New Skill: Inspiring Shout

mlangsdorf · 08-11-2009, 09:45 AM

Cid SilverWing suggested something like this in my DF game last night. Conceptually, it's sort of an inverse of the Kiai skill: the character shouts, and an allies gets a minor bonus for a short period. It's useful for modeling inspiring leaders of all types.

Here is my current concept for the skill, along with some justifications:

Inspiring Shout
HT/Hard*
Defaults: None
Prerequisites: 2 of Bard Song +1, Born War Leader +1, Born War Leader +4, Charisma +1, or Higher Purpose**

You can channel your conviction outward in a mighty shout that inspires an ally. This takes a Concentrate maneuver and costs 1 FP per attempt, successful or not.

Choose an ally within your line of sight. Roll your skill, with the normal range penalty if he is not adjacent. If you succeed, you ally gets +1 to attack and damage rolls for Margin of Success seconds, minimum 1.***

For 2 FP, you may make a Rallying Cry instead. Roll your skill at -3, with the normal range penalties if your ally isn't adjacent. If you succeed, you may treat your roll as a Resistance roll for any Affliction, Stun condition, or spell effect he is currently affected by. This can be used to dispel ongoing effects! ****

This skill only works against a single ally: everyone can hear the shout, but your focus is only on the one ally. However, a successful Inspiring Shout roll gives you +2 to Leadership for everyone in earshot for the next 10 seconds. A successful Rallying Cry gives +4!*****

The talent bonus for Born War Leader applies to this skill. The penalty for Social interaction disadvantages, including Callous, Clueless, Low Empathy, and Shy, also applies.**

Notes
* The intent was to make this a useful but not overpowering skill for martial types, so HT makes more sense than IQ as a base. Also, it's directly based on Kiai, which is HT based.
** The mess of prerequisites is so that in Dungeon Fantasy, Bards, Holy Warriors, and Knights can take it. The skill bonus allows Knights to be relatively good at it, so that "tactical commander" type Knights have another trick in their bag. Voice and Charisma don't give a bonus so that Bards don't rule this particular niche.
*** The bonus is minor, but real. I couldn't think of an appropriate Quick Contest, so MoS seconds seemed like a good yardstick.
**** Rallying Cry lets the character sacrifice a lot of FP and an action to bring an ally back into the fight. It's not guaranteed, though, but it seemed fair.
***** This is similar but inverse to the Kiai ability to Intimidate all opponents in earshot.

demonsbane · 08-12-2009, 06:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mlangsdorf

Here is my current concept for the skill, along with some justifications: (...) ***** This is similar but inverse to the Kiai ability to Intimidate all opponents in earshot.

Hey, a short PDF with the rules and setups you're developing since the start of The Westmarch Saga Dungeon Fantasy campaign would be nice... You know, I picked your Ettin for kmunoz ICFTF and I'm sure there's more good & shareable GM stuff. Specially due the lack published GM and dungeon stuff to the date.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Turhan's Bey Company

in Dungeon Fantasy: Clerics. And then what?
So far, the DF series has been very, very heavy on material for building PCs, but exceptionally light on material with which to stock dungeons for them to explore (most notably monsters, but also treasure and traps). One hopes that'll change.

08-11-2009, 09:45 AM	#1
mlangsdorf Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: Austin, TX	New Skill: Inspiring Shout Cid SilverWing suggested something like this in my DF game last night. Conceptually, it's sort of an inverse of the Kiai skill: the character shouts, and an allies gets a minor bonus for a short period. It's useful for modeling inspiring leaders of all types. Here is my current concept for the skill, along with some justifications: Inspiring Shout HT/Hard* Defaults: None Prerequisites: 2 of Bard Song +1, Born War Leader +1, Born War Leader +4, Charisma +1, or Higher Purpose You can channel your conviction outward in a mighty shout that inspires an ally. This takes a Concentrate maneuver and costs 1 FP per attempt, successful or not. Choose an ally within your line of sight. Roll your skill, with the normal range penalty if he is not adjacent. If you succeed, you ally gets +1 to attack and damage rolls for Margin of Success seconds, minimum 1.* For 2 FP, you may make a Rallying Cry instead. Roll your skill at -3, with the normal range penalties if your ally isn't adjacent. If you succeed, you may treat your roll as a Resistance roll for any Affliction, Stun condition, or spell effect he is currently affected by. This can be used to dispel ongoing effects! ** This skill only works against a single ally: everyone can hear the shout, but your focus is only on the one ally. However, a successful Inspiring Shout roll gives you +2 to Leadership for everyone in earshot for the next 10 seconds. A successful Rallying Cry gives +4!* The talent bonus for Born War Leader applies to this skill. The penalty for Social interaction disadvantages, including Callous, Clueless, Low Empathy, and Shy, also applies. Notes * The intent was to make this a useful but not overpowering skill for martial types, so HT makes more sense than IQ as a base. Also, it's directly based on Kiai, which is HT based. The mess of prerequisites is so that in Dungeon Fantasy, Bards, Holy Warriors, and Knights can take it. The skill bonus allows Knights to be relatively good at it, so that "tactical commander" type Knights have another trick in their bag. Voice and Charisma don't give a bonus so that Bards don't rule this particular niche. * The bonus is minor, but real. I couldn't think of an appropriate Quick Contest, so MoS seconds seemed like a good yardstick. ** Rallying Cry lets the character sacrifice a lot of FP and an action to bring an ally back into the fight. It's not guaranteed, though, but it seemed fair. *** This is similar but inverse to the Kiai ability to Intimidate all opponents in earshot.