Segev
2015-05-02, 12:21 PM
Not a new topic, because of the difficulties with how the race is written. But, as it's a cool concept, I want to play with it a bit and see if we can't tighten up its mechanics into something that is:
1) Clear on what it does
2) Usable
3) maybe even balanced
I have, on my own, tried re-writing the Dvati race a few times. Each effort has illustrated to me why the writer of the race had such a hard time making something coherent.
In no small part, the problem lies in trying to define what is and is not "shared." One mind in two bodies is a simple enough concept on the surface, but has a great many potential hangups in actual implementation within a rule set designed to treat each entity as 100% discrete.
The ground rule with which I generally try to start is: "They have one mind, so anything that affects the mind effects the entire Dvati entity; they have two bodies, so anything that effects something physical about them effects only the targetted body."
I'm willing to flex that a bit ("sharing buffs" might be a valid thing, for instance), but it's a starting, general ground rule. It generally means that, as examples, if you polymorph one body, the other doesn't change shape; if you Charm either body, you have Charmed the mind and thus have both bodies.
This leads to needing to spell out what constitutes "purely mental" and/or "spiritual" effects as opposed to "bodily" or "physical" ones. Modifiers to physical stats should probably be per-body. Modifiers to mental ones should be universal. Hit points and healing should probably be per-body. Magic items generally should work only on the body wearing them, though ones which impact mental state might work either way. But should a Cloak of Resistance on one body apply to Will saves made against effects targetting the other? Clearly, it probably shouldn't for Fort. and Reflex saves, being purely physical things. I'm inclined, given that it's a Resistance bonus, to even deny the Will save. The other body is just plain more vulnerable, so the mind is more vulnerable when targetted through it.
The other sticky point is actions. This is a very delicate area, because on the one hand, I would like to see the dvati able to have both bodies move and mostly act independently. A dvati with one body in the tavern while the other is out shopping should be able to have each acting largely independently, without any overt evidence to those who don't know their nature that they're only "half there."
At the same time, a dvati shouldn't be getting double actions. From an aesthetic point of view, I'd almost like to see a dvati taking the Full Attack action not count as having two sets of full attacks, but instead counting as if he were a four-armed creature (thus able to take multiattack).
My thoughts right now are to give each body its own move action, and to give the Dvati only one Standard and Swift action per round between the two of them. Taking a full-round action leaves the other body with only a move action (unless it was participating in the full-round action, in which case it doesn't get to move, either). Then, give them a racial ability to spend their swift action to allow one body to claim the one Standard or Full-Round action for that round, and the other to take a Standard or Full-Round action to perform or maintain a skill check.
This would allow them to have normal-ish actions, plus still do non-combat things with their other body, with only the modicum of distraction represented by having to expend their swift action to get the skill-action.
This is, however, obviously clumsily worded, and has more holes than cheesecloth.
Thoughts? Ideas on how better to represent the race? Disagreements with what they SHOULD be able to do?
How would you like to see them operate, and how would you implement mechanics to make it happen?
1) Clear on what it does
2) Usable
3) maybe even balanced
I have, on my own, tried re-writing the Dvati race a few times. Each effort has illustrated to me why the writer of the race had such a hard time making something coherent.
In no small part, the problem lies in trying to define what is and is not "shared." One mind in two bodies is a simple enough concept on the surface, but has a great many potential hangups in actual implementation within a rule set designed to treat each entity as 100% discrete.
The ground rule with which I generally try to start is: "They have one mind, so anything that affects the mind effects the entire Dvati entity; they have two bodies, so anything that effects something physical about them effects only the targetted body."
I'm willing to flex that a bit ("sharing buffs" might be a valid thing, for instance), but it's a starting, general ground rule. It generally means that, as examples, if you polymorph one body, the other doesn't change shape; if you Charm either body, you have Charmed the mind and thus have both bodies.
This leads to needing to spell out what constitutes "purely mental" and/or "spiritual" effects as opposed to "bodily" or "physical" ones. Modifiers to physical stats should probably be per-body. Modifiers to mental ones should be universal. Hit points and healing should probably be per-body. Magic items generally should work only on the body wearing them, though ones which impact mental state might work either way. But should a Cloak of Resistance on one body apply to Will saves made against effects targetting the other? Clearly, it probably shouldn't for Fort. and Reflex saves, being purely physical things. I'm inclined, given that it's a Resistance bonus, to even deny the Will save. The other body is just plain more vulnerable, so the mind is more vulnerable when targetted through it.
The other sticky point is actions. This is a very delicate area, because on the one hand, I would like to see the dvati able to have both bodies move and mostly act independently. A dvati with one body in the tavern while the other is out shopping should be able to have each acting largely independently, without any overt evidence to those who don't know their nature that they're only "half there."
At the same time, a dvati shouldn't be getting double actions. From an aesthetic point of view, I'd almost like to see a dvati taking the Full Attack action not count as having two sets of full attacks, but instead counting as if he were a four-armed creature (thus able to take multiattack).
My thoughts right now are to give each body its own move action, and to give the Dvati only one Standard and Swift action per round between the two of them. Taking a full-round action leaves the other body with only a move action (unless it was participating in the full-round action, in which case it doesn't get to move, either). Then, give them a racial ability to spend their swift action to allow one body to claim the one Standard or Full-Round action for that round, and the other to take a Standard or Full-Round action to perform or maintain a skill check.
This would allow them to have normal-ish actions, plus still do non-combat things with their other body, with only the modicum of distraction represented by having to expend their swift action to get the skill-action.
This is, however, obviously clumsily worded, and has more holes than cheesecloth.
Thoughts? Ideas on how better to represent the race? Disagreements with what they SHOULD be able to do?
How would you like to see them operate, and how would you implement mechanics to make it happen?