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Deck of Companions - [using companions in a solo campaign]

   
Deck of Companions - [using companions in a solo campaign]

I want to get some feedback on something I've been working on.

I created a special artifact to be used in a D&D 4E solo campaign that would allow the player character to have a selection of companions (or "stands") to use during encounters. I did not want the player to feel restricted from choosing certain classes that utilize powers that provide benefits to allies. I also wanted to boost the amount of XP to use for encounters to keep them interesting, so the use of a stand will effectively make the party equal to that of two PCs.

I used the Companion rules presented in the DMG2 as a guide to create the two example stands. What I am concerned about is keeping the game balanced, so that a solo campaign would follow the same encounter/rest cycle of a normal campaign. Therefore, since the PC will eventually have several stands to select from, I think the Companion rules will need to be altered with regards to Healing Surges. If each stand has their own reserve of Healing Surges, I'm concerned that the PC will never feel too restricted when engaging in multiple encounters in one day. When one stand is running low on Healing Surges, then the PC can just use another stand who has full Healing Surges. The solution would be a Healing Surge pool that is shared by all the stands.

However, I'm not sure if there should also be a pool for Hit Points, Action Points, and the Second Wind power. I'm concerned that having a stand pool for those might be too restrictive. What do you think?
ArtifactDeck of Companions • Heroic to Epic Level
This hand of cards is imbued with strange and powerful magic. The back of each card is covered with beautiful arcane designs, while the front of each card reveals a moving image of a creature.
Wondrous Item
Power:
Before rolling your Initiative check, you activate a stand and it appears within 5 squares of you. The stand lasts until the end of the encounter.
Concordance: Normal


Stand Example 1Shadow Raven, Small shadow magical beast (
stand), Unaligned, Leader 1, XP 0/1,000
Initiative +3 Speed 2 (clumsy), fly 6 Vision Low-light Action Points 1
Hit Points 24/24 Bloodied 12 Healing Surge 6 (8/8) Second Wind Available
Armor Class 16 Fortitude 12 Reflex 16 Will 14
Strength 10 (+0) Constitution 12 (+1) Dexterity 16 (+3) Intelligence 8 (-1) Wisdom 16 (+3) Charisma 12 (+1)
Powers:
Black Claw Rake • Basic Attack
At-Will • Shadow, Weapon
Standard Action • Melee
weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: +5 vs. AC
Hit: 1d6 + 3 damage, and the target takes ongoing 2 shadow damage, or ongoing 5 shadow damage if the Shadow Raven has combat advantage against the target (save ends).
Black Claw Rake,
Flyby Attack • Leader Attack
At-Will
Standard Action

Effect: The Shadow Raven flies 6 squares and makes a Black Claw Rake attack at any point during that movement. The Shadow Raven doesn't provoke opportunity attacks when moving away from the target.
Flyby Attack,
Bane • Cleric Attack 1
Encounter • Divine, Implement
Standard Action • Ranged
10
Target: One creature
Attack: +5 vs. Will
Hit: Until the end of the Shadow Raven's next turn, the target takes a -2 penalty to attack rolls and all defenses.
Special: The Shadow Raven can not use this power when the Deck of Companions has a concordance of Unsatisfied or Angered.
Bane
Leader Feature:
Healing Caw • Leader Feature
Encounter • Divine, Healing
Minor Action • Close
burst 5
Target: One ally
Special: The Shadow Raven can use this power twice per encounter. At 16th level, the Shadow Raven can use this power three times per encounter.
Effect: The target can spend a healing surge.
Healing Caw
Stand Features:
Shadow Wing • Stand Feature
At-Will
Immediate Interrupt • Personal
Trigger:
The Shadow Raven is the target of a melee attack.
Effect: The Shadow Raven gains combat advantage against the attacker and makes a Black Claw Rake attack against the attacker. The Shadow Raven then shifts 1 square.
Special: The Shadow Raven can use this power only when the Deck of Companions has a concordance of Pleased.
Shadow Wing,
Shadow Feathers • Stand Feature
Encounter • Shadow
Minor Action
Effect:
The Shadow Raven is invisible until the end of its next turn.
Special: The Shadow Raven can use this power only when the Deck of Companions has a concordance of Satisfied or Pleased.
Shadow Feathers
Skills: Perception +8, Stealth +8
Languages: -
Equipment: -
Stand Example 2Frost Wolf, Medium shadow magical beast (Cold, stand), Unaligned, Controller 1, XP 0/1,000
Initiative +1 Speed 8 Vision Low-light Action Points 1
Hit Points 26/26 Bloodied 13 Healing Surge 6 (9/9) Second Wind Available
Armor Class 16 Fortitude 14 Reflex 12 Will 12
Strength 16 (+3) Constitution 16 (+3) Dexterity 12 (+1) Intelligence 12 (+1) Wisdom 10 (+0) Charisma 8 (-1)
Powers:
Frost Bite • Basic Attack
At-Will • Cold, Weapon
Standard Action • Melee
weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: +5 vs. AC
Hit: 1d6 damage and 3 cold damage, or 2d6 damage and 3 cold damage against a slowed target.
Frost Bite,
Ray of Frost • Wizard Attack 1
At-Will • Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action • Ranged
10
Target: One creature
Attack: +5 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d6 + 1 cold damage, and the target is slowed until the end of the Frost Wolf's next turn.
Level 21: 2d6 + 1 cold damage, and the target is slowed until the end of the Frost Wolf's next turn.
Ray of Frost,
Icy Terrain • Wizard Attack 1
Encounter • Arcane, Cold, Implement
Standard Action • Area
burst 1 within 10 squares
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: +5 vs. Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + 1 cold damage, and the target is knocked prone.
Effect: The power’s area is difficult terrain until the end of the Frost Wolf's next turn. It can end this effect as a minor action.
Special: The Shadow Raven can not use this power when the Deck of Companions has a concordance of Unsatisfied or Angered.
Icy Terrain
Controller Feature:
Howl of Imposition • Controller Feature
Encounter • Implement
Free Action
Effect:
The Frost Wolf extends the duration of an effect on an enemy that would otherwise end at the end of its current turn. The effect instead ends at the end of its next turn.
Howl of Imposition
Stand Features:
Freezing Howl • Stand Feature
At-Will • Cold
Standard Action • Close
blast 3
Target: Each creature in blast
Attack: +5 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d8 + 3 cold damage, and the target is slowed (save ends).
Special: The Frost Wolf can use this power only when the Deck of Companions has a concordance of Pleased.
Freezing Howl,
Icy Burst • Stand Feature
Encounter • Cold
Standard Action • Area
burst 1 within 5 sqaures
Target: Each creature in burst
Attack: +5 vs. Fortitude
Hit: 1d10 + 3 cold damage, and the target is slowed (save ends).
First Failed Saving Throw: The target is immobilized (save ends).
Special: The Frost Wolf can use this power only when the Deck of Companions has a concordance of Satisfied or Pleased.
Icy Burst
Skills: Athletics +8, Stealth +6
Languages: -
Equipment: -

The deck looks awesome, great idea.

As far as the pool goes I definitely think you need a shared pool of Surges.

As far as hitpoints go I would use a weighted average such as this:

Companion Starting HP % Share Damage Taken Share of Remaining Hp's
Raven 24 30% 12 17
Wolf 26 33% 18
Bear 30 38% 13 21
Total HP Pool 80 100% 55


So if you use the Raven and he takes 12 Damage, then use the Bear and he takes 13, when you pull out the Wolf he will start with only 18 hitpoints.

Thanks for the input!

I've been trying to figure out the HP situation. I like your idea, because it is very balanced. It would work really well if the PC was able to activate a stand multiple times in one encounter (which is something I need to consider). How would this affect the Healing Surge value though. Since a stand would only be taking a fraction of the damage, the amount of HP restored via Healing Surge would need to be adjusted as well. This would also have to take into account the number of stands the PC possess (which I haven't decided on a limit yet, if there will be one).

I just thought of this: Leave the Hit Points alone and each stand has their own Healing Surges. However, the amount of Healing Surges for each stand is reduced. This would encourage the PC to use multiple stands, instead of just using the Healing Surge pool for one stand. Then, restrict the number of stands that can be activated per day. Something like this:

- PC can only activate 3 stands per day (but can activate them for multiple encounters).
- Each stand has 3 healing surges.
- There can only be one activated stand at a time.
- PC can deactivate a stand once per turn as a free action.
- PC can activate a stand once per turn as a free action.
- After Initiative has been rolled (once the encounter has started), a stand that is activated rolls Initiative and acts on the following round.
- Only an activated stand can gain experience (even if the stand doesn't do anything).
- Activated stands do not split experience, but instead gain the same amount (as if they had been the only stand activated).

BTW, the lame stand names, "Shadow Raven" and "Frost Wolf", are just place holders. I will come up with better/unique names, since they would represent legendary creatures/figures.

That is SO awesome!

I was running a solo campaign a while back, which unfortunately had to end due to personal issues on my part, but I had never thought about something like this... It's definitively an awesome idea! Good job!

I don't have any concrete suggestions as of now, but I'll be keeping an eye on your work, and if I ever have something to add, I'll do it. Good luck! (:

I think the activation should be at least a minor action, it's not like the pc will be running around with a deck of cards in their hands all sorted and organized and ready to go.

Now if you were drawing a random stand, that might qualify as a free action.

Thanks! It was the Companion rules in the DMG2 that gave me the idea. Plus, anime/manga Jojo's Bizarre Adventure for calling these companions "stands". I was also thinking about adding the power for the PC to create stands (as you can see in the concordance section for the Deck) that would be similar to capturing Pokemon. The PC would challenge a legendary creature/figure and upon defeating them, transform them into a card. I like this concept, because then it would make more sense for a new stand to be similar in level to the PC if it was defeated by the PC in combat, rather than found as treasure. This would be a special combat encounter where failure to defeat the creature/figure only results in the lost chance to "capture" it and not the death of the PC. The Deck of Companions would then start as a stack of blank cards.

I was going with free actions because I thought a minor action might be taking too much away from what the PC can do in a single round. I tried to balance that by keeping the new stand from acting until the next round. I see what you are saying about the PC actually having and using the deck. I think I will change that.

To call the stand back would be a free action (the stand returns to card form and flies back into the deck). To activate a stand would be a minor action (to draw the stand from the deck and throw it to its starting location). I like the random draw as a free action.

Perhaps then the new stand would be treated as surprised or whatever that term is, thus granting combat advantage until its turn.

I don't know about having them grant combat advantage. There are too many creatures and powers that have extra oomph against opponents with CA. With the limited healing ability, or even shared pools, that can go quickly. One round of just sitting there as a damage sump.

Perhaps immobilized for the first round. It comes out ready to fight, as that is the reason it is called, but does not move as it takes a moment to assess the situation.

You are right. The Combat Advantage is too much of a disadvantage.

Maybe it would just be best to insert the new stand into the Initiative spot of the previous stand.

I think I like the idea of the stand being Dazed. I'll have to give this some more thought.

Thank you for the feedback everyone. This is really helping me out.




 

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