PDA

View Full Version : The Dread Pirate Roberts Probably Took This [3.5 Feat]



Temotei
2010-12-28, 08:03 PM
Dreadful Reputation [General]
Everyone knows and fears you. You are often the main source of horror drawn upon in campfire stories.
Benefit: As a swift action once every 1d4 rounds, you can call out your name (and possibly a special accomplishment), causing all enemies within 30 feet to be shaken for 1d4+1 rounds unless they succeed on a Will saving throw of DC 10 + 1/2 character levels + an ability score modifier of your choice. Being subject to this effect more than once raises the level of fear instilled to cowering, but does not increase the duration or renew it; the remaining time the creature would have been shaken is the time it's cowering. This is a fear effect.

Lateral
2010-12-28, 09:38 PM
Kewl. Not sure if it's worth a full-round action, though. Maybe make it a move action?

JaronK
2010-12-28, 11:31 PM
Compare it to the Dread Pirate 5 ability (or Scarlet Corsair ability). Those take a standard action (move action when combined with the right armor, or Swift action with Zhentarium Fighter). And they can be combined with Imperious Command. Not a very good feat.

JaronK

Temotei
2010-12-29, 02:09 PM
Compare it to the Dread Pirate 5 ability (or Scarlet Corsair ability). Those take a standard action (move action when combined with the right armor, or Swift action with Zhentarium Fighter). And they can be combined with Imperious Command. Not a very good feat.

Hmm...you're right. I made it a swift action ability, changed the save DC (it didn't scale well at all into higher levels), and allowed for stacking fear into cowering status should a creature be hit multiple times. The ability now has a "cooldown" period of 1d4 rounds, and the duration of being shaken has been increased to 1d4+1 rounds.

It might be a little powerful now, but I'm not sure.

Siosilvar
2010-12-29, 02:15 PM
Hmm...you're right. I made it a swift action ability, changed the save DC (it didn't scale well at all into higher levels)

And now it scales too well. You should use 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma, like everything else.

And fear usually stacks shaken->frightened->panicked->cowering. Though it does only last 1 round on average... still, Frightened does "trigger the flight-or-fight response", if you will.

Temotei
2010-12-29, 02:21 PM
And now it scales too well. You should use 10 + 1/2 HD + Charisma, like everything else.

I was hoping to avoid using an ability score for the save DC. It might be necessary, though.


And fear usually stacks shaken->frightened->panicked->cowering. Though it does only last 1 round on average... still, Frightened does "trigger the flight-or-fight response", if you will.

Imperious Command makes foes cower when demoralized, then be shaken for 1 round after. I suppose it might be good to separate from that feat a bit.

Debihuman
2010-12-30, 10:48 AM
So if a creature cannot hear hear you, it isn't affected? This could be interesting.

Debby

ericgrau
2010-12-30, 12:02 PM
CR 1 monster average will save: 1. Needs to roll a 15
CR 20 monster average will save: 21. Needs to roll a 15.

Chance of making each enemy cower in two rounds: About 50:50. The feat knocks out half your opponents in two rounds, then about 1/4th of the rest each round thereafter. Strong feat...

Elfstone
2010-12-30, 01:22 PM
YES.
Go Princess Bride.

Its looks good, but make the HD scale, like if you have 15 HD then you can only frighten creatures 13HD or below?

Keinnicht
2010-12-30, 01:29 PM
I was hoping to avoid using an ability score for the save DC. It might be necessary, though.


How about you make them pick an ability score upon taking the feat? It seems a little silly for this feat to be reliant on charisma, when the issue at hand is how terrifying you are KNOWN TO BE, rather than trying to convince someone you're scary.

Lord_Gareth
2010-12-30, 01:30 PM
What if someone is impersonating you to take advantage of your dreadful rep?

Cieyrin
2010-12-30, 04:42 PM
What if someone is impersonating you to take advantage of your dreadful rep?

I assume that's how each Dread Pirate Roberts gets by, building upon the previous Dread Pirate's misdeeds. :smallwink:

Mongoose87
2010-12-30, 05:11 PM
I assume that's how each Dread Pirate Roberts gets by, building upon the previous Dread Pirate's misdeeds. :smallwink:

That, and leaving no survivors.

Temotei
2010-12-30, 06:36 PM
That, and leaving no survivors.

Good night, Westley. Good work. Sleep well. I'll most likely kill you in the morning.

Temotei
2010-12-30, 06:38 PM
How about you make them pick an ability score upon taking the feat? It seems a little silly for this feat to be reliant on charisma, when the issue at hand is how terrifying you are KNOWN TO BE, rather than trying to convince someone you're scary.

That works. Changed. It should scale better now, too.

Schylerwalker
2010-12-31, 06:24 AM
CR 1 monster average will save: 1. Needs to roll a 15
CR 20 monster average will save: 21. Needs to roll a 15.

Chance of making each enemy cower in two rounds: About 50:50. The feat knocks out half your opponents in two rounds, then about 1/4th of the rest each round thereafter. Strong feat...

Except Undead, Constructs, Oozes, and Plants.

Ziegander
2010-12-31, 06:28 AM
I'm not sure you want to balance around Imperious Command. It's honestly ridiculous. It's a feat that makes an unoptimized option really good. With any optimization Imperious Command becomes ridiculously powerful, and this actually looks even worse.

The_Admiral
2010-12-31, 07:52 AM
So the Doctor took this feat eh

Iituem
2010-12-31, 10:08 AM
All looks good now, but the save really should be Charisma-based.

Temotei
2010-12-31, 02:03 PM
All looks good now, but the save really should be Charisma-based.

The reasoning for it being determined by the character is that your reputation is at least partly built on what you can do. If you're capable of tearing buildings asunder and using the "spare parts" for weapons, I don't want your terrible Charisma to hold you down when attempting to intimidate.

I'll note that Imperious Command is almost completely better than this, simply because it's far easier to demoralize (Charisma bonus, items, spells, racial features, etc.) than it is to defeat a creature's Will save with an unmodifiable DC (without leveling up, of course). Plus, this isn't automatically a cower status effect. There's a fairly decent chance you'll roll more for the ability to do it again than for the duration of the effects. Even if you don't, you still have to beat another Will save. Imperious Command is one check, easily winnable with all sorts of modifiers.

Iituem
2010-12-31, 03:59 PM
On the other hand, it requires the individual's presence to correctly invoke the reputation of the Dread Pirate and (just as important) get everyone to believe the Dread Pirate is that character.

[Yeah, it wouldn't actually have to be a dread pirate. You see what I mean, though.]