Idea for a paladin advanced move inspired by 40k. Feedback appreciated.
Iron Halo
When you wade into battle, trusting in the power of your God to protect you from harm, roll +CHA.
✴On a 10+: Projectiles curve and distort their path around you, narrowly missing on every shot.
✴On a 7-9: As a 10+, but only for the very next attack.
GM doesn’t roll to attack.
Hmm. I might make this hold.
Adam Goldberg
I know… So fictionally the GM will describe the archers firing / projectiles missing and warping and that is that. This would be opposed to stuff like:
GM: As you charge forward the goblin archers unleash a torrent of arrows in your direction, what do you do?
Paladin: I lift up my shield and power through them.
GM: Alright roll Defy Danger etc, etc.
With Iron Halo:
GM: As you charge forward the goblin archers unleash a torrent of arrows in your direction. As you fearlessly stride through, the arrows miraculously fail to find their mark. You are right there in front of the goblins and they have no idea what is going on.
Paladin: Time to fuck some Goblins up!
Does that make sense?
How about something like this:
When you boldly stride into battle, head held high, heedless of the slings and arrows of your enemies, roll +CHA
10+ Hold 3
7-9 Hold 1
Your god protects you from arrows, javelins, and other such missiles, with a tangible shield of faith. While you have hold remaining you are protected from ‘incidental’ fire, at the GM’s discretion.
Spend your hold to negate a ranged attack directed at you (either prevent the damage, or automatically succeed at a defy danger roll)
Cowardly actions (such as trying to fight at range) cause you to lose all remaining hold, otherwise it lasts until the end of the battle, or until it is spent.
A good GM is, of course, going to follow the fiction. But I wonder if having everyone know the Paladin is completely impervious to projectiles will cause a bit of unintentional metagaming.
Maybe giving hold and allowing the Paladin player to spent it whenever they want after the fact will prevent that.
Edit: I like Jason Dyer’s immune from incidental fire suggestion.
Changing it to a hold move it good. Agreed! Jason, that format looks slick I will go with that as a shell with some mostly minor changes.
Appreciate the help guys.
Here is what I went with based on your guy’s feedback:
https://www.dropbox.com/s/wkij8y66rjwuy0l/PaladinHack.pdf?dl=0
Anthony Giovannetti
Well done.
You might want to specifiy that it works against 1 “volley” of ranged attacks. Otherwise 4 Gnolls can each shoot at you and you still take damage from 1 of them.
Good point Tim!