Early on in my 4e campaign, I wanted to experiment with odd powers and temporary change-ups in character stats. I was a little more adventurous in the general area of kitbashing in the first year of the campaign’s run, when only one or two players were using DDI heavily. As DDI usage increased, it became a real headache to remember to modify character sheets each time they were printed, so I focused more of my writing time on exciting encounters with interesting terrain features, and on creative re-skins.
One of those temporary change-ups was a bar brawl. Obviously it doesn’t make sense to use swords and big fire spells in a bar brawl – it would be just totally out of theme. I wanted the PCs to beat on their enemies, not murder them. So the PCs were going along in the scene, the dwarf got in a good dig on the dwarves of the enemy clan, and they started a brawl. The PCs were not expecting me to whip out replacement power sheets that I had created some time earlier, and the whole effort was worth it for the surprise. They seemed to really like the fact that I’d written up new pages of powers themed on their characters, with a strong emphasis on the zany and on terrain interaction.
The first of these is Norman Flynn, a dwarf barbarian of Clan Silvershield. Clan Magmarn was his hated enemy. The party’s early purpose was to travel from place to place selling Wilhelm family beer, and Stands-in-Fire had named several different brews that the family produced (this comes up in the powers). Norman was the bodyguard and porter for the party’s nobleman, and he usually had a pony keg strapped to his back.
Damage on these powers was deliberately tuned to be lower-than-normal for 5th level PCs, though I did include striker-style damage kickers for the party’s strikers. NPCs also did less damage than normal, and also had larger-than-normal hit point pools. The fight never really got grindy because the PCs had all-new powers and a sense of play in the whole scene. If I had it to do over again, I’d add in probably one more at-will, encounter, and utility per character. Because the PCs would lose the power sheets completely at the end of this fight, I only gave them one Daily power each.
Without further ado, Norman Flynn. I’ll post the rest of the characters over the next few days. (Yes, this is filler while I try to keep up with DtD writing.)
At-Will Attacks
Shin Kick Barbarian Attack 1
This is what steel-toed boots were made for.
At-will
Standard Action Melee 1
Target: One creature
Attack: +8 vs AC
Hit: 1d6 + Str damage, and the target is slowed until the end of your next turn.
Head Butt Barbarian Attack 1
Of course you should use your head in a fight.
At-will
Standard Action Melee 1
Target: One creature
Attack: +6 vs Fortitude
Hit: 2d6 + Str damage, and the target is dazed until the end of your next turn.
Effect: You take 1d6 damage.
Encounter Attacks
Vicious Barrage Barbarian Attack 1
This attack leaves no part of the enemy uninjured.
Encounter
Standard Action Melee 1
Target: One creature
Attack: Str + 2 vs AC
Hit: 3d6 + Str damage, and the target is stunned until the end of your next turn.
Upend Barbarian Attack 3
No real berserker would let furniture get in his way.
Encounter
Standard Action Special
Target: Enemies adjacent to table
Attack: Str + 2 vs Reflex
Hit: 1d6 + Str damage to all targets.
Effect: Set up total cover between yourself and any one target. This cover is stationary.
Daily Attacks
Punch Drunk Barbarian Attack 1
“Hammered” is such a multi-purpose term.
Daily
Standard Action Melee 1
Target: One creature
Attack: Str + 2 vs AC
Hit: 3d6 + Str damage.
Miss: Half damage.
Effect: Use this attack only while bloodied. You gain a +3 bonus to melee damage until the end of the encounter.
Utility Powers
Drink the Pain Away
Alcohol: cause of and solution to all of life’s problems.
Encounter
Minor Action
Effect: Upon finishing your beer, you gain +2 Fortitude until the end of the encounter.
Special: If the beer you just finished is Orcus Imperial Stout, gain Resist 5 Damage until the end of your next turn.
If the beer you just finished is Demogorgon Pale Ale, gain 2d6 temporary hit points.
No Hate Like Dwarf-Hate
Those bastard Magmarns made me spill my drink! I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch!
At-Will
Minor Action
Effect: By recalling your personal and familial grievances against Clan Magmarn, you can choose the nearest member of Clan Magmarn for violent reprisal. Deal +1d6 damage to that target until the end of the encounter or until you choose another target with this power.
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