[4e]New Wizard Power

[Darth Stabber]

Charm Monster
Has anyone ever told you that you have such beautiful tentacles
Wizard lvl 1 Encounter * Arcane, Implement, Charm
Range: 5
Target: Single enemy
Attack: Int vs. Will
Hit:The Target Cannot attack you or your allies, save ends.
Miss:The Target Cannot attack you until the beginning of your next turn.
Special:If you or one of your allies attacks the target, the effect ends


Missed this spell in 4e, any thoughts

[Alteran]

That seems like a good power, except for the last line. Someone with the orb of imposition can already impose penalties to saving throws, and giving them this automatically is too much. Wisdom mod is going to be a pretty huge penalty, at level 1 it'll still be at least 2 or 3.

As I said, it seems fine otherwise. A fun power, and balanced compared to the Cleric's Cause Fear (Encounter 1). I might make it charm monster, since "single living enemy" says nothing about humanoids only. I might make it work on non-living creatures as well, it is a magical compulsion of sorts.

[Shadow_Elf]

I think you want the keyword "Charm", not "Mind Affecting".

Otherwise, looks good, but it shouldn't have a special Orb of Imposition feature, as Alteran pointed out. Many classes to get bonuses to encounter powers based on build choice, but Wizard is not one of them.

[Meek]

Most Level 1 encounter powers in 4e don't impose save ends effects on an enemy. Especially not an effect like that which can potentially cripple a creature for long periods of time. Thus it's inherently out of whack. Encounter powers are 99% of the time designed to be fleeting.

The range is wonky. Why 8? Make it 5 if it's supposed to be a handicap. Swordmages have some powers at Ranged 3. But Ranged 8 seems purely arbitrary.

The "living enemy" clause is wonky. It's not inherently terrible, but it's one of those things that's supposed to balance a power, but really don't. Most 4e powers try to be more broad than that.

Orb of Imposition is never listed in power effects as modifying the power.

I would either:

Remove the save ends and make it a level 3 encounter power with the same effect but that ends at the end of your next turn and deals some light damage (a single d6 or d8 sounds good). Ranged 5 or 10.

Or

Make it a level 1 daily with that exact same effect and a range of 10. Remove the clause that ends the power if the target is attacked. On a miss, have the same effect, but that ends at the end of your next turn.

And of course remove the Orb thing.

[mikeejimbo]

The Bard has a power like this in PHB2. Similar anyway. It's also level 1 encounter, called "Fast Friends"

[lesser_minion]

I think the most important things have been said.

Because you aren't actually attacking the monster either, the best uses of this power are going to be tactical - grab a couple of rounds to use a couple of utility powers, maneuver around to get CA and so on, so it fits the role.

As a rough estimate, I'd say you've got the level reasonably close - it gets better once you go Orb Wizard, but for pretty much anybody else I'd say that this isn't really too big a deal.

You have a slightly less than even chance of carrying the effect over for an extra turn, and the effect is weaker than what 1st-level Wizard Encounter powers can do with a shorter duration.

I'll agree with everyone else that doubling up on the Orb save penalty would be a nightmare though.

[Yakk]

Here is a charm person with some interesting mechanics attached. Note that this version requires a repeated use of a standard action by the Wizard, making the action budget balancing on it far less extreme.

Charm Person
"You wouldn't hurt a friend, would you?"
Wizard lvl X Encounter or Daily * Arcane, Implement, Mind Affecting, Psychic, Charm
Range: 10
Target: Single creature
Attack: Int vs. Will
Hit: The target may not make an attack against the caster or the caster's allies until the end of your next turn. If the target is damaged by yourself or an ally of yours, the effect ends.
Sustain Standard: Make a secondary attack.
Secondary Range: 20
Secondary Attack: Int+2 vs. Will
Secondary Hit: The effect continues until the end of your next turn.
Special: You get a penalty to your secondary attacks equal to the number of allies of the target you, or any of your allies, have attacked since Charm Person was cast.
Special: If you score a critical hit with this power, if the target is the only enemy left in an encounter, the effect lasts until your next extended rest, or you attack an ally of the target, whichever comes sooner.

[Meek]

It's pretty overtly complicated (two special clauses?) for a 4e power but otherwise fine...I would make it a Daily power and lighten up a bit on the sustaining action penalties, and definitely remove that final special clause.

[Yakk]

Here is a charm person with some interesting mechanics attached. Note that this version requires a repeated use of a standard action by the Wizard, making the action budget balancing on it far less extreme.

Charm Person
"You wouldn't hurt a friend, would you?"
Wizard lvl X Encounter or Daily * Arcane, Implement, Mind Affecting, Psychic, Charm
Range: 10
Target: Single creature
Attack: Int vs. Will
Hit: The target may not make an attack against the caster or the caster's allies until the end of your next turn. If the target is damaged by yourself or an ally of yours, the effect ends.
Sustain Standard: Make a secondary attack.
Secondary Range: 20
Secondary Attack: Int+2 vs. Will
Secondary Hit: The effect continues until the end of your next turn.
Special: You get a penalty to your secondary attacks equal to the number of allies of the target you, or any of your allies, have attacked since Charm Person was cast.
Special: If you score a critical hit with this power, if the target is the only enemy left in an encounter, the effect lasts until your next extended rest, or you attack an ally of the target, whichever comes sooner.

[Darth Stabber]

Fixed. Took away the implement feature, Shortened the range, fixed the keyword and added a miss effect and flavor text. Don't like having sustain on it, given the spell that inspired it didn't require concentration, or even any further action on the caster's part. As an alternative

Charm Person
Wizard lvl 2 Encounter utility spell


Effect: Make a diplomacy or gather information check against the target as though you were trained in diplomacy, or gather information with a +5 power bonus as a free action. (so net bonus of +5-15 dependant on skills and feats.

[Meek]

I really like the alternative utility power version, we need more utility powers like that. However, the second check should be Streetwise, though perhaps is better clarified as "a streetwise check made to gather information"

[Ninetail]

Charm Monster
Has anyone ever told you that you have such beautiful tentacles
Wizard lvl 1 Encounter * Arcane, Implement, Charm
Range: 5
Target: Single enemy
Attack: Int vs. Will
Hit:The Target Cannot attack you or your allies, save ends.
Miss:The Target Cannot attack you until the beginning of your next turn.
Special:If you or one of your allies attacks the target, the effect ends

Still too strong.

Bards have a level 1 encounter power with the same range and targeting (except Cha vs. Int to attack), but with no miss effect, lasting until the end of the bard's next turn, and affecting only the bard or one designated ally.

Make it a daily, and I'd say it was powerful but balanced enough. As it stands, it's just massively better. if it's going to be an encounter power, it shouldn't overshadow the bard ability to such an extent.

I like the Charm Person utility, but I'd probably just make it a straight +5 or +10 power bonus instead of messing about with "as though you were trained." (That's also fairer to those who actually did spend their skill choice or feat on the training -- the spell won't be less useful to them just because they know how to subtly work information out of someone.)