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Maat Mons
2019-06-08, 08:16 PM
A recent thread about Favored Enemy has gotten me thinking about how much I hate the idea of specializing in certain enemies.

So I've been trying to think up ways of changing Favored enemy into something that's useful no matter who you're fighting, but still somehow be themed on fighting a particular creature.



Focused Enmity
Choose aberration, dragon, fiend, or undead at 1st level. Gain abilities based on decision.


Level 1Level 5Level 10Level 15Level 20
Aberration?immune to charm/compulsionimmune to poisonimmune to mind-affecting?
Dragonimmune to fearevasionmettleimproved evasionimproved mettle
Fiend?melee attack dispels summoned creaturewielded weapons overcome DR as if cold iron and silverwielded weapons become holy?
Undeadimmune to diseaseimmune to paralysisimmune to ability damage/drainimmune to energy drain?




Oh, and I abandoned the notion of adding new Favored Enemies at higher levels. I don't really get why someone would roleplay a character as completely dedicated to exterminating a single group of creatures for 4 levels, and then want to suddenly have that single-minded focus spread out.

Anybody have thoughts on any part of this?

Allnightmask
2019-06-09, 11:04 PM
Looking at your idea made me remember this class, it's a tome class so its balance is...wonky? Nevertheless you may find the abilities to your liking.

https://dnd-wiki.org/wiki/Ranger,_Tome_(3.5e_Class)

paladinn
2019-06-11, 05:50 PM
Pathfinder has a ranger/rogue hybrid class called the Slayer. Its "favored enemy" variant is called "Studied Target". So far it's the best alternative to favored enemy that I've seen.. very much less-situational.

XionUnborn01
2019-06-11, 10:52 PM
A recent thread about Favored Enemy has gotten me thinking about how much I hate the idea of specializing in certain enemies.

So I've been trying to think up ways of changing Favored enemy into something that's useful no matter who you're fighting, but still somehow be themed on fighting a particular creature.



Focused Enmity
Choose aberration, dragon, fiend, or undead at 1st level. Gain abilities based on decision.


Level 1Level 5Level 10Level 15Level 20
Aberration?immune to charm/compulsionimmune to poisonimmune to mind-affecting?
Dragonimmune to fearevasionmettleimproved evasionimproved mettle
Fiend?melee attack dispels summoned creaturewielded weapons overcome DR as if cold iron and silverwielded weapons become holy?
Undeadimmune to diseaseimmune to paralysisimmune to ability damage/drainimmune to energy drain?




Oh, and I abandoned the notion of adding new Favored Enemies at higher levels. I don't really get why someone would roleplay a character as completely dedicated to exterminating a single group of creatures for 4 levels, and then want to suddenly have that single-minded focus spread out.

Anybody have thoughts on any part of this?

I always saw the addition of a new favored enemy differently. Instead of spreading focus, I see it as showing that you've mastered a new skill. Like the first favored enemy is you knowing how to ride a bike, your second enemy is when you master riding with no hands, the third is when you've mastered jumping gaps. So basically, you've been working on studying a new enemy and that study finally matters enough at X level.