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Karadryel Profile
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Registered: 03-2005
Location: In Search of the Lost Recipe
Posts: 16
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Changing with the Changling


I'm not sure such a complecated changing table is needed for the changing. If the changling changes straight after combat he has plenty of time to gain a successful change.
Even if the first time is a fail he can try again as he walks down a corridor or the party can sit tight for a turn if necessary. As long as he is smart about changing the modifiers about sacrificing movement will never aply anyway I think a simple D6 roll could cover it sufficiently.
Then again the table isnt really hampering anything I just thought it might be simpler.

One other thing I think the changeling should be able to change into spellcasters just be unable to use any spellcasting ability they have.

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Thyrael, Halfling Thief: Slayer of Beasts, Stealer of Gold, Owner of the largest Lunchbox in all the Moot and Leader of the Toughest group of Adventurers to venture into a Dungeon!
10/Jun/2006, 8:42 am Link to this post Send Email to Karadryel   Send PM to Karadryel
 
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Registered: 04-2006
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Re: Changing with the Changling


I finally got around to noticing this reply. Sorry, it took so long. I give you my reasons for why I chose the 2d6 table method, for why I felt the need of the penalty was needed, but not too great a penalty, and for why I felt it best not to let him be able to cast any spells.

Note: I hope we are able to continue the OW Lab game by another means, if Webquest is not re-opened for play.

Thank you Karadryel for your comments. Again, I may seem to be arguing against them, but this is my way of reasoning things out and even considering the possibility of changing the Changling (no pun intended LOL). This is the beginning stages of my process in weighing the pros and cons, and hopefully giving you a chance to respond with any counter-reasoning.

The Changling's movement penalty I feel is necessary as part of the graduated possible bad consequences of using his skill. Thanks to your comments, I am considering making the change attempt roll to be done before any movement for the turn. This way the Barely Changed result would for sure take away his movement for the turn in addition to the no attacking penalty. This may also help to simplify his movement usage.

As for changing right after combat, many times his turn will come later in the party and he will many times have at least one turn after each combat in which he moves and acts without being in a monster form. If he then fails to make the change in the very next turn, he will be at a disadvantage for at least two power phases/event phases in a row, which increases the chance of an event a little bit. And, just like trying to protect a weaker member of the party or a wounded wizard, the party always has the option of just staying put and not moving while trying to heal their wounds. But, this requires cooperation and patience, which I see so little among parties these days. For instance, the OW Lab game could have waited to heal up, but the leader decided to rush into the objective room. It was a very good thing they didn't get some of the tougher monsters they could have gotten (in thanks partly to my wimpier BL 1, first adventure Monster Tables).

I feel that the Changling does need the possibility of failing to change form, thus increasing the possibility that the party will be attacked, especially by an ambushing group of monsters, while he is yet in his weaker normal form. A one-in -six chance of an event each turn is notorious for bringing monsters at times when the party becomes over-confident. Thus I believe that this seemingly "slight" possibility is a constant incentive for the Changling to attempt to transform into a monster form that would anticipate the worst possible scenario.

Also, I think this adds some depth to the Changling's choices. He must try to think ahead. He may also be faced with the possibility that he has taken a less desireable form than he would have chosen, had he known beforehand what type of monsters would have appeared. This makes him have to think harder at times about which form he will try to take. If he takes a form before monsters are on the board, then he has a negative modifier (-1) to his roll to change into another monster form during the combat. This was by design so that he could end up suffering (kinda like the Barbarian's bad berserk roll of a 1) or have to be content with the form he had already taken.

With these things in mind, I didn't want the -1 modifer (as mentioned above) to make as great a difference as it would if only using a 1D6 roll. Also, The +1 for a Power roll of 6 and -1 for a power roll of 1 I thought needed to have a 2D6 roll for the same reason -- a smaller effect than on a 1D6. I felt that this represents the slight effect the winds of magic might have upon this magical creature.

As for being able to cast spells, my main reason in practical play for forbidding the transfromation into a spell caster was to keep the Changling from becoming too powerful. If I were to allow it, I would feel it necessary to greatly limit his spell-casting abilities, because the monster spells were designed to be in balance with a four warrior party as the possible enemies. If the same detrimental spells were allowed with their current strength to apply to all the Changling's enemies, I believe that he could damage them far too much (in general).

Fluff-wise, I do not see a magical being of his type using his raw magical energies to do anything much more metaphysical than to change his form. That being said, I did give him some skills (at level up times) as magical abilities that he might be able to use for the times when he had either chosen not to transform, while waiting first to see what type of enemies he might be up against, or had failed to transform.

Spell-casting (for now): I will give it more thought, but I am afraid that I would make him even more complicated to prevent him from becoming way too over-powered. Just imagine what he would be like for one combat per adventure becoming a Lord of Change, or a high level dragon (if and when he receives the Large Monster and Greater Deemon skills) with powerful magic in addition to very powerful and plentiful attacks. If I allowed the use of spells, I am afraid I would have to give him some sort of possibility of critical failures and somewhat harmful failures as a balance.

EDIT (8-30-06): I just noticed that I misread Karadryel's statement about spellcasters.... I feel silly, but of course my wife says I am silly. Anyway, maybe being able to transform into a spell caster without the spell-casting ability would be good. You might notice for instance that I already had made that concession when allowing the Changeling to become a Vampire or a Lord of Change (Greater Daemon), but I left out the magic spell special rules (CHoas Magic and Necromancer magic) in his Transformation Catalog.

Last edited by OldWarrior, 30/Aug/2006, 11:45 pm


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Old Warrior

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4/Aug/2006, 8:02 pm Link to this post Send Email to OldWarrior   Send PM to OldWarrior Blog
 
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Registered: 04-2006
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Re: Changing with the Changling


Karadryel, please note my recent "EDIT" to the last reply. I am so sorry for reading what you wrote too quickly. I sometimes miss things like that.

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Old Warrior

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30/Aug/2006, 11:45 pm Link to this post Send Email to OldWarrior   Send PM to OldWarrior Blog
 
Karadryel Profile
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Registered: 03-2005
Location: In Search of the Lost Recipe
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Re: Changing with the Changling


Ack! Necromancy this thread is back from the dead!

I just wanted to check have you modified the changeling at all since this time? I just found the old rules I had printed out and wanted to know if any more playtesting had caused you to rethink the rules.

Plus I kind of like the Changling, I might even use one some day if I ever get bored of the Halfling.

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Thyrael, Halfling Thief: Slayer of Beasts, Stealer of Gold, Owner of the largest Lunchbox in all the Moot and Leader of the Toughest group of Adventurers to venture into a Dungeon!
22/Sep/2009, 8:58 pm Link to this post Send Email to Karadryel   Send PM to Karadryel
 
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Registered: 04-2006
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Re: Changing with the Changling


I am still trying to get time to re-think/rework the Changeling. Otherwise, he would probably already officially be available as a ready-made Warrior in the games I GM. emoticon (edited this sentence)

The Changeling's rules are very complicated. I need to simplify them if possible -- along with some of my other creations.

We still have Zurt in the OW Lab game I think. However, that game has stalemated. I need to go check and see who has been missing for too long. lol

I did make one minor adjustment: I now allow the Changeling to use a magical weapon that he might be carrying IF the monster form he changes into has the Magic Weapon special rule.

Last edited by OldWarrior, 25/Sep/2009, 2:21 pm


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Old Warrior

Check out Bible Notes
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God bless you, everyone!
22/Sep/2009, 10:44 pm Link to this post Send Email to OldWarrior   Send PM to OldWarrior Blog
 
Karadryel Profile
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Registered: 03-2005
Location: In Search of the Lost Recipe
Posts: 16
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Re: Changing with the Changling


OK then so basicly the same but not for long.

I'll read over the rules again if I get a chance this weekend, see if I can add some constructive critisism.



---
Thyrael, Halfling Thief: Slayer of Beasts, Stealer of Gold, Owner of the largest Lunchbox in all the Moot and Leader of the Toughest group of Adventurers to venture into a Dungeon!
23/Sep/2009, 4:05 am Link to this post Send Email to Karadryel   Send PM to Karadryel
 
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Registered: 04-2006
Location: USA, Western hemisphere, earth
Posts: 5730
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Re: Changing with the Changling


quote:

Karadryel wrote:

OK then so basicly the same but not for long.

I'll read over the rules again if I get a chance this weekend, see if I can add some constructive critisism.




Sounds good. Suggestions are almost always helpful. Even if I seem to reject them it makes me think more (maybe that is dangerous though emoticon).

---
Old Warrior

Check out Bible Notes
It is one of my favorite places on the Internet.
God bless you, everyone!
24/Sep/2009, 12:16 pm Link to this post Send Email to OldWarrior   Send PM to OldWarrior Blog
 


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