PDA

View Full Version : D&D 5e/Next Personal Shield Generators (PEACH)



Ralcos
2016-06-13, 03:27 PM
Sci-Fi games are cool. Sci-Fi games run in D&D are awesome.
I want to try to create some home rules that can be used for a sci-fi D&D 5e game for a common element, known as the Personal Shield Generator.

Personal Shield Generator, Basic
Uncommon Magic Item.
This item is a small handheld device, usually worn on the belt or put somewhere easily reached. As a Bonus Action, you can activate this device, creating a compact force-field that is only seen when it is hit.
This force-field absorbs damage by allowing the wearer to make an ability score saving throw, using the highest modifier they have (by using their own ability modifier OR use it as a +3 bonus) with a DC equal to the attack roll + 10.
If successful, the wearer ignores the damage that would have been dealt on a hit.
This force-field lasts for 6 hours, or until disabled or when the wearer fails the associated ability score saving throw. The device can only be recharged with a Long Rest.

Personal Shield Generator, Advanced
Rare Magic Item.
This item is a small handheld device, usually worn on the belt or put somewhere easily reached. As a Bonus Action, you can activate this device, creating a compact force-field that is only seen when it is hit.
This force-field absorbs damage by allowing the wearer to make an ability score saving throw, using the highest modifier they have (by using their own ability modifier OR use it as a +3 bonus) with a DC equal to the attack roll + 8.
If successful, the wearer ignores the damage that would have been dealt on a hit.
This force-field lasts for 6 hours, or until disabled or when the wearer fails the associated ability score saving throw. The device can only be recharged with a Long Rest.

Personal Shield Generator, Advanced MK II
Legendary Magic Item.
This item is a small handheld device, usually worn on the belt or put somewhere easily reached. As a Bonus Action, you can activate this device, creating a compact force-field that is only seen when it is hit.
This force-field absorbs damage by allowing the wearer to make an ability score saving throw, using the highest modifier they have (by using their own ability modifier OR use it as a +3 bonus) with a DC equal to the attack roll + 6.
If successful, the wearer ignores the damage that would have been dealt on a hit.
This force-field lasts for 12 hours, or until disabled or when the wearer fails the associated ability score saving throw. The device can only be recharged with a Short or Long Rest.

NOTE: When using any one of the Personal Shield Generators, Gnomes do not gain the benefit of their Gnomish Cunning racial feature.

Hopefully, you guys like this idea!

JNAProductions
2016-06-13, 03:33 PM
Sci-Fi games are cool. Sci-Fi games run in D&D are awesome.
I want to try to create some home rules that can be used for a sci-fi D&D 5e game for a common element, known as the Personal Shield Generator.

Personal Shield Generator, Basic
Uncommon Magic Item.
This item is a small handheld device, usually worn on the belt or put somewhere easily reached. As a Bonus Action, you can activate this device, creating a compact force-field that is only seen when it is hit.
This force-field absorbs damage by allowing the wearer to make an Intelligence saving throw (by using their own Intelligence modifier OR use it as a +3 bonus) with a DC equal to the attack roll + 10.
If successful, the wearer ignores the damage that would have been dealt on a hit.
This force-field lasts for 6 hours, or until disabled or when the wearer fails the associated Intelligence saving throw. The device can only be recharged with a Long Rest.

Personal Shield Generator, Advanced
Rare Magic Item.
This item is a small handheld device, usually worn on the belt or put somewhere easily reached. As a Bonus Action, you can activate this device, creating a compact force-field that is only seen when it is hit.
This force-field absorbs damage by allowing the wearer to make an Intelligence saving throw (by using their own Intelligence modifier OR use it as a +3 bonus) with a DC equal to the attack roll + 8.
If successful, the wearer ignores the damage that would have been dealt on a hit.
This force-field lasts for 6 hours, or until disabled or when the wearer fails the associated Intelligence saving throw. The device can only be recharged with a Long Rest.

Personal Shield Generator, Advanced MK II
Legendary Magic Item.
This item is a small handheld device, usually worn on the belt or put somewhere easily reached. As a Bonus Action, you can activate this device, creating a compact force-field that is only seen when it is hit.
This force-field absorbs damage by allowing the wearer to make an Intelligence saving throw (by using their own Intelligence modifier OR use it as a +3 bonus) with a DC equal to the attack roll.
If successful, the wearer ignores the damage that would have been dealt on a hit.
This force-field lasts for 12 hours, or until disabled or when the wearer fails the associated Intelligence saving throw. The device can only be recharged with a Short or Long Rest.


Hopefully, you guys like this idea!

Right, so Gnomes get the most use out of it, since they have advantage on it. Meaning a high level Gnomish Wizard is looking at ignoring any hit of 25 or less, practically, giving them an enormous advantage. But it does go away on a single failure...

Most abusable with a Gnomish Paladin who took Resilience (Int) or multiclassed from Wizard (or Rogue) into Paladin, for extra +Charisma to saving throw, for a total of +16 with advantage. That means 17 and below is ALWAYS ignored, and you're looking at having a pseudo AC of 32.

Overall... I can't really judge this. I don't know how it'd effect play, really, since it's wildly new. Col idea, though.

Ralcos
2016-06-13, 03:34 PM
Right, so Gnomes get the most use out of it, since they have advantage on it. Meaning a high level Gnomish Wizard is looking at ignoring any hit of 25 or less, practically, giving them an enormous advantage. But it does go away on a single failure...

Most abusable with a Gnomish Paladin who took Resilience (Int) or multiclassed from Wizard (or Rogue) into Paladin, for extra +Charisma to saving throw, for a total of +16 with advantage. That means 17 and below is ALWAYS ignored, and you're looking at having a pseudo AC of 32.

Overall... I can't really judge this. I don't know how it'd effect play, really, since it's wildly new. Col idea, though.

Wait, Gnomes would get an Advantage to this saving throw?

JNAProductions
2016-06-13, 03:36 PM
It's a magical effect, yis? Then they'd get advantage.

Ralcos
2016-06-13, 03:39 PM
It's a magical effect, yis? Then they'd get advantage.

Ah. Okay. Makes sense.
Could I nullify that with a clause that says that despite being a magical effect, Gnomes don't get Advantage on this specific saving throws?
If not, what would you do to balance this?

JNAProductions
2016-06-13, 03:40 PM
Just add a clause saying Gnomes do not get the benefits of Gnomish Cunning to it.

Ralcos
2016-06-13, 04:16 PM
Just add a clause saying Gnomes do not get the benefits of Gnomish Cunning to it.

Edited. How's that?

JNAProductions
2016-06-13, 04:21 PM
Edited. How's that?

Still no idea how balanced it is. But now it's more fair.

Final Hyena
2016-06-13, 05:33 PM
There is a huge difference between basic, advanced and advanced 2. The DC goes from 10+A to 8+A to A. Which I'll come back to.

Int save (minimum +3)
vs 10/8/0+ attack roll

Now lets start with the basics, the saving throw. The classes that get Int are Druid, Rogue & Wizard. Now Druid and Rogue are rarely having more than a +2, whereas a wizard is always at max +3 to 5, so;
Druid & Rogue have +4 to +8
Wizard have +5 to +11
Everyone else has roughly +1 (so +3)

That attack roll. Creatures generally roll from +0 to +14. Meaning a DC of;
Basic 10 to 24.
Advanced 8 to 22.
Adv v2 0 to 14

I can immediately see two concerns, firstly a wizard with an advanced mark 2 shield will avoid almost everything the shield can block. If the DC was 6 + the attack it would be a bit better.

Secondly I don't think an Int save is the best option. It limits an item that many would want to use, to those 3 classes.
If the mechanic was something like ~ if an attack hits the shield has a 50% chance to block the damage, it would be fair for all classes.
The issue with this is that weaker attacks will break a shield quickly, which thematically might be what you want or, might not. If not you could always have a base chance of success reduced by the attack roll.

Ralcos
2016-06-13, 07:17 PM
There is a huge difference between basic, advanced and advanced 2. The DC goes from 10+A to 8+A to A. Which I'll come back to.

Int save (minimum +3)
vs 10/8/0+ attack roll

Now lets start with the basics, the saving throw. The classes that get Int are Druid, Rogue & Wizard. Now Druid and Rogue are rarely having more than a +2, whereas a wizard is always at max +3 to 5, so;
Druid & Rogue have +4 to +8
Wizard have +5 to +11
Everyone else has roughly +1 (so +3)

That attack roll. Creatures generally roll from +0 to +14. Meaning a DC of;
Basic 10 to 24.
Advanced 8 to 22.
Adv v2 0 to 14

I can immediately see two concerns, firstly a wizard with an advanced mark 2 shield will avoid almost everything the shield can block. If the DC was 6 + the attack it would be a bit better.

Secondly I don't think an Int save is the best option. It limits an item that many would want to use, to those 3 classes.
If the mechanic was something like ~ if an attack hits the shield has a 50% chance to block the damage, it would be fair for all classes.
The issue with this is that weaker attacks will break a shield quickly, which thematically might be what you want or, might not. If not you could always have a base chance of success reduced by the attack roll.

FIXED: Changed it to a general "ability saving throw" that relies on the user's highest ability score.
Does this work, or is the 50% chance of negating damage a better option?

Final Hyena
2016-06-13, 08:16 PM
Using your best statistic works, most of the time, but a few people suffer by going for a build that bumps a stat they don't get a saving throw proficiency for.

Str cleric
Dex fighter
Str/Dex paladin
Dex warlock

I do rather like the X% success chance as it makes balancing it to a level that you want very simple (the 50% was a pure random number, it depends on what you want). While requiring a percentile die will annoy many If you keep the percentages to degrees of 5 then people without a d100 can just use a d20.

My preferred choice would be you roll a d100 and if you hit the target number or lower you don't take the damage. The target number is (for basic) 50 minus the damage you would be taking. I like this because it balances a bit better between both creatures who do lots of attacks and those who have few heavy hits. Then again I'm not one of the people that care about rolling a d100.

Lets re examine the items, I'm going to go with two extremes for ease.
Level 1 basic shield;
Save +5
DC 10+A (usually between 0 to 6, I would guess based on a very limited MM knowledge an average of +3)
so a 60% success.

Level 20 advanced mk 2 shield;
Save +11
DC 6+A (My knowledge of higher level MM creatures is terrible, I know every CR 20 has +14 so I'm gunna go with that)
55% success.

So from this very limited comparison the items stay as good as long as you improve, which is perhaps what you want for such a potentially powerful item.
On the flip side saving throw buffing items are likely in such a campaign and they would combo very strongly together.

I think there are multiple ways to take such item, it all depends on how you want it to work.