Active and passive abilities

[MadMickyG]

Played a quest today with my kids.

One of them commented on the physical skills of the other, which is class based (the way I do it anyway)

Was just wondering if creating Active and Passive skill cards would be something people would be interested in.

Each physical card would "cost" body points to obtain, to a total of your maximum. Active skills are once/quest and Passive can be used each round or are constant throughout quest.

Could do abilities based on Mind point too.

I am talking about things like the Leap ability, Counter Strike (the ability, not the game ) and such, that are set for each type.
Would also make soloing interesting as you would not be sharing out the abilities.

Anyway, would be interested in what people think.

Nothing created yet, but may do some mocks up at some point.

[Patroclus]

Ideas of skills and abilities are always good, but if you make a powerful passive ability you should add a chance that something bad happens or else your hero will do it all the time.

I want to say that if you put 1 skill token (one per quest), or 3 skill tokens, you are safe even with overpowered abilities because your hero won’t use it very often. But if you give him a passive strike he will do it all the time, so I’ll suggest you to make an intelligent check (roll as many dices as his mind) and if gets one white shield he can do it or else he will take -1 body or -1 mind, for example, or lose his turn, etc.

[Daedalus]

As your kids already have the basics of the game down, I'm sure they'd love the extra perks of abilities. The cost idea is good, but I don't think it's wise to dig too deeply into their stats. If you want to make them a bit more accessible, you could make the cost dependent on a die roll after the ability is used. For example, a Leap card could be used to avoid a trap tile. The trap is automatically avoided, but a combat die is rolled. If a skull is rolled, a Body Point is lost. This is similar to triggering the trap, but the trap may still be removed as it wasn't sprung. Running the ability a bit differently, a leap could be used to pass over a figure, but rolling a skull on one combat die results in a lost Body Point.

[mitchiemasha]

I always intended on writing a quest pack that started of as vanilla but expanded. New rules are brought in as the form of abilities a Hero can pick after each quest survived and spending the right gold on training. It's a good idea for not over powering people with so many rules but keeping the game interesting as it evolves.

Specials abilities like Berserker, Follow Through, MAM, Exchange, Push Back, Leap, Counter Attack, Sneak, Dual Wield, Stand Fast.

Abilities can also be locked with certain equipment and or improved via such. It's good to give each Monster type it's own ability too.

Goblin - Move Attack Move - Small fast slippery lil’ buggers, so much fun with this ability.
Orc - NEEDED -
Fimir - Dual Wield - Tail & Axe, 2 Attacks.
Skeleton - Diagonal Attack - Scythe, large weapon with reach
Zombie - Horde - A threat in numbers, +1 AD for every Zombie adjacent and diagonal of attacking Zombie.
Mummy - NEEDED -
Warrior - Stand Fast - If no movement 2 Attacks.
Gargoyle - Dual wield - Carrying 2 weapons, 2 Attacks
- Diagonal Attack - Whip. (Possibly even add in extra square front and sides reach)

[Maike05]

Hi MadMickyG,

I would be interested to read your rules if you create something. I think using Body point and Mind point as cost for ability is a great idea. I think it would work well with an advancement system where you gain +1 attribute point (ATK, DEF, BP, MP) when you gain a level. These point are then spent into abilities, know what I mean?

[Saiyaforthelight]

I've just about finished an advancement system where I allow heroes to upgrade 2 passive skills (extra BP, extra melee attack etc.) 4 skills which are one use per quest and a utility ability (like extra move etc.) so I'd be interested to see how this pans out.