[4E] How do you personalize your Powers?

[Raz_Fox]

The new Powers mechanic in 4E is one of my favorite parts of the new edition, partially because they are so much fun to describe and personalize so that they fit your character. I'll kick things off with the powers of a character I'm creating, using a very good homebrew Bard class.

Inciting Strike: Thiran wards off his enemy with his rapier, while simultaneously casting a minor ward on an ally.
Improvised Jab: Thiran leaps to the assault, his rapier harrying his enemy at all sides.
Inhibiting Song: Thiran mocks his enemy's skill, distracting them for one crucial moment.
Phantom Blow: Thiran seemingly splits into three warriors, all of them harrying his helpless opponent.
Accelerated Strike: Thiran chants an ancient Elven charm, granting his allies - and his sword - the speed of the wind.
Healing Word: Thiran chants a quick rhyme in Elven, temporarily closing wounds and bringing back lost vigor.
Ghost Sound: Thiran opens his mouth, but no sound comes out. Suddenly, a sound rings out from somewhere nearby.
Mage Hand: Thiran concentrates, and a nearby object flies through the air at his will.

Alright, how did you reflavor the powers to match your character?

[Learnedguy]

Whenever I play Wizard the keyword is flashy.

[AvatarZero]

When I imagine a Tiefling character with the Hellfire Blood feat I tend to imagine all the magic that character does with a fire theme, including the utility powers. The Wizard power Shield is a good example, especially since it doesn't describe what the power looks like at all.

That said, how do you bring something like that to the table? I've played a few games with some obnoxious players who insisted on describing everything their characters did. It got pretty lurid during combat. Should you narrate your own character, tell your GM how to narrate them, or just keep your ideas to yourself?

[Tsotha-lanti]

That said, how do you bring something like that to the table? I've played a few games with some obnoxious players who insisted on describing everything their characters did. It got pretty lurid during combat. Should you narrate your own character, tell your GM how to narrate them, or just keep your ideas to yourself?

How is this even a question? You narrate yourself in all RPGs. The only time the GM steps in - in some games - is when dice get rolled and the GM has to determine the success or failure. In more narrative games, the player describes that, too. For instance, in RuneQuest, the system favors GM describing success or failure of complex or very uncertain actions (where players may not know all the modifiers, even, and just inform the GM of their skill and their roll), but in combat players can go wild with descriptions after the initial "I hit." "Your target fails to parry/dodge" -exchange. But in HeroQuest, pretty much all the description related to PC actions falls to players (it's easier, because there's less or no unknown variables; and it's fitting, because it's very much a storytelling RPG).

Some people do go too far, but they just have no taste, and you can't really help that. In tabletop RPGs, you can't really powerplay like you can in MUSHes.

[Burley]

I'm playing a Tiefling Wizard who focuses on Cold Spells and feats, and spurns the flames of his ancestors.
Everything he does is either based off of Ice or Erathis (his diety), sometimes both. Even his Tensor's Floating Disk (and other rituals, which he hasn't cast yet...) is a frosty blue-white in the shape of Erathis' symbol.

His Chill Strike is a large Icicle that he conjures and telekineticly throws at his target.
His Freezing Cloud is a snowball that he pitches (like in baseball) and explodes on contact, leaving a lingering powder of razor sharp particles.
His Shield is the Symbol of Erathis (AC boost), and a film of ice appears on his boots to help him move easier (Reflex boost).

Also, his skin is turning from red to purple to blue, and his horns are begining to turn into crystaline junks and his skin is cool to the touch. He's turning from a fire tiefling to a rime tiefling. I even got his fire resistance changed to cold resistance.

[Hzurr]

Inhibiting Song: Thiran mocks his enemy's skill, distracting them for one crucial moment.


Monster: "YAAAARRRRR!!!"
Thiran: "You Suck!"
Monster: "YAAAAA-huh? Oh..." *droops head, looks depressed. The depressing Charlie Brown music plays*

That's how I see that power working.

[Tengu_temp]

Most of my dex 8 female paladin's attacks were wild and clumsy swings or tripping and hitting the opponent by accident, most of which hit only by luck or divine guidance. The game was short-lived, but I'll play her one day again.

In the current (very silly) campaign I'm DMing, most of my players personalize their powers in some way - most notably, the WH40K space marine Cleric (who uses grenades, flamethrowers and bolters), the magical girl Fighter (an assortment of light-based attacks shooting from her spear magical staff), and the group's Wizard, Patchouli. Yes, Touhou fans, that Patchouli.

[Asbestos]

Monster: "YAAAARRRRR!!!"
Thiran: "You Suck!"
Monster: "YAAAAA-huh? Oh..." *droops head, looks depressed. The depressing Charlie Brown music plays*

That's how I see that power working.


Awesome :smallsmile:

[Raz_Fox]

Monster: "YAAAARRRRR!!!"
Thiran: "You Suck!"
Monster: "YAAAAA-huh? Oh..." *droops head, looks depressed. The depressing Charlie Brown music plays*

That's how I see that power working.

Saint's and Proxies...

:smallbiggrin: That's a mental picture I think I'll cherish. Thank you for making my afternoon.

Edit: Y'know, Inhibiting Song (or Quip, as I call it) does damage equal to your Charisma modifier. That might be what happens when he taunts minions.

[Townopolis]

In a game I'm currently in using maptool, I try to couch all my technical notation in emotes full of... emotiveness. So I'm assigning my quarry and wonder how to describe it. I end up with something like

"Moranog narrows his eyes at the scorpion, determining to cut the beast down."

The next time I assigned quarry, it was a kobold mage who'd just cone-of-colded the commoners we're trying to protect. I did it just before laying the smackdown, so I described it sort of like

"Moranog lets his anger seethe into his blades as he assaults the kobold."

Since then, it's pretty much been decided that Moggy's quarry is his barbarian rage equivalent (since he is from a barbaric culture, after all).

Other than that, I usually just give a brief description of him setting on his enemies with wild abandon and/or unleashing a dervish of steel. Sometimes I get fancier than that, but I haven't begun to describe a particular combat style yet.

For my gnome wizard types, I plan on going for subtlety, something along the lines of

"Soidoc mumbles a few, unintelligable, words and mildly twirls one finger in the air <initiate daily power>"

I was also thinking that anyone not affected by his illusion powers wouldn't even perceive it. So when he drops phantom chasm, everyone in the area just falls down and starts screaming as if they're falling, but nobody else sees what they see (unless they step into the effect's area, then the ground opens up beneath them).

[Raz_Fox]

When I imagine a Tiefling character with the Hellfire Blood feat I tend to imagine all the magic that character does with a fire theme, including the utility powers. The Wizard power Shield is a good example, especially since it doesn't describe what the power looks like at all.

That said, how do you bring something like that to the table? I've played a few games with some obnoxious players who insisted on describing everything their characters did. It got pretty lurid during combat. Should you narrate your own character, tell your GM how to narrate them, or just keep your ideas to yourself?

Both. Narrate the way your character acts, and allow/ask the GM to describe the effect on the monster. As for the first problem, I'd try to keep it within the length of a one-liner like my power descriptions above. It's a memorable way to visualize the power and still not have yourself or your friends bored of your lurid descriptions.

Perhaps the best way to handle this is to simply ask the players and the DM how they'd like you to describe your powers; whether they like lots of description or "I hit it again with Cleave."

Cool wizard, by the way.

[Raz_Fox]

I'm playing a Tiefling Wizard who focuses on Cold Spells and feats, and spurns the flames of his ancestors.
Everything he does is either based off of Ice or Erathis (his diety), sometimes both. Even his Tensor's Floating Disk (and other rituals, which he hasn't cast yet...) is a frosty blue-white in the shape of Erathis' symbol.

His Chill Strike is a large Icicle that he conjures and telekineticly throws at his target.
His Freezing Cloud is a snowball that he pitches (like in baseball) and explodes on contact, leaving a lingering powder of razor sharp particles.
His Shield is the Symbol of Erathis (AC boost), and a film of ice appears on his boots to help him move easier (Reflex boost).

Also, his skin is turning from red to purple to blue, and his horns are begining to turn into crystaline junks and his skin is cool to the touch. He's turning from a fire tiefling to a rime tiefling. I even got his fire resistance changed to cold resistance.

Dare I say it?

This wizard is really cool, Burley Warlock. :smallwink:
I really like the "Rime Tiefling" idea. Very, very creative.

By and by, do you mind if I call you BW, or do you prefer Burley Warlock?

[Tokiko Mima]

This is 3.5e but I love reflavoring my warlock's eldritch blast, since the vague description makes it almost a requirement. The latest one involved me creating a character whose attacks were modeled on the Fate Stay/night anime character Gilgameshs' signature move, "Gate of Babylon."

You essentially summon an opaque red curtain of energy behind you, out of which dozens of swords or other slashing/piercing weapons materialize and hover. When the warlock attacks the swords rain down on the foe, impaling the victim for a few seconds before vanishing back into the warlocks repitoire. Every time the warlock adds more Eldritch damage more swords are added to make the additional damage realistic. I think the best demonstration is from this unlimited codes trailer at 1:50 to 1:56 (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BT6JH6MQmKQ) if you're interested. :smallsmile:

[Burley]

[QUOTE=Tokiko Mima;4987072]This is 3.5e but I love reflavoring my warlock's eldritch blast, since the vague description makes it almost a requirement. QUOTE]

I had a warlock that I wanted to shoot Daisy Chains. My DM denied me.

[Tokiko Mima]

I had a warlock that I wanted to shoot Daisy Chains. My DM denied me.

Fiend! Flavor helps players invest in their characters. You don't complain when he creates a monster different than the one in the Monster Manual, do ya? Then he shouldn't care as long as he can understand the visual, and according to D&D rose petals do damage to the point of being a 9th level attack spell.

[Oracle_Hunter]

I'm currently working on reflavoring my surfer-dude Elven Priest of Melora's powers. So far I have a nice one for Holy Lantern:

"A large luminescent oyster shell appears in the air before you, holding a massive pearl that casts a pattern of swirling colors about the room."

+2 Insight indeed :smallamused:

I still need some better prayers to go with my attacks though. I can't say "Lance of Faith" without the entire group bursting into a fit of giggling. :smalltongue:

[Raz_Fox]

I'm currently working on reflavoring my surfer-dude Elven Priest of Melora's powers. So far I have a nice one for Holy Lantern:

"A large luminescent oyster shell appears in the air before you, holding a massive pearl that casts a pattern of swirling colors about the room."

+2 Insight indeed :smallamused:

I still need some better prayers to go with my attacks though. I can't say "Lance of Faith" without the entire group bursting into a fit of giggling. :smalltongue:

*Facepalm* I guess it was inevitable, what with Melora's holy symbol and all. What's with "Lance of Faith", though? I can't see anything funny with it...