rel
2022-12-10, 12:45 PM
I usually run 5e as a very stripped down and simplified system without a lot of the optional rules and extra options, the basic rules with very little else.
To allow for some variety in combat and encourage my players to pay attention to what's happening at the table rather than focus on their numbers and character sheets, I use a very permissive form of the improvised action rules, allowing the players to reliably bend and break the normal rules with cool descriptions or clever tactics.
A mechanic somewhat similar to stunts from the old White Wolf exalted game system only more expanded and powerful.
I'm considering formalizing this rule to help with adjudication, provide players a better idea of what is and isn't possible and encourage more player interaction with this system. However I'm worried a formalised rule will invariably stifle player creativity and may mess with the game balance in ways I can't foresee.
So I'm throwing my potential draft rules up here to try and identify issues, game breaking or degenerate applications and ambiguous or confusing wording.
All that said, the rule:
Stunts
A player can gain bonuses by describing their characters actions or reactions in a particularly dramatic way. Note that reaction in this context refers to the normal language meaning, not the special action described in the combat rules. This represents a dramatis personae ability to surpass their limits by taking risks and acting like the great heroes of myth.
A basic stunt is simply a good description of the characters actions or reactions to events; binding an enemies blade before closing in for the kill, feinting to pierce their guard, reflecting sunlight from a polished blade to dazzle an incoming attacker and so forth.
An advanced stunt also makes use of elements external to the character; swinging from a chandelier, tipping furniture onto an enemy, exploiting a trolls fear of fire to hold them at bay, etc.
A stunt should be brief and interesting and shouldn't slow down play. The GM adjudicates whether a description passes muster as a basic or advanced stunt and whether or not the stunt is unreliable (see below).
Stunts are not without risk. The success of a stunt is determined by making a D20 roll with a natural roll of 1 resulting in the stunt failing, providing no benefits and causing a fumble, an inconvenience determined by the GM.
Falling prone, discovering kit is missing, moving in the wrong direction, provoking attacks of opportunity, riling up enemies and losing actions or uses of a power are all possible results of a fumble.
At the GM’s option, uninspired, out of character, inappropriate or repetitive stunts can be deemed unreliable. Such stunts also require the player to make an ability check with the specific ability used, the relevance of bonuses such as skills and the exact DC left up to the GM.
A DC of 15 for an ability check related to the described action is a reasonable baseline.
If the unreliable ability check fails, the stunt also fails providing no benefits, however this does not result in a fumble.
A successful stunt offers one of the following bonuses if basic, or two if advanced.
Further, any stunt allows the character to bend what is possible and engage in minor narrative editing, balancing on an enemies head, turning aside a spell with their blade, controlling a fall to drift closer to a wall and catching a hand hold to save themselves, revealing there was a dagger conveniently lying on a nearby table, etc.
The bonuses and narrative editing should relate to the described actions and are determined by the player whose character is performing the stunt with input from the GM to ensure the game's theme and tone is preserved and as yet unrevealed details are not countermanded.
Impose one of the following conditions on a creature; charmed, deafened, or frightened. You are the source of the effect. The target gets a save to avoid the effect. The save DC is (8 + your proficiency bonus if appropriate + one of your stats determined by the GM). The GM picks an appropriate stat for the save. The target retries this save at the end of each of their turns. The target can take an action or legendary action to dismiss the effect. If this effect is chosen twice, one of the following conditions can be chosen instead; blinded, or restrained.
Instead of applying the blinded or restrained conditions as above you can gag a creature preventing speech, eating and drinking, bites, breath attacks and other actions that require use of the mouth.
Instead of applying the blinded or restrained conditions as above you can disarm a creature taking possession of an item on its person or placing the item in a square of your choice. Since this effect is instantaneous, it obviously doesn’t persist or require removal, simply happening or not happening depending on the results of the initial save.
Immediately take one of the following actions for free; interact with an object, stand up, dodge, hide. If this effect is chosen twice one of the following actions can be taken instead; disengage, dash, help.
Grant resistance to a type of damage to a creature including yourself. This effect lasts until the start of the target's next turn. If the stunt is performed in response to an attack or effect the resistance applies to that damage.
Grant resistance to damage as above except you can target several creatures and the effect only lasts until the next instance of damage suffered or until the start of the targets next turn,whichever comes first.
Grant ¾ cover to a single creature including yourself until the start of your next turn. If the stunt is performed in response to an attack or effect the resistance applies to that effect.
Grant half cover as ¾ cover above except it can be applied to up to 3 creatures.
Make your next melee attack ranged or your next ranged attack melee. Choosing this effect again causes it to apply to your next 2 attacks instead. An attack in this and subsequent instances refers to the description in the attack action section of the combat rules. It also applies to those attacks generated in other contexts such as extra attacks, flurries or attacks of opportunity. It also applies to special attacks detailed in the same section. It does not apply to spells or other powers, even if they happen to require an attack roll or generate an analogous effect.
Increase the number of targets your next attack hits by +1. Choosing this effect again causes your next attack to affect 2 additional targets instead of 1.
Make your next attack that requires an attack roll instead require the target make a saving throw. DC (8 + proficiency if appropriate + a relevant stat) The GM determines the stat to use and relevance of proficiency. On a successful save the attack misses as normal. Choosing this effect again causes it to apply to your next 2 attacks instead.
Change the damage type of the attacks of a creature including yourself. This effect lasts until the end of the creature's next turn. The GM can veto inappropriate damage types.
Create an area of up to 5 adjacent squares of difficult terrain. The terrain cannot be created in the space of another creature without its consent. New instances of terrain created in a square with existing terrain replace it instead of stacking. The terrain persists until another character removes it with either an unrolled action or legendary action or an object interaction and a successful ability check DC (8 + proficiency if appropriate + a relevant stat) with the GM choosing a suitable ability and the relevance of any skills. The GM can rule that terrain disappears, moves or spreads as appropriate.
Create an area of terrain as described above except the terrain is damaging instead of difficult. Creatures that enter the terrain or begin their turn within it take (D4 x the creator's proficiency bonus) in damage of a type chosen by the creator. The GM can veto inappropriate damage types.
Create an area of terrain as described above except that instead of being difficult the terrain instead grants half cover to those within it. If this effect is taken twice the terrain instead grants ¾ cover to those within it or blocks line of sight passing through it.
To allow for some variety in combat and encourage my players to pay attention to what's happening at the table rather than focus on their numbers and character sheets, I use a very permissive form of the improvised action rules, allowing the players to reliably bend and break the normal rules with cool descriptions or clever tactics.
A mechanic somewhat similar to stunts from the old White Wolf exalted game system only more expanded and powerful.
I'm considering formalizing this rule to help with adjudication, provide players a better idea of what is and isn't possible and encourage more player interaction with this system. However I'm worried a formalised rule will invariably stifle player creativity and may mess with the game balance in ways I can't foresee.
So I'm throwing my potential draft rules up here to try and identify issues, game breaking or degenerate applications and ambiguous or confusing wording.
All that said, the rule:
Stunts
A player can gain bonuses by describing their characters actions or reactions in a particularly dramatic way. Note that reaction in this context refers to the normal language meaning, not the special action described in the combat rules. This represents a dramatis personae ability to surpass their limits by taking risks and acting like the great heroes of myth.
A basic stunt is simply a good description of the characters actions or reactions to events; binding an enemies blade before closing in for the kill, feinting to pierce their guard, reflecting sunlight from a polished blade to dazzle an incoming attacker and so forth.
An advanced stunt also makes use of elements external to the character; swinging from a chandelier, tipping furniture onto an enemy, exploiting a trolls fear of fire to hold them at bay, etc.
A stunt should be brief and interesting and shouldn't slow down play. The GM adjudicates whether a description passes muster as a basic or advanced stunt and whether or not the stunt is unreliable (see below).
Stunts are not without risk. The success of a stunt is determined by making a D20 roll with a natural roll of 1 resulting in the stunt failing, providing no benefits and causing a fumble, an inconvenience determined by the GM.
Falling prone, discovering kit is missing, moving in the wrong direction, provoking attacks of opportunity, riling up enemies and losing actions or uses of a power are all possible results of a fumble.
At the GM’s option, uninspired, out of character, inappropriate or repetitive stunts can be deemed unreliable. Such stunts also require the player to make an ability check with the specific ability used, the relevance of bonuses such as skills and the exact DC left up to the GM.
A DC of 15 for an ability check related to the described action is a reasonable baseline.
If the unreliable ability check fails, the stunt also fails providing no benefits, however this does not result in a fumble.
A successful stunt offers one of the following bonuses if basic, or two if advanced.
Further, any stunt allows the character to bend what is possible and engage in minor narrative editing, balancing on an enemies head, turning aside a spell with their blade, controlling a fall to drift closer to a wall and catching a hand hold to save themselves, revealing there was a dagger conveniently lying on a nearby table, etc.
The bonuses and narrative editing should relate to the described actions and are determined by the player whose character is performing the stunt with input from the GM to ensure the game's theme and tone is preserved and as yet unrevealed details are not countermanded.
Impose one of the following conditions on a creature; charmed, deafened, or frightened. You are the source of the effect. The target gets a save to avoid the effect. The save DC is (8 + your proficiency bonus if appropriate + one of your stats determined by the GM). The GM picks an appropriate stat for the save. The target retries this save at the end of each of their turns. The target can take an action or legendary action to dismiss the effect. If this effect is chosen twice, one of the following conditions can be chosen instead; blinded, or restrained.
Instead of applying the blinded or restrained conditions as above you can gag a creature preventing speech, eating and drinking, bites, breath attacks and other actions that require use of the mouth.
Instead of applying the blinded or restrained conditions as above you can disarm a creature taking possession of an item on its person or placing the item in a square of your choice. Since this effect is instantaneous, it obviously doesn’t persist or require removal, simply happening or not happening depending on the results of the initial save.
Immediately take one of the following actions for free; interact with an object, stand up, dodge, hide. If this effect is chosen twice one of the following actions can be taken instead; disengage, dash, help.
Grant resistance to a type of damage to a creature including yourself. This effect lasts until the start of the target's next turn. If the stunt is performed in response to an attack or effect the resistance applies to that damage.
Grant resistance to damage as above except you can target several creatures and the effect only lasts until the next instance of damage suffered or until the start of the targets next turn,whichever comes first.
Grant ¾ cover to a single creature including yourself until the start of your next turn. If the stunt is performed in response to an attack or effect the resistance applies to that effect.
Grant half cover as ¾ cover above except it can be applied to up to 3 creatures.
Make your next melee attack ranged or your next ranged attack melee. Choosing this effect again causes it to apply to your next 2 attacks instead. An attack in this and subsequent instances refers to the description in the attack action section of the combat rules. It also applies to those attacks generated in other contexts such as extra attacks, flurries or attacks of opportunity. It also applies to special attacks detailed in the same section. It does not apply to spells or other powers, even if they happen to require an attack roll or generate an analogous effect.
Increase the number of targets your next attack hits by +1. Choosing this effect again causes your next attack to affect 2 additional targets instead of 1.
Make your next attack that requires an attack roll instead require the target make a saving throw. DC (8 + proficiency if appropriate + a relevant stat) The GM determines the stat to use and relevance of proficiency. On a successful save the attack misses as normal. Choosing this effect again causes it to apply to your next 2 attacks instead.
Change the damage type of the attacks of a creature including yourself. This effect lasts until the end of the creature's next turn. The GM can veto inappropriate damage types.
Create an area of up to 5 adjacent squares of difficult terrain. The terrain cannot be created in the space of another creature without its consent. New instances of terrain created in a square with existing terrain replace it instead of stacking. The terrain persists until another character removes it with either an unrolled action or legendary action or an object interaction and a successful ability check DC (8 + proficiency if appropriate + a relevant stat) with the GM choosing a suitable ability and the relevance of any skills. The GM can rule that terrain disappears, moves or spreads as appropriate.
Create an area of terrain as described above except the terrain is damaging instead of difficult. Creatures that enter the terrain or begin their turn within it take (D4 x the creator's proficiency bonus) in damage of a type chosen by the creator. The GM can veto inappropriate damage types.
Create an area of terrain as described above except that instead of being difficult the terrain instead grants half cover to those within it. If this effect is taken twice the terrain instead grants ¾ cover to those within it or blocks line of sight passing through it.