stated.

Where do I go to post suggestions for new Abilities? I know there's a section for Utility Talents, but for the new system...

My suggestion in case you're curious:

I would suggest just keeping suggestions for the Ablities system in the Unitity Talents section for the moment.

Trait wrote:Throw the Gauntlet

When you attack a creature, you may ‘challenge’ that creature until the end of your next turn. Once per round, when a creature challenged by you makes an attack that does not include you as a target, that creature suffers 2d10 damage, A creature cannot be challenged by more than one creature at a time and a new ‘challenge’ supersedes the first.

If multiple enemies are affected by this, do each of them take the damage or does "once per round" mean that only one of them can be affected?

I have a question concerning the new version of You're All My Very Best Friends

You’re All My Very Best Friends (1)
Whenever you use a Magic Point to boost an ally’s skill check, roll 1d20. On a 20, you gain a Magic Point. (This includes using the Element of Generosity or abilities such as Yeehaw! and The Stare...any ability that directly boosts an ally’s skill check as a result of spending a Magic Point.)

It specifically states that this includes abilities like The Stare, but if I have Spellchild on The Stare, meaning I can use it without spending a magic point, can I use the above if I haven't actually spent the point?