On the Brink of Paragon, introducing free feats and a reward system (RP Points)

Hi everyone,

Congratulations to one and all for attaining level 10. You are now poised to take on the mantle of Paragon-hood of your chosen character classes. You have earned each of these levels through blood and sweat over five months of sleepless Saturdays and your achievement has been thoroughly deserved.

I thank you for your courage and honesty in confronting the many social and moral complexities which I have woven into the world of Jord and your inspired and tenacious acting continue to make excellent role-playing the cornerstone of this campaign.

I have been mulling over and have decided to implement some new house-rules which I hope will improve the quality of your gaming experience at my table.

I will be handing out free feats-

Each character will start with free weapon expertise and free implement expertise.

At Paragon level, you will have a choice of one free defence bonus feat Iron Will, Lightning Reflexes or Great Fortitude.

As we are group-levelling, I will be awarding FUN points to players who go the extra mile to improve the gaming experience for all those on the table and actions which help me with the running of the campaign.

Fun points are acquired in the following ways. When a player reaches 10 points, he or she gets a d100roll on the fun list and gets a benefit that can be used at any time.

One Time Reward

Write up a character background and post it on this forum (Your current character). – 10 points

Buy a Player’s Handbook and read the Combat chapter and the Equipment Chapter – 10 points

Ongoing Rewards

Arrive on time to a D&D session and come prepared with character sheet, pencils, paper, books dice, power cards, etc. – 1 point

Note-taking (anyone who takes thorough notes of resources used, campaign information, compiling party treasure, etc.) – 2 points

Spend $5 on D&D/RPG products. I would like to encourage players to purchase books, gaming aids. – 1 point per $5

Bring Snack Food/Drinks for the group.– 2 points (3 for really good food)

Bringing miniatures. – 1 point/session

In addition, each player can also give out up to 2 points per session. These can be given out for good role-playing, problem solving, tactics, creativity, and for humor and fun.

As I am taking this idea whole-sale from the D&D blog, "Eye of the Beholder", I will edit these rewards to suit our needs as we go along. Below is the table of potential rewards that you can earn.


The Fun List
1 – Secret Stash- Scroll: You just happen to have the ritual scroll you need!(Your level or lower)

2 – Secret Stash Potion: You just happen to have the potion you need! (Your level or lower)

3 – Secret Stash: Adventuring Gear: You just happen to have piece of gear you need! (Any piece from table on 222)

4 – Secret Stash Alchemy: You just happen to have the alchemical item you need! (Your level or lower)

5 – Secret Stash Weapon: You just happen to have the weapon you need! (Any piece from pages 218-219)

6 – Lucky Find Ritual: Lucky you! You find a ritual book of your level or lower.

7 – Lucky Find Magic Weapon: Lucky you! You find a magic weapon of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

8 – Lucky Find Magic Armor: Lucky you, you find a magic armor of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

9 – Lucky Find Magic Implement: Lucky you! You find a magic implement of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

10 – Lucky Find Magic Arm Item: Lucky you! You find a magic item for arm slot of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

11 – Lucky Find Magic Feet Item: Lucky you! You find a magic item for feet slot of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

12 – Lucky Find Magic Hand Item: Lucky you! You find a magic item for hand slot of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

13 – Lucky Find Magic Head Item: Lucky you! You find a magic item for head slot of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

14 – Lucky Find Magic Neck Item: Lucky you! You find a magic item for neck slot of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

15 – Lucky Find Magic Ring Item: Lucky you! You find a magic item for ring slot of your level + 1d4 (or lower). Must be level 10 to use.

16 – Lucky Find: Magic Waist Item: Lucky you! You find a magic item for waist slot of your level + 1d4 (or lower).

17 – Lucky Find: Treasure: Double the amount of non-magic treasure you just found.

18 – Lucky Find: Upgrade a magic item you just received to 1 level higher. Pick a new item.

19 – A Smattering of Words: You can speak and read one language for the next day.

20 – Like the Monkey: Add +10 to an Acrobatics roll you just made.

21 – Amateur Arcanist: Add +10 to an Arcana roll you just made.

22 – What Can You Bench?: Add +10 to an Athletics roll you just made.

23 – Me? Lie?: Add +10 to an Bluff roll you just made.

24 – Half-Elf’s Tongue: Add +10 to an Diplomacy roll you just made.

25 – I Once Went to the Underdark: Add +10 to an Dungeoneering roll you just made.

26 – I Can Do This All Day: Add +10 to an Endurance roll you just made.

27 – Have You Heard of the Athalas Plant? Add +10 to an Heal roll you just made.

28 – Once Upon a Time: Add +10 to an History roll you just made.

29 – Human Lie Detector: Add +10 to an Insight roll you just made.

30 – You Lookin’ At Me?: Add +10 to an Intimidate roll you just made.

31 – Tree Hugger: Add +10 to an Nature roll you just made.

32 – How Did You Even See That?: Add +10 to an Perception roll you just made.

33 – You Haven’t Heard of that God?: Add +10 to an Religion roll you just made.

34 – Shhhhh! : Add +10 to an Stealth roll you just made.

35 – I Know a Shortcut: Add +10 to an Steetwise roll you just made.

36 – Oh, Was That Locked for a Reason? Add +10 to an Thievery roll you just made.

37 – Fortuitous Failure: Suppress a zone or conjuration for 1d6 + 1 rounds.

38 – Wise Beyond Your Years: Acquire one feat for 1 day, regardless of level or pre-reqs (DM’s discretion).

39 – I Remember How to Do That: Add +5 to one skill check you just made.

40 – Extra Batteries: Recharge a power in a magic item.

41 – Bull’s Eye: Ignore penalties to attack until the end of the encounter.

42 – Third Wind: Spend a healing surge as a free action.

43 – Second Line of Defenses: Ignore penalties to defenses until the end of the encounter.

44 – I Wear Two Suits of Armor: Gain a +2 bonus to AC until the end of the encounter.

45 – I’m Glad I Took My Vitamins: Gain a +2 bonus to Fortitude until the end of the encounter.

46 – I’m Smarter Than I Look: Gain a +2 bonus to Will until the end of the encounter.

47 – I Totally Dodged That Lightning Bolt: Gain a +2 bonus to Reflex until the end of the encounter.

48 – I Sharpened My Weapon This Morning: Gain a +2 bonus to attack and damage until the end of the encounter.

49 – Monster Repellant: Gain resistance to one damage type until the end of the encounter.

50 – Can’t Keep a Brotha’ Down Gain a +2 bonus to saving throws until the end of the encounter.

51 – These Aren’t the Droids You’re Looking For: Target creature is dominated by you until the end of its next turn.

52 – Way of the Ninja Teleport 5 squares.

53 – Way of the Blender: Keep using at-will attack powers until you miss.

54 – Use the Force: Reroll an attack roll.

55 – Energy Strike: Deal 1d6 extra damage of an energy type of your choice.

56 – Fortunate Turn of Events: Gain +2 to a roll you just made.

57 – Let Me Try That Again: Reroll any number of damage dice you just rolled.

58 – Quicker Than You! Initiative: Move to the beginning of the initiative list.

59 – Dilettante Skills: +1 to all skills for 1 day.

60 – Good Thing I Wore My Displacement Cloak: Make an enemy reroll an attack.

61 – Longer Legs: Gain a +1 bonus to speed until the end of the encounter.

62 – I Like the Look of You: One non-hostile NPC becomes a trusted friend and ally.

63 – You Lucky Devil Lucky: Reroll one die.

64 – My Arms Are Longer Than They Look: You have reach 2 and threatening reach until the end of the encounter.

65 – Tis a Flesh Wound Take half damage from weapon attacks until the end of the encounter.

66 – Limbo Expert: You do not elicit opportunity attacks until the end of the encounter.

67 – Big Feet, Big Hands: You gain a +5 bonus to bull rush and grab attacks until the end of the encounter.

68 – Oh, I Totally Saw That Coming: Your group is not surprised when it normally would be.

69 – Prophetic Insight: You know the answer to one question that can be answered with yes or no (DM's discretion)

70 – Word on the Street: Find out where something or someone is. (DM's discretion)

71 – I’m Tougher Than I Look: Gain 2 healing surges.

72 – Damn Elves: You ignore difficult terrain until the end of the encounter.

73 – Finding Nemo: You do not have to make swim checks for 1 day.

74 – Drow Eyes: You gain darkvision for 1 day.

75 – Its All in the Wrist: You gain +2 to your critical range.

76 – My Name is Enigo Montoya: You can keep fighting even while at negative hit points. You still make death saving throws.

77 – I Spent Years Building Up a Resistance to Iocain You are immune to poison effects until the end of the encounter.

78 – Dread Pirate Roberts: Push any enemy adjacent to you 1 square at the start of your turn.

79 – Only Slightly Less Known… Know all facts about enemy.

80 – I Am Not Left Handed Either: You can make one basic melee attack as a minor action each round until the end of the encounter.

81 – Copy Cat: Select and copy fun card from other PCs.

82 – Double the Fun: Roll twice on the Fun List

83 – Immunization Shots: You are immune to disease until the end of the encounter.

84 – Keep a Clear Head: You are immune to daze until the end of the encounter.

85 – Third Eye You are immune to blind until the end of the encounter.

86 – Eyes in the Back of Your Head: You cannot be flanked until the end of the encounter.

87 – I Am Wolverine! You have regeneration 5 until the end of the encounter. (10 at paragon, 15 at epic)

88 – Just Try Stopping Me: You are immune to immobilize until the end of the encounter.

89 – I Get Knocked Down, But I Get Up Again: Stand up from prone as a free action until the end of the encounter.

90 – I Shall Not Suffer Frailty: You are immune to weaken until the end of the encounter.

91 – I’m Too Fast For You: You are immune to slow until the end of the encounter.

92 – Focus, Just Focus You are immune to stun until the end of the encounter.

93 – Hulk Out: You are immune to restrain until the end of the encounter.

94 – Your Cheap Tricks Won’t Work on Me: You are immune to dominate until the end of the encounter.

95 – I’m Not Done Yet: Recharge an encounter attack power.

96 – Take That—Again! Recharge a daily attack power.

97 – I’m Full of Useful Tricks Recharge a utility power.

98 – Look What a Good Night’s Rest Can Do Gain extra hit points for the day equal to your healing surge value.

99 – Undaunted You ignore fear effects until the end of the encounter.

100 – You Win D&D: Succeed at anything (DM’s discretion)

It is now my life's goal to get as many rolls as possible, until I roll an 80.

Zakmonster wrote:It is now my life's goal to get as many rolls as possible, until I roll an 80.

This effect will proc when you duel the Dread Pirate Robots.

Thanks for running! I think it's a great idea with the fun points/ die rolls, and the free feats are always sweet!

Quick question - regarding the freebie defense feat: are we allowed to select Paragon Defenses (PHB 2, +1 to all non-armor defenses) - or its updated Essentials version, Improved Defenses (+1/ tier to all non-armor defenses) - instead?

(I'm planning to get Great Fortitude, just asking out of curiosity.)

Cheers and thanks again!

shao wrote:Thanks for running! I think it's a great idea with the fun points/ die rolls, and the free feats are always sweet!

Quick question - regarding the freebie defense feat: are we allowed to select Paragon Defenses (PHB 2, +1 to all non-armor defenses) - or its updated Essentials version, Improved Defenses (+1/ tier to all non-armor defenses) - instead?

(I'm planning to get Great Fortitude, just asking out of curiosity.)

Cheers and thanks again!

If it is the updated essentials version, then at Paragon it will give us +2 to all NADs, essentially becoming an auto-pick for everyone - which I don't think is what Raihan intended. I guess it's a way to make our characters relatively proficient at a particular defense. In my case, I'm inclined towards Lightning Reflexes because it makes sense "fluffwise". I like the idea of being able to cinematically describe Luvelle jumping around and matrix-dodging flying fireballs and the like.

Im hoping to roll a 75 :)

Aye, I see. I want to roll a 53 :-P

53 – Way of the Blender: Keep using at-will attack powers until you miss.

whoop-ass!

man, board is blowing up with story because of yo fun points.

josh wrote:man, board is blowing up with story because of yo fun points.

that's what happens when we play next to a multi-story car park!

Hello,

This is my suggestion for a Paragon Path quest for Axel, who's planning to become an Adroit Explorer.

I thought it would be good to have him find a mentor, another big brother figure of sorts, to help teach him to be a hero. However, I don't think this guy should be an alpha male warrior sort - that won't work out too well.

As I've been playing Axel as being very doubtful and introspective for the past couple of sessions, I think it's better if he meets somebody is an elder mentor figure, and yet is also somebody whom Axel can and wants to help, and learn what it means to be a hero.

(An aside: I've been thinking also about what Axel really believes in, and I think he has been a bit too harsh on Eberk and Cassius, and their dreams and goals. It's probably just influenced by the feelings of distrust and disappointment, fostered by the recent divisive sentiments and scenes.. It won't make sense for Axel to become some paragon of decisive action, if he spends all his time being the voice of caution and doubt...)

Thus, I think it would be good for Axel to meet somebody from a normal background, who is very old and appears feeble, yet who believes in something with all his might and tries to accomplish it, despite the opposition from nature, culture, or whatever; somebody who appears foolish as he strives futilely, yet is noble and dignified in his impossible struggle.

I'm thinking an old man - let's call him Ernesto - who is a farmer of some sorts, whose ancestors (in the days before the planet was taken over by Slaanesh) used to be hydroponic farmers. He's a religious and stoic man; he's a widower whose wife and children have died, leaving him in this world with only Gracia, his 13-year old grand-daughter, for company.

(Oh, and did I mention the both of them are suffering from radiation sickness, and without treatment, they will probably be dying in a few years? They don't know it as 'radiation sickness', but it just really hurts their bones and often weakens them.)

Ernesto has inherited some ancient damaged devices that he tries to fix - he has managed to jury-rig some devices that can extract a bit of water to help him do some agriculture - and that means he can actually make a lot of money from selling his food, but he doesn't want to just live out his days in relative comfort while the rest of the world burns. He just wants to grow enough food to feed as many people as he can.

Ernesto has also inherited some ancient maps that he can't really read, but he thinks it leads to a promised land. (It actually leads to an undiscovered nuclear raid shelter, which was never opened. The bunker contains - among other things - food, blankets, medicines, a power generator, and a water purifier.

(The medical facility inside may be able to help the two with their disease; Ernesto doesn't know that, but he has faith and hope. But of course, there's also only one dose of medicine left...)

But then, bandits want to take everything away from Ernesto. These raiders have been tormenting him for a long time now; they stole his cattle and produce, and kidnapped wife and his daughters for their pleasure. When he went with his sons and sons-in-law to get them back, they killed the younger men, raped the women and sold them off to bordellos, and left him alive to mock him.

Ernesto has wanted to take revenge, but knows he will probably die, and that would leave the girl all alone in the world. He has instead swallowed his pride and channeled his energy into providing a better life for his grand-daughter, and he knows he's sick and feels his time is coming soon, so he's working like crazy for his dream, before he runs out of time.

The bandits notice his frenetic behavior, and thinks he's up to something and the vultures, hungry for profit, start to send people to see what he's trying to do; they know the old man can do things they can't with machines. They have also noticed Gracia has become a young woman, and so it's time to take her too.

So, into this scenario, Axel the cowboy wanders into town. He is trained in Arcana (which can help Ernesto fix up the machines); he can create ice, light, and heat at will (which can help out with the farms), and he is trained in Athletics (he can do heavy lifting, farm work, digging, etc). Thanks to the Reading Spectacles, Axel also can read ancient scripts, and help to decipher the old maps. And yes, Axel can try to fight the bandits off, too.

Then we'll have to cross mutant-infested wastelands to find the bunker, which has been occupied by zombie nazis or something, for our quest yada yada. Haha! What do you guys think?

shao wrote:
(Oh, and did I mention the both of them are suffering from radiation sickness, and without treatment, they will probably be dying in a few years? They don't know it as 'radiation sickness', but it just really hurts their bones and often weakens them.)


(The medical facility inside may be able to help the two with their disease; Ernesto doesn't know that, but he has faith and hope. But of course, there's also only one dose of medicine left...)

Axel has no Endurance trained, so he may very well get Radiation Sickness too, if that would help this story :-P

Just... 1 ... dose...!!!