#Prototype Pattern Groups
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I guess it can immediately capitalize on Start/End of round stuff like reinforcements
If lancer used rolled initiative I think it would be more useful, or at least more potent
It's kind of why I didn't bother to salvage it for the rebake tbh
The nhp copilot one :)
Oh no that npc can cascade now
Wait wrong reply
Or at least it crops in a way that makes it look like I'm calling it broken to give a veteran an nhp that doesn't do anything
Oh yeah that one. I have a funni if a little scuffed idea for reworking that one.
let me guess cause i was thinking of one as I typed that
Is the answer is make a new template
instead of just giving a generic nhp you pick a specific one to grant the npc
player systems are absolutely not made for npc mechs like that but it's funny to imagine just tossing one on like that
while making bespoke conversions for each one sounds like a lot for a single veteran trait
the way I'd see it is basically "you get an extra turn round 1 but for the rest of the encounter you're effectively locked to going last"
go my sisyphus scout
cause at any given point that enemy will have taken 1 turn more than they would have if they were just locked to last
until the final round
which i guess makes it turn neutral in the long run but I like the way having a fixed activation time interfaces with how i plan my turns
Oh god this could be hilariously scuffed.
what was your idea then
Something similar but I handmake each profile of NHP that could be assigned to the Veteran instead.
Not really PC NHPs but NPC renditions of PC NHPs
but a iconoclast template that grants something that scales off of nhps like the unstable nhp, 1 nhp trait per tier, and has some inbuilt way for the party to destroy one of the target's npcs to weaken whatever trait scales off of it... maybe cooking
I did consider this but just having it the same is funnier
True
and I'm not actually sure what I would do different for most of them
Why not just make a new template?
For the optionals I mean
except maybe Sisyphus sounds pretty unfun
Sekhmet NHP on a Berserker NPC, truly the big brain.
that's just a regular blackbeard
Exactly
anomaly operative veteran with sisyphus
it's just a pegasus
okay it's not an nhp but now I'm imagining giving a mobile turrets engineer an annihilation nexus. that's fucked up.
anyway back to viper's speed
I think the worst veteran traits are the ones that just kind of do nothing at all
Probably best to continue that talk in #homebrew-design since this IS Valk's thread.
viper's speed every round is at least memorable
Yeah so let’s maybe bring this back around to how this interacts with PPG
yeah okay lol
But yeah how it interacts with PPG
god the firefly drone is fucked up
Does Viper's Speed the actual one like do anything special for any of the NPCs here?
it seems like if you home brew it, the current draft of napalm firefly can abuse it
i mean
if the party starts on a tiny point and you put a viper's speed napalm in range
you can hit them with the line before they get a chance to disperse
Compare to a Bombard
Viper's Speed Napalm is terrifying if the players have a small Deploy zone and/or start too close to each other.
you can do that with a bombard too
round 1 turn 1 AOE artillery is always gonna be goofy
yeah i'm just spitballing lol
but like, round 1 turn 1 is all it is
Napalm will potentially slow though
I'd say same threat level but the Napalm is far more threatening because Burn.
Burn is Burn.
Aside from that though, I don't see any of the other NPCs benefiting from Viper's Speed.
Mesmerist maybe AOE taunting
Maybe, but at least that thing needs to setup first so it ain't that scuffed.
though really in any of these cases going second really is not a huge difference
prism does but mesmerist just goes in
it's not like every party has a Zealot immediately charging everyone forward
I don't even know if anything comparable exists on player side
oh yeah and another thing i want to say about the napalm
i get that it comes with the territory of using max optionals
but i was getting a lot of sequences like
use catapult -> ask for agi save on targets who were hit to slow/shred -> ask for another agi save for anyone in range of the firefly drone -> ask anyone hit by that explosion but not by the catapult for an agi save to slow/shred
and then also informing the people initially hit that they have +1 difficulty on engineering saves and can't clear heat until the end of their next turn
ended up with turns with a ton of steps for what was ultimately barrageslop
i could see lowering the burn profiles a bit and making the slow saveless, but that might be too strong with something like a hellfire projector
Yeah I don’t know. I do agree that there’s a lot of dice rolls when this thing barrages
It’s on my mind too
I could see an argument for rolling adhesive gel into the Salamander itself even
I'm not quite sure what you mean by this given adhesive gel is a base trait already
oh wait, you mean the catapult
sorry, got my fiery names mixed up
so make the gel component a product of the cannon itself, yeah, I can see that
Also as someone who made similar localizing changes to the bombard and cluster munitions so as not to have it proc off ravager turret etc, I very much agree with "this would be cleaner to simply not worry about how it intersects with Hellfire Projectors"
Woe be upon yeh, Smart Seeking Adhesive Gel Hellfire Projector.
Max Payne
So it's incredibly WIP but I've started doing this, I just need to make an LCP for it and refine it a tad more :P
Also something funny i noticed
PPG NPCs aren't caps locked.
See: Occultist/Anchor
I’ve been making changes to do the same for Core NPCs, and dustgrave/SSMR and the like are already following that pattern
It was part of an effort I made on the official lancer data to decapitalize everything and let the system handling the data decide upon how to style it
Third party isn’t beholden to that though, so there may be holdovers
That said, if there’s third party folks who wanna decapitalize their LCPs, I know a few scripts that can do so quickly
I think for a while I suspected Napalm and Mesmerist to be lowkey overtuned tbh
Just having doubts about the rest of the cast now lol
2 napalms tonight 👀
Optionals?
I can hand you a couple theoretical tweaks to try
First being “Adhesive Gel and Corrosive Gel modify the STC only”
In ggolden flame act 1 spoilers. It's a Lancer enhanced combat breach and clear with a napalm in quadrant 2 and 3
Sitrep is in low gravity, they have incindiary grenades and Long burn catalyst
I originally had only incidiary grenades but as it's low gravity they will be avoided by a boost so I gave them a second optional
Vaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaalk
Idea
What if Longg burn catalyst was tied to Adhesive gel?
So if you're under the effect of adhesive gel you also suffer Long burn catalyst to prevent 2 saves on hit
Long burn doesn’t require a save at the moment?
Ah I see
Oopsy
I see engineering savea nd think "ah yeah it needs to make an engineerigng save"
Also, second idea:
- firefly drone: remove burn damage, have it tick 1 heat at end of a hostile character’s turn, and when it explodes it inflicts lock on and save vs immobilized
Have it grow in size over time still (burst 1 to start, +1 at end of round to max of 3)
Definitely lock adhesive gel to STC then, please
Ah so, if they run into an incindiary it doesn't slow them
Oki doki boss
So question
When burnt by the STC or when hit by the STC?
On hit
This is relevant for the sake of a Ghengis
Wait no
On hit yes
because it clears when you lose burn
Fuuuuuuuckin Genghis
I was gonna say I'm scared Long burn catalyst is gonna be spicy
But they consumed hardly any resources last combat so uuuh
Skill issue
Also 3 zealots
:)
It's fine I said in the mission briefing "expect a higher than average amount of burn, and veterans specced into veterancy engineering for clearing burn"
Eagerly awaiting melting my players
Also happy to use my token >:D
Yeah that’s a good one
I think my brain is currently very helldivers coded rn because these guys to me scream those massive long range acid spitters
It’s a good vibe
StarCraft Roaches
Gotta get to work but I hope everything goes well, Al!
Yee
OH shucks I hadn't read the 1.9 change
3 heat at all tiers 💀
THis MFer must be a prioirity target
Mmmm well I hope there’s other priority targets to diffuse that aggression
If they focus fire it honestly fair
Yeah it’s fair, I’m just concerned about “the witch/leech effect”
“It’s okay that it’s overtuned because players annihilate it”
It has better durability than them tho
The issue isn’t the survival, it’s the behavior warp
AND it's also spawning very close to the PCs so :P
Oh nerf it’s Eva to ⅞/9 and hp to 13/16/19
Last time I ran a rebake spite it was very gnarly but I think it was very much an outlier
I'm curious how this will fair
On it boss
HP won't be relevant as this is high end Tier 1 but evasion will be
Wasn’t the Mesmerist under tuned for a while?
It was fragile but the Jammed was kinda spiky because of course it was
And the heat scaling on its stuff was nastier in higher tiers
But yeah players hate being jammed in this objective-oriented game, apparently
Well, most objectives don't actually give you anything to do with your actions other than shoot people, so
Yours are outliers (and better for it imo)
I kinda like the idea of memetic magnetism refreshing on overwatch
Thinking about yeeting a Kensei at an LL0 party
Unsure if that's a good idea
but it would be funny
It’ll probably go over better than a Demolisher, assuming they’re brand spanking new to the game
They're not
But putting a little ppg in wallflower seems like a fun idea
And turning the ronin into kensei could be A Choice
Interesting hm
Nice
Lemme know how it fares on the PC side of things too
It’d be neat if it’s not busted and I could field them as an allied NPC Buddy
Player feedback: Napalm were cool, but didn't scan... Their sticky flames were good but the players didn't feel their effects because they just kept missing, they hit 2 attacks, one was on a ghengis so just increased heat.
Long burn catalyst didn't become relevant because by the time it was in the danger zone it kept missing and the sitrep was basically over (as it required 3 turns of being on the field to keep enter the danger zone and attack in the danger zone). Especially when 1 full action was throwing the grenades
The grenades felt like potent tools but felt kidna naff as the players all just succeeded their saves and didn't take anything, for a full action they can just succeed and take nothing
My party evasion is: 6 (Ghengis), 8 Raleigh (the only character I hit), 12 (Goblin melee variant), 12 Amber phantom and invisible and 18 Orchis.
The orchis is saying the Napalms sound oppressive and bad but they weren't cos they kept missing so honestly I'm disregarding it. My players are saying I had low rolls but like... That's innate difficulty weapon... So I honestly think it was average
"On average they'll target two people, so that's 10 burn and 6 heat per turn"
I then decided to turn this around and compare it to a bombard which can achieve similar numbers. This player then turned it around and said they felt fine and on par with a bombard, the heat is gnarly but they like it
3 Zealots: When there are 2 of them on the map at once they sure do have overlapping areas which are gnarly, It's difficult to read the map as it is visual clutter. If I rolled better and kept getting the charge ability back they would have been bad. Everyone within range 5 moving is a MASSIVE action economy swing. They spend 1 quick action to move a LOT of people, whereas a Zealot can fuck over all the party positioning. This CAN fuck over the whole PC team, if the team had more long range this could fuck them over (I need to clarify what they mean by this), the party don't mind the enemies being close range. But the movement feels very ludicrous...
In the end the players don't feel bad. They feel good and it can be seen how they're strong but they weren't
They could counter other parties but this party was fine
“This sounds dangerous if it got to do anything” aka my first experience with the Anchor in a nutshell lol. Could be a case of requiring more teamwork in the NPC comp+strats, that’s what I struggled with with making the Anchor effective
Particularly with Impairing or Spotting in the Napalm’s case
(For me with the Anchor I needed to field more long range enemies and position the Anchor better)
I think again I wasn't playing them aggressive enough, I played it pushing ofrwards and keeping allies in range wehre it should move forwards and keep going forwards until enemies can push into the range next turn.
I personally felt it didn't have much to do when it wasn't recharged, it has low sensors so can't easily invade if enemies are far, nor can it lock on. It kinda just twiddles it's thumbs if no one is in range 5 (it could boost maybe)?
Lock on would have been nice but honestly my action economy was so full on other characters turns everyone was doing anything unless I fucked it
Alternatively pair it with a Priest lol
Boosting to reposition the aura sounds valid, it’s got speed 5 after all
On its own Anchor just shoves people yeah
But yeah like, if the goblin Raleigh or Orchis get hit once by the STC, what’s the issue I suppose
I appreciate all the feedback Al
How did the Napalm feel survivability-wise? I know Heat Haze didn’t come up
Zealot too for that matter
I have a heat haze idea as well
Uh, fine? I think, my players are top end of tier 1 so damage is quite high for the tier. They can kill anything in a round if they put their mind to it. One napalm however never got attacked
Also very CQB vanguard party so they wouldn't have cared about soft cover
Duat zealot... Was fine too, it was 4th gated and the bennies are amazing yet the positioning is less likely to be good for your allies
It would be godly if it recharged it's charge but it didn't, but it did boost a revolver shot from 5 damage to 5 kinetic 1 burn which killed a 6 hp hornet
Oh zealot too on durability... Inconclusive, not targeted to much but when focus fired it crumbled
Got it, the case where it’s most likely to “go wrong” is when it’s getting chipped at instead
sigh alright so @muted blaze , if I ditched the +2 speed from FanCharge and made it either Recharge 6 (again?) or Limited 1, would that be more sensible
I'm uncertain, I never recharged it lol
Like, it's best comparison I think is commanders lead the charge or mirages glitch sensors
I think I included the +2 speed so that Demos and Pyros could get in on the fun but I’m rethinking that at the moment
Glitch sensors is 2 targets in LOS, and range 15 5 tiles, compared to move +2 speed within range 5 once every 3 rounds
Pyros are slow as shit and can hardly keep up with the +2 speed but a cataract can zoom across the map. Then they don't benefit from the over shield
Honestly the numbers check out, I'd say don't change it and await further feedback
My issue is the zealot felt like I didn't know what to do when it wasn't charged
It's a support/striker but honestly to me it feels like it's just only support
This isn't a bad thing
Yeah you mentioned on two occasions now that it was unsure where to stand
Had an idea but it's a logistical nightmare
To cap a cataphract running 10 tiles, allies must end in the area zealots area?
But reducing the # of affected allies on Fan Charge and killing Recharge
So it’s 1/2/3 allies targeted
Make it like, speed or half speed and move 2 people? Maybe?
2/3/4?
But then I think it'll just become the "fast as fuck zooming about the map support" :P
Gotta be careful of glitch scanners there
I think that's cool but it'll clash with it's identity imo
Like surpassing it I mean
Range 5 compared to range 15 and a reaction tho :P
Blip is the reaction, regular glitch is a qa for 2 buddies
But you’re right on range
Being a meaningful part of power budget I mean
It also would drastically change the identity of a zealot IMO
How so
What a zealot wants to do is move forwards and get stuck in... If it isn't stuck in it can have an identity crisis as it's also a good area denial and holder of points around allies. Because armoured peeps might not want to enter the radius
If it can do movement every round I just imagine it will end up like a mirage but it just sprints around the whole map with it's buddies
To me it feels like it's meant to push somewhere and hold it, it has good push options but lacks hold options IMO
Well, outside of zeal which is a protocol so hardly eats it's action economy
If that makes sense
Lacking hold options is the goal tbf
Like... Considering the options and recharge I think more data should be required before further changes to zealots charge
It could just be a skill issue on my behalf
Its goal if anything is to get a buddy who can anchor up on the objective
And then scare armoured foes away from it
Nah it’s been eating at me too
Plus like, what’s the situation where you actually wanna run that many NPCs at once
Like all up on the point
Zealot is already 1 of your 6, the artillery and controllers will appreciate the positioning but don’t really wanna stand up front
That leaves the defender and the striker
Unless you’re packing Grunts
My elite assault got fucking deleted before it could abuse the zealot 💀
And there was too much LOS blocking terrain to abuse an archer too
Until they one cycled the archer
It never activated...
I think too, I assume all of zealots abilities require LOS right? Like an ally can be in sensors but they only move from charge if they're in LOS, an ally can only have ap and knockback if the target is in LOS to the zealot, the zealot only gains over shield if ally in LOS etc
I think my map might have had fucked it too
Cos there was a size 1 catwalk which consistently fucked with LOS
😔
Someone needed to play test these maps before they were played, they're kinda ass /j
Which is exposed and not in cover
Oh yeah also the zealot kinda crumbled because it and all it's allies got smacked by a bombard reserve for 14 damage lmao
There were 3 so that anomaly was hardly taken into account
The “all my allies got smashed” part is the big thing here imo
It was a big effect into the sitrep but honestly didn't influence my play test data too much lol
So here’s my thought
- Change FanCharge to 1/2/3 allies, remove Recharge, let the zealot and allies move flat 5 spaces “freely” and get some OS
- ditch the OS from Zeal as a result
The os deffo played a nice spot, small enough it wasn't significant but not oppressive. Then again if I popped charge again...
The problem I have with the concept of that it takes away the big push aspect of the ability and makes it feel like "you, move"
Honestly why does it scale with tier? Why not just 2 across all tiers
2 and then self right? Enough to get a cataphract and a berserker through the line or move an assault and an archer
Honestly, zealot felt very close to being a good spot just needs more play test data... Idk if drastic changes are wise or not because it'll mean the scales are always go wonky one way rather than another instead of stabilising out
Zealot’s been a wonky space ever since I created it
I want it to feel like it’s consistently doing something
Mmm fair
fuck lol the entire fuckin' Napalm kit is likely to get a rework at this point
can't say it didn't have it coming though
how many times can you do "this does burn... in an area!!" before it gets old
@muted blaze I'm thinking I'm gonna remove the Danger Zone requirement from Long-Burn, and add it to Skyburner on the Ultra trait
I like the idea of the Napalm ramping up over time but currently this ain't it
So in concept I think it's a neat ability tied to danger zone
But npcs vary wildly in heat gain, and like... They're capped at 3 heat per turn or 1d6+3 if they have limitless which varies wildly
If it was removed from the danger zone it would be too powerful so yeah moving it to ultra trait feels good
Eeeh, honestly like... The napalm felt very solid
I hope it doesn't get a major overhaul at least with what I played... Yeah it could hit for shit but my players very agi pilled. I think the only glaring issue is the grenades being a full action limited 1 which do nothing on a successful save... Compared to rebake pyros auras or hives that just work without saves
Otherwise they felt quite solid in identity
And imo only 3 traits are "this area is on fire!!" And they're drastically different in effect
Not in identity
I think a DPS with a super heavy is bizarre. Because it wants to be using it's big gun as much as possible, so any time it isn't using big gun it needs to feel worth it
And I assume it wants an identity outside of "not a bombard, it clearly just does burn and heat instead"
Feedback Napalm Adhesive Gel 12 Bogs down everything the Napalm does that applies Burn
Feedback Zealot Fanatical Charge 17 Unsure what to do when Fanatical Charge is on recharge
Balance Napalm Heat Haze 12 Only comes up around Round 3 of survival
Balance Napalm Incendiary Grenades 12 Okay but players just succeeded on their saves and didn't take any effect
Balance Napalm Long-Burn Catalyst 12 Did nothing until round 3, and by then the game was over
Balance Napalm Firefly Drone 12 too easy to just combo into more damage, boring
Balance Napalm Salamander Thermobaric Catapult 12 Players find the heat scary
Grenades, I'm thinking of ditching the saves altogether and maybe shift the damage to "end of turn" instead of "start"
I think that's neat
In effect it's a better hive drone, but it cannot move and it lasts until the end of the combat
Honestly... It could still be start if I spell it like that??? But then is that too good?
Zealot fanatical chargge thing, I think I could chalk down to as well "I need to push with them more" and it could easily be a hostile comp issue
"Or move into in the first time in a round"
What if you made FanCharge a full action? Cause I feel like even with the other nerfs, not being Recharge is still scary
And idk, even with just the basic actions I always felt like Zealot had plenty to do. Kinda wish Firelight Nexus did a little more but that’s about it, I still used it with the last Zealot I ran to end Swallowtail invis
Zeal makes it prioritize positioning above all else so I tended to use any spare actions it had on Boosting or Hiding, occasionally Locking On perhaps
Salamander Thermobaric Catapult
Superheavy Cannon, Arcing, Ordnance, 3 Heat (Self), +2/+4/+6, +1 Difficulty
[Range 15][Line 5][3 Heat + 5/7/9 Burn]
This weapon attacks by drawing its LINE in any direction from a point within its RANGE. It calculates cover and line of sight from the chosen point.
Targets who take Burn from this weapon must pass an AGILITY save or be SLOWED until they clear Burn.
HEAT HAZE Trait
The Napalm has soft cover against characters in the DANGER ZONE.
INSULATED Trait
The Napalm has IMMUNITY to Burn.
Adhesive Gel is out, merged with the STC. Insulated is in
Heat Haze now triggers off of opponents in the Danger Zone
Fanatical Charge
System, Overshield, Shield, Quick Tech
The Zealot and up to one ally within ZEAL’s area gain OVERSHIELD 2/3/4 and may move up to 5 spaces as a reaction, ignoring difficult terrain, engagement, and reactions.
Thinking for Firefly Drone:
- Burst 2 area inflicts 1 Heat/round and prevents drawing line of sight outside
- On explosion, instead of causing burn/heat, inflict Lock On + Save vs. Immobilized
I would say instead of Immobilized it is Shredded but with this the Napalm is shaping up to be this Artillery/Controller hybrid that cracks PC movement while they are burning or in danger zone.
Which is dangerous combination if left alive.
I already have a Shredded effect on Corrosive Gel, so having it on the drone may be redundant
I'm imagining a literal goopy firefly-like drone that explodes in glow-in-the-dark goop
Immobilized would be good then
Question for valk: what do you envision the Napalm in an idealized sort of "quintessential self"
like, boiling the Napalm down into an elevator pitch, what's your goal with it aside from "burn-dealing artillery"
Yeah that helps immensely with designing abilities for them.
Since each of the CRB NPCs at least give you an idea at what they are particularly best at.
You could always make it a flat number
and then it's like everybody's moving in formation together
I think my idealized Napalm (At least at one point) was a half-artillery, half-controller who controls access to the map through burn and fire themed areas of effect. Which is probably why the original set of optionals had two “difficult terrain burn zones”. It’s less explosive, more damage and debuff over time. The “Wall of Fire” to Bombard’s Fireball, if you will
Less spike damage, more dots and lingering effects I suppose
Gaming benefits against people in the danger zone is nice
I'm personally not a fan of this... The concept of "I don't know what to do if no one is in range feedback" I gave is sounding more and more to me like a skill issue on my behalf, demolishers and pyros have the same option of they have little optionals and no one is approaching their point... I liked the concept of the zealot being a big team pushes, the concept of being a ferry to only one guy every round doesn't feel right. I prefer how it once was or as a squared suggested a full action could work quite well
I get it, but part of design is bridging the gap between the designer and the end user. If you had a “skill issue”, that means there’s SOMETHING I can improve
The big team push thing may be better as an optional even
I don't totally agree with that, if I push an artillery too far forward, don't play a vanguard in a point and use it to push or generally misplay an NPC comp I wouldn't say that's the issue of the NPC comp
Yeah I guess I can get behind that. Turn it into a recharge ability and up the number of peeps it effects
Of course, but I can take efforts to bridge the gap and make the intentions clearer, or at least put something in the tactics. Something to get me down from my Ivory Tower of game design
In any case, this is all provisional still. If anyone wants to try this variant of Zealot in the meantime and report back, be my guest
It’s basically just that change and removing the OS from Zeal
I think the strongest elements of it, at least in my own personal view (to be clear) are the baseline elements of the Catapult in conjunction with the potential Slowed effect
Like, the core of it (long range burn with potential CC) seems like a solid foundation
I will say: given the catapult has Arcing, the text about "It calculates cover and line of sight from the chosen point" seems at least semi-redundant because it ignores LoS requirements anyway
I think, and this is just off-the-cuff unsolicited type advice, you could probably drop that whole thing since Line 5 within Range 15 means you can probably position it such that it can get around most forms of directional cover anyway and it already ignores LoS by default
(and STRICTLY speaking you could also drop the text about how the line is positioned since, even though the CRB never weighs in on it, that's how Range X Line Y would work anyway)
If I had to say, the thing that it kind of makes me think of in terms of, like, "what is this looking like it wants to be in the ballpark in" is actually the Barricade
Incendiary Grenade feels like something that ties into that, though some of the other optionals feel a bit less focused BUT that's "focused" from my own personal take on NPC design, which isn't necessarily a universal constant
THe extra wording isn't redundant
It's meant to be phrasing it akin to how blast works with arcing and range
As RAW, a range 15 line 5 calculates cover FROM the origin of the character rahter than where the line starts
Like here, the napalm, attacks furnace and moves the line right, Furnace and can opener should be in no cover and maid should be out of LOS. Wheras with default RAW and no flavour text all of them are targetable but all in hard cover
Okay I can see what you're saying, though I kind of think at that point I might almost just say "give it seeking then and call it a day"
between the range and the vector targeting AND everything else it feels like the one case it's not avoiding at that point is soft cover
Really? Isn’t the point of origin of an AOE pattern where cover is drawn from?
What makes Blast be excepted from that and not Lines/cones?
technically the CRB doesn't mention it for lines and cones because nothing really works that way
Does the CRB mention it for blasts? I need to go back and check
nothing in first party lancer has Range X + Cone/Line Y until basically the MBT's cannister projector gun
and yeah it mentions it explicitly for blasts
Oh huh it does. Funky.
I'm sort of approaching this from the context of the earlier feedback regarding the Napalm, about how there's a lot of "overhead" going into its primary gameplan, AoE attack rolls, then AoE save rolls, then people needing to make burn checks, etc, so there's a lot of stuff going on just in regards to a straightforward barrage, so I'm wondering if simplifying the attack engagement method might also help with that rather than the GM feeling like they need to finesse the targeting line on top of it
Seeking is kind of a brute-force tag, but it's also going on a weapon with fairly significant to-hit penalties baked in by default
I don't see it as a problem, I don't think it should have seeking. I used one yesterday and it was relevant. Yes a bombard or ace can ignore most cover but it depends how efficient or where the center is placed. It gets more complicated when trying to target multiple people in an area as that's when cover will be most relevant... And a line is much more limiting than a blast. Additionally characters with defensive solutions such as house guard or combined arms... Seeking would just brute force it in a way that makes it uninteresting (which is what I think about seeking honestly)
I don't see napalm any more complicated than a rebake bombard with alternate firing modes tbh
In fact I'd say they have the same overhead
The Attack -> Save -> Burn Check does seem like a lot tho
yeah I don't think THAT component of it is a problem
Fair- an efficient Bombard will get similar results with Earthshaker Shells
The big overhead is really stemming from stuff like the Firefly Drone explosion that could deal burn > trigger another save vs slow, on top of the first attack that would burn and trigger a save as well
I think looking at it like it’s a damaging barricade is a reasonable take! I can get that and would be happy to lean on it, as frankly I do think the base kit is solid as-is
I do include the “draw line in any direction” rules mostly out of safety; yes it makes sense that that’s how it works, but I have the page real estate and don’t wanna make a FAQ entry for it in case folks misunderstand
yeah that's fine, to be VERY clear this is ultimately your project and how you feel like designing/writing stuff should be the priority
and yeah, I think the base of the Salamander + slow effect is a good one for a burn based artillery controller
I’m gonna keep Arcing over Seeking since it’s more evocative of what the fiction is, though. Plus I have some alt rules for seeking that make it more distinct from arcing, and I’d prefer this have arcing in those use cases
ah right you do have those alt rules, I keep forgetting
I’ll be real, it’s mostly because “oh, it’s lobbing shit over” and what have you
but yeah, I think the core of the NPC is imo in a good spot in terms of "what does this do," it's basically a less spike damage but more control oriented bombard-style artillery
so my BROAD suggestion would be looking at leaning into the countermobility element more
I might even suggest moving the Incendiary Grenades to a Recharge 6+ with a "only two patches can be out at a time, if you place more the old ones disappear" clause
I have flip flopped between Limited 1 and Recharge so many times on Napalm’s optionals lol
But yeah I get you
I like limited 1 on the fire grenades
So, I recently consolidated Anchor's Null-Grav field into one big zone, and I'm considering doing the same for the Incendiary Grenade (esp if I go the Recharge route)
any thoughts/feelings about the Blast 1 size of the Incendiary Grenades?
the big diff between the Nades and Null Grav is that difficult terrain will properly tax movement through the area, while zero-g's "Slowed" could potentially be circumvented by just Boost up -> walking through it -> finishing boost once outside
That said, I have become increasingly aware of my distaste for things that place more than 1 zone on the board at once, for overhead purposes
same
I think that "place multiple zones" is something that works best if its a central component of the NPC, like a lurker's shrouds
"make a blast 2 area of difficult terrain that can also deal burn" seems like a good consolidation, it will cover less effective area at once but it's also less stuff on the board at once
Yeah, between this, Null-Grav, and the potential Fanatical Charge change, I’m starting to lean into a “less is more” approach here
IMO a blast 2 area of difficult terrainn feels MASSIVE
Like that can be living hell for any frame, especially a size 2+ frame to move through
mm. Whitewash in comparison is at-will Blast 1 difficult terrain
and Barricade has Seismic Repulsor at Burst 3 around a Size 2
it is in CRB! not Kai's rebake though
Who tf allowed that 💀
IG the other comparison would be Hunger pursuit limpets too
Them things a size 4 area
yeah, admittedly smaller
yeah hunger/pursuit is a size 4 area which is extremely large
........ you know
That also slows on a save
I think it may be time to lean in on the lines
Turn the greande into a line 5 area of difficult terrain!??!?!?! /j
I will say, having seen similar things in homebrew before, difficult terrain on a line can be a little awkward- yeah for that reason
difficult terrain works best when there isn't as easy a way to bypass it
a line of terrain is a thing anyone can just jump over
I've tried it on an old version of Long-Burn Catalyst, and it just. Yeah no
this is also why I think the CRB seeder's tripwires is kind of a bum deal
and why burst 1 mines are just a better implementation in general
I went from "line 5" to "line 5 and all adjacent spaces" and then back to "okay that was frightening, Line 5" before I finally changed Long-burn outright
maybe a cone instead then tbh
imagining a big ol "splortch" forward as it shatters across the ground
Is the problem that there are too many blast 1 AOE ongoing effects NPCs have access to or that there is too many ongoing AOE effects NPCs have access to in general?
I think the grenades can be forgiven because they're somewhat fire and forget. They're not tied to any turn order, initiative or vanish on life. When they exist they stay
The issue is:
- Placing too small an area of Difficult Terrain
- Placing too many areas at once
that's true too though
I'm wary of a Javelin Missiles or Manifest False Idols scenario
I guess I would flip it around: I don't think there's a "problem" with multiple blast 1 AoEs but my question would be, what are you hoping to get out of it versus a single large area?
faster placement, better "oomf" if it's perceived that the blast 1s don't do much
the one upside is multiple simultaneous area coverage in exchange for less overall effect at covering any one area UNLESS you place both AoEs in proximity in which case you've basically made one large area with extra steps
yeah, I'm half-wondering if that "combine the zones" situation is happening since that's what happened with Anchor's optional
and worse, if the "combine the zones" is some secret optimal strat
Blast 1 isn't BAD, I use a lot of Blast 1 stuff, that's razor swarms and skyhammer salvos and napalm bombs etc, but A). most of that stuff isn't limited 1/recharge 6+ and B). difficult terrain, specifically, likes having larger area to be more of an impactful effect
I'll leave the 'nades be for now, it's feeling like I've got a solution in search of a problem
2 Grenades will be godly on your objective based control
That's actually the thing: While yes I'm definitely making my NPCs for myself to use, I also know that I'm one helluva outlier
Real
Alright, Firefly take:
Firefly Drone
System, Drone, Limited 1, Quick Action
Firefly Drone (Size 1/2, HP 5/8/10, Evasion 10,
E-Defense 10, Tags: Drone)
This drone can be deployed or moved to a space within SENSORS and line of sight, creating a Burst 2 area. Hostile characters at least partially within the area cannot draw line of sight outside of the area and take 1 Heat if they end their turn inside it. The drone explodes and is destroyed if it is targeted by an effect that deals any Burn; characters in its area gain LOCK ON and must pass an AGILITY save or become IMMOBILIZED.
Goal here for Firefly is to be a light control tool that can be shuffled about, but can eventually be cashed in to stick enemies in a favorable position to be shot (lock on + not moving due to immobilized)
I don't think I need it to be an AOE burn explosion anymore
So it makes total sense and from a design perspective is cool
However, it feels not like a napalms ability
Aight, what would a Napalm’s drone do in your estimation then?
Giving it a think
Part of me is thinking it wouldn't have one but that's boring... Something like a hive drone... Or reverse hive drone... A flaming bouncing betty that just keeps shitting out a burning aura
SOmething like a remote hardlight shield that is actively detrimental to go into?
Random ideas being spat out
Characters in the area are slowed, if targetted by burn it explodes dealing burn to the area... OR???? potentially all attacks that inflict burn have accuracy against targets in the area?
But that's taking too much influence from the bombards drone
I honestly see the napalm as a burn oriented, more controller focused bombard. So when I think of abilities my mind drifts towards bombard abilities
What it is to me, is Napalm in my mind is burn and heat oriented, low accuracy and slows down movement with sticky flame effects. So when it throws out lock on it makes me feel like a similar (but not extreme) scenario of "why does the scourer/cataphract throw out Jammed in this optional?"
IMO, Immobilization + Lock On seems contrary to the Napalm’s theme- which sounds weird but hear me out
"Whenever a character in the area takes heat, they take +1 heat" Rnadom ass idea
… you know I was thinking about it because I had a whole explanation but the reality is “Slow feels more on brand for coating people in adhesive gel and granting Lock On doesn’t feel like the Napalm’s thing because it doesn’t feel like setting people on fire is supposed to expose weaknesses”, which now that I think about it is kinda a bogus hill to die on
It was one of those things that made sense until I put it to pen
IMO- I liked when it dealt burn because it specifically hooked into Adhesive Gel, so that’s my take.
But after reflecting on it that doesn’t really seem like a good reason against this draft so that’s not good criticism
I’m gonna step off this hill
Campaign I said I was gonna run later is finally happening
I’ll let you know how my usage of reflavored knights, napalm, mesmerists, go
I was debating trying out more but I also want to have like faction setups… so idk
Considering the Napalm seems to be literally something that keeps yeeting burning tar/napalm at characters until they get bogged down and slowed to the point they are being swallowed by lava.
The STC already has the Burn and potential Slowed aspect so that is a homage to its identity.
The Firefly Drone's initial effect is good, but I'd bump it up to 2 Heat because that gain only appears when they End their Turn inside or partially inside so that can be easily managed.
For the effect upon destruction via Burn?
I say completely axe that.
Instead have the drone be a turret instead.
HP 3/4/5, ARMOR 1, HEATCAP 4, EVA 8, E-DEF 6, SIZE 1
EFFECT: As a Quick Action, the Napalm deploys the Firefly Drone Turret in a Free Space within Sensors. This drone turret has a smaller version of the Salamander Thermobaric Catapult. As a Free Action at any point of the Napalm's turn, this drone can fire at targets within Range 5, dealing 2/3/4 Burn upon hit and the Save or be Slowed.```
Also keeping the burst 2 area thing.
Okay hang on
I just added a “you can move this with a quick action”
What if it left a line of fire behind itself
Its not clean but you probably get the idea I am shilling.
I can see what you mean yeah
Instead of having it be a burna bomb, you can have it be a turret that essentially is a weaker burn but the same slowing identity of the Napalm.
It would still have the aura of heat that makes standing near the thing feel like you are in an oven.
This would turn the Napalm into an Artillery moonlighting as a Controller while keeping its identity I feel.
The Heatcap was an afterthought, ignore that part.
What do ya think?
For reference the reflavor is like Balor-esc effects
Knight is already pretty on flavor with its lock-on shredding weapon, and the napalm is easy enough with burn.. slow effects I think
I can’t think of why they wouldn’t but: these work fine with rebake npcs and or possibly other homebrew npcs (second one is more vague tbf but, planning on using enhanced combat npcs mostly)
I really like that, but as a super heavy artillery, every time it doesn't use a full action barrage whatever other action it uses MUST make up for it, if it's using a quick every turn it's not attacking
What if when attacked the firefly drone extends the attack by line 5 originating from itself????
Alongside other bonuses ofc
Was considering a Protocol to shift it around
That'd be neat...
Goopy fire snail drone
This is what the firefly drone looks like, it leaves a slime trail behind it
Lava Snail
Firefly Drone (trail version)
System, Drone, Limited 1, Quick Action
Firefly Drone (Size 1/2, HP 5/8/10, Evasion 10,
E-Defense 10, Tags: Drone)
This drone can be deployed to a space within SENSORS and line of sight, where it constantly hovers 5 spaces above the ground. As a protocol, the Napalm may move the drone up to 5 spaces in straight line; the spaces below this path are set on fire and become difficult terrain until the start of the Napalm’s turn or until extinguished. Characters that end their turn within the area or move into one for the first time in a round take 2 Heat and 2/3/4 Burn.
Set "on fire" currently uses the same language/statline as Incendiary Grenade so IDK if I'm being original enough there (only difference is it lasts until the start of the Napalm's turn instead of end of scene like 'nades)
Basically a drone that can fire-strafe, maybe it could be instantaneous, idk. I just know I'm not in a rush to trigger Saves on a protocol. Maybe ping for 2 Burn instead
feeling a little embarrassed about all my uncertainty around Napalm lol
This thing seems pretty good to me. Clear ways to go around it.
Its a fire trap from one of them puzzle platformer games. XD
eh I mean that's how it goes sometimes
Awesome callsigns
I think the protocol effect should also happen when you deploy it, a destructible positional hazard like this wants an immediate effect.
Politely, I disagree, it already prevents LoS
Doesn't look like the Trail version has the LoS cancelling effect so it should be fine-ish
The fact it flies is a neat gimmick- rare for drones and makes it an easy ranged target but a big melee and possibly CQB hinderance
Lacking a destruction gimmick I do worry about it’s lack of bulk and delayed effect
I think the intent with it is that you have to choose between actually spending a quick action to get rid of it, or keep that action to help in getting rid of its parent.
“Upon deployment or as a protocol” there fixed
Frankly more concerned at this point about whether the line actually does anything
with a duration like that, that's a valid concern yeah
The napalm doesn't really have a competing protocol so. I think you just put the line down to block a choke and have it go back and forth
A question about the Torrent, when it mentions 'must always inflict knockback', does this ignore traits such as Heavy Frame or systems that resist knockback?
Check the FAQ in the PDF; it’s as TheWaterDragonfr says
if I wanted it to ignore Heavy Frame, I’d either say “Torrent counts as Size X for knockback” or something more specific to bypass Sunzi’s Anchor
torrents in a escort.... good for making the objective significantly harder?
with knockback and or prone to slow the advance for the cart
possibly with like, difficult terrain stuff?
Probably yeah, especially if you’re using the “must start adjacent” RAW escort rules
@vagrant grotto for the kensei btw: how does the charged saber profile interact with overwatch? My understanding is:
If it sheathes on round 1, it cannot overwatch with the charged profile on that round
on round 2, on its turn, and after that, it can use the charged profile
is that correct?
"during it's turn, it may attack using the charged profile if this weapon has been sheathed since the start of the Kensei's turn"
So you're right on the "no OW on round 1", but it's also "no overwatch ever" because of the "during it's turn" bit
If you attack with it with OW and you don’t meet the requirements, you have to use the normal mode
Basically using OW is forfeiting your QA investment in Mass Driver Sheathe in favor of damage right the fuck now
Me earlier this week: “hm maybe I’ll run another playtest”
Silksong comes out
Me now: “what’s a playtest, anyway see you all in a month”
I love sitting and waiting an hour and a half so steam can accept my money
By the time I'll get to silksong, those issues will be long gone
Gotta survive my jam project first and play hollow knight second
YOU’LL HAVE TO SEE ME FIRST! disappears into the nest
We’ve lost ASquared, everyone. I suppose it shouldn’t be surprising haha
Curious... I think I just realised a side effect of the zealot
They're more vulnerable to AOEs
This the perpetual issue with Aura effects yeah; the benefit gained from the aura has to be worth the risk of clumping up
Well I realised across two missions I accidentally clumped my team up to get smacked with a fat aoe twice
Combats*
Daisy Cutter? Or
Line 10 plasma thrower and blast 2 bombard reserve
I honestly thought i was just stupid and did it twice by accident but then I wouldn't have positioned people like that if they didn't have to stay within blast 5 of eachother
It's just an observation, I like it. AOEs on player sides aren't too frequent and can be easy to ignore so rewarding them is nice
Yeah no I’m here for it
There’s a lot of “single target” focus in Assailant builds so rewarding a Howitzer or RPG is great in my book
It is impossible to balance around Daisy Cutter in a vacuum
I simply accept this and move on
And thank RA that I’m not designing PC options
I played with your stuff today; (rebake npcs+ enhanced combat escort)
veteran torrents, mirages, mesmerists, napalms, supports
And 1 executioner near the end
Mirage + veteran torrents was nasty..
Then again, I think my players misplayed a lot with it? They kinda just… shot it a lot and missed it, in a messy difficult terrain balk. idk it was odd
Torrent quite fun though, I like the flowing.. part!
Difficult terrain spam is a bit rough but it was a swamp, so it was by design
Encounter was somewhat flawed due to my design failures
Elite Napaln… was a lot of heat, then again my party kinda hasn’t really dealt with heat much, eh.
I haven’t really done much tech attack heat stuff in the past? Hm
I don’t think I ever got much uh aoe lime hits, maybe 1-2
I feel like I’m weirdly lucky with npc hit rates? It hit a lot of attacks ngl..
Party was a Nelson
Uh there is some structural party flaws with its initial party design a couple sessions ago, but idk if that would have changed this particular mission a lot
"party was a nelson"
Just the one? No wonder they struggled /j
- Did the players win?
- Did the players enjoy the challenge?
Also, what tier, and which version number of PPG?
What’s an executioner?
I forgoh
Also a White witch, Drake, and deaths head
It was late
-
Yes, but… I think they wouldn’t have won if I had done the equivalent of a “power at a cost” thing on the final turn.
Although I feel like some of that is poor coordination with the payload? Hm -
They had fun
Enhanced combat npc (enhanced combat is good)
Basically a controller with a focus on grappling
When they are in control of a grapple (they have bonuses to doing so) they have a aura of slow, hard cover and It has a superheavy it can use against grappled enemies, that does half their max hp (AP)
Level 3, but the supports were T2
Okay good on the last part at least; if they instead won but felt the PPG NPCs were bullshit then that would be a loss for me haha
Honestly it’s kinda weird
They kinda… got stuck shooting a bunch of attacks at a invisible regenerating torrent (mirage yippie)
Admittedly, in hindsight they didn’t even need to because they had like ferrous lash and stuff
So, I blame people not remembering their stuff super well as well
It was kinda wasteful of them? I feel
Admittedly, the torrent standing on the cart did seem kinda
Pretty hard to deal with if they didn’t have a solution to it
So much so I decided to move it off the cart after a round or two
Oh actually that is like one thing I will note: it seemed really hard to actually have any way to get the torrent off the cart? (Which it was overlapping)
Admittedly they did, (atleast theoretically, they forgot) but it’s very possible at like LL3 they don’t? Hm
Especially since like ram and stuff wouldn’t work with the difficult terrain the roil torrent added
If I had to say anything else, the napalms heat felt a bit much, but.. I’d assume mostly because my party isn’t that reactor conscience… hm the elite might have been a thing as well…
In hindsight the players should have considered grappling or certain ..1 of them had.. or just not miss from invisible 4head
Players really dug the knight and focused the two I put out at LL0 one didn’t even get to do anything as the chomo player wanted that one dead after seeing the first one able to mess with two players at once, ghost and knight don’t work super well together but I love using the ghost to save important characters
My players hated rescind from the Brigand template (this is positive feedback)
Excellent
It was the most "what the fuck" moment ive gotten from my players in a while
I put it on an elite hornet and he just dumped a bunch of fucked up brigand techs on them and left
As long as it was a good “what the fuck” hahahaha
I mean, players. They get annoyed when they get crit by npcs that dont do anything on crit
I had a good time, they swore a blood oath, they won the combat pretty smoothly on the numbers but complained they were gonna lose the whole time
You know the gig
So a Sekhmet player is rethinking their entire build because it made them get into a fistfight with a veteran anomaly Berzerker
Anomaly: walking environmental hazard
Sekhmet is a risk like that yeah
this is the price one pays for 1 extra Skirmish per turn
Yes the Sekhmet walked into lava and had fight worthy of khorne's approvap
Unfortunately the veteran berserker popped parting gift and said bet
CASTIGATE
Well it wasn't really a castigate, the sucker had 5 health left on second structure
But the spirit was there, self destruct went brr
Sitrep ended there and then
But for future reference
Question: if an anomaly with walking environmental hazard gets destroyed
Do any effects persist
Or do they immediately all end
they end immediately because they transform from Mech to Wreck
Goliath stops being a Guardian if it dies
....goliath still supplies hard cover if it dies
But not because of Guardian!
that's just a wreck
I know im just being a goblin
Ya know what I like about Anomaly? It has so much cool stuff you could mechanically get away with putting one in every combat!
You know what I dislike about Anomaly? It’s so cool that I wanna use it sparingly so the magic doesn’t disappear
Into the duat with thee
Question: including all of 1st party and PPG, which NPC class could go the longest without using a single active ability? For the purposes of keeping an Anomaly’s class type a mystery for the longest time
I’d say Vulture if it focused on exclusively using Magpie + generic actions in order to support
CRB demolisher
walking up slowly doing nothing
Oh wait that is the right answer yeah
The reaction could give things away but unlikely
Rebake Demolisher will have a rougher time with it but if there’s little to no terrain around then it could go a while
except for the part that it's moving slowly and is size 2 and doing nothing
doing nothing is doing something
"hmmmmmmmmm, a size 2 approaching at a glacial 2 speed rate... yeah, no idea what that could possibly be"
i'd say stack on as many active features from templates as you can and give them an offclass optional or two. heavily reflavor and rename every single feature
That is smarter probably - at least sticking to the template actives that is, offclass optoinals isn't vague it's deceitful
I do just sometimes do that
thinking about what I wanna run for Sepulcher and I just realized I could finally try a Torrent
anything in particular to test?
- Kensei, whole thing
- Mesmerist's current kit
- Prism's changes to Refracting Armor
- Vulture's Reload interactions
🤔 well I do have a nexi pegasus in my party so the prism refracting armor could come into effect
i could try fitting a kensei in,... maybe. (reflavored horusian kensei, take it or leave it)
I mean I did enjoy using the kensei with my HUC encounters...
is the kensei defensive reaction worth using?
I mean are you really gonna ask me "is the base kit of your NPC worth using" lol
yes, it's absolutely worth using
i am thinking now
trades damage for survivability, and when you're a Vanguard like Kensei, sometimes it's more important to live longer and contest the point
if it's not worth using that's a sign I need to make it worth using
against range: seems good.
when you would die: yeah. use it.
if it would deny a charged sword hit? its a thing.. hm
that was was i thinking about, ish...
somewhat why i ask, considering oyu did say the whole thing needs testing
hmm
right, that's what the testing is for lol
to determine if it's worth using or not
well i also dont wanna use it wrong then go "hur dur this bad" so
my obviously biased answer is "use it and report back"
also why im asking
hmm... hrmmm. In some ways being in chanrged mode is like being a demolisher
yo valk if I was gonna run some Kensei, is there any particular configuration you'd like them tested in?
(templates, other opfor, etc)
- 2 normals at a time
- 1 elite
- 1 ultra
Take your pick on how
Normal testing parameters like A COWARD
Objective based gameplay of your choice
Yeah I wanna cover the bases lol
If it can’t function normally how can I expect it to function abnormally lol
Not wrong haha
Mortal draw is absolutely hilarious on KOTH
But that was because I used a bombard to 'tactically' group the PCs beforehand
Okay nice glad it was a positive experience(?) haha
Unrelated: I still think I’m incredibly clever for calling the Ghost’s Heat-stopping veteran trait “Maxwell’s Demon” lol
The former physics major in me chuckles heartily whenever I see it lol
Oh that's very funny. Great name for an antiheat trait
Just a little guy who stops the hot stuff from entering the cold stuff
Surely the ability to sort hot stuff and cold stuff into two separate boxes will have no implications about how the laws of thermodynamics work 
How'd that go? I'm considering doing the same thing
Also, realizing after I brush up my early wallflower opfors, a hybrid NPC that I made back then could make a good spot to slot in a salamander Napalm
Mistook the NPC for the weapon that it uses 
what exactly is the Vulture reload interaction?
I think it went well (It was a slightly older version of Kensei tho)
Threw one into Reactor Defense and it was a neat little aggro drawer, although it kept wiffing with the 40mm
It can reload an adjacent character as a QA and 2 heat at the cost of breaking something
Rangge 3*
So it can basically pocket a sniper and reload their ggun for them
It now can reload weapons, as opposed to not being able to do so haha
aaah ok I think I have a slightly older version where magpie doesn't say that so that's why I got confused lol
Vulture is all about salvaging uptime from lost action economy (read: dead mechs)
Damn
Imagine being called lost action economy because you fucking died
HMG everest: Magdumps assault
Vulture: "Yeah man, that was kinda suboptimal my guy"
Hey if you kill the enemy before they use their recharge 6 ability, that means I get someone else to use their recharge 6 twice
I don’t make the rules /joke
My planning for Sepulcher: Drown them in nanites Vultures
ah itch may be shitting itself rn
Do you need just the LCP? Check files in the GitHub release: https://github.com/msprijatelj/prototype-pattern-groups-data/releases/tag/1.9.0
It’s also on DriveThruRPG in a pinch
Prototype Pattern Groups is a third-party supplement for Lancer that introduces over a dozen experimental NPC classes, several variant NPC templates, and a collection of optional rules to tweak the default Lancer combat experience. True to the name, many of these rules and NPCs are in development, and will change based on user feedback!
The new ...
Kicker: HUGINN AND MUGINN - 2x Kensei (One with Disarming Retaliation, One with 40mm Hand Cannon)
plans being made...
does anyone have that "infinitely dense ball of ronin' token?
I am curious about what state the mesmerist will end up in
did i talk about running mesmerists yet? i ran them in the one with the torrents and stuff
what did you want to know about them
Sure just how their kits worked out in the current version
lets see..
one got one-shot in soft cover by a nelson, t1.
i brought 2 other ones that came as reinforcements iirc
it was LL3, WW, nelson, drake, deaths head
due to difficult terrain ball or maybe other reasons never felt like i had a good time to use the burst 2 tech attack thing
i maybe should have been more agressive with it? i wasnt sure if it was worht on 1 target, with the recharge and all
so they didnt really shoot it much they were wasting a bunch of fire on the torrent instead
torrent was invisible from a mirage so thats a thing but
i dont think in this case the mesmerists got much chance to do much but skirmish and tech attack, in that they didnt do much defending?
they did get shot at some, some attacks were missed. (id bet its because they just were annoying/something to shoot really?)
im not sure its all the difficult terrain ball, the party spread out (it wasnt really related to the mesmerist though, just.. ok i dont know why they did that on a escort)
that might have been a party misplay
I'll say that when in doubt, use the base kit
well like, i never felt i could hit 2+ pcs with the tech burst
yeah that's what I mean
might as well, the alternative is just Invade
it's a discount Abjure in that case
maybe
admittedly they didnt have much to defend i think
map was a bit funky too but, mostly just had a good bit of difficult terrain is all
i dont think they were bad, really. not great, not terrible.
other then the one that got oneshot.
some of their stuff may be my lack of skill with them?
actually if nothing else getting one shot is sort of a concenr for them.. eh. i cant recall if he used a 1d6 bonus dmg charge or just crit
well, their goal is to pull attention and be "sticky"
i think the one just got unlucky i thinl
What needs testing again? Trying to think of what i could add to the forces of a sitrep that would be thematically appropriate for a kingdom
Mesmerist, Kensei?
Ah
Prism and Vulture
So, question
Let's say there's an Ultra
the Vulture can break something that the Ultra doesnt really care about to recharge/reload things, and then the Ultra can use Juggernaut to repair it at end of activation?
Ultra can repair it at the end of their own turn sure
they don't have access to it in the meantime though
Also, if a sniper/loading weapon mech dies next to a Vulture
but the sniper rifle is already fired before the sniper died
Does the Vulture get a reloaded sniper rifle
or a sniper rifle with 1 shot (that still has to be reloaded)
The intent is it's a fresh item but with Limited 1
but #rules-questions may have thoughts about what happens after a Lancaster repairs someone with unloaded weapons
I want to use him as some sort of
battlefield Loot Goblin
where he's just there on the front lines in hard cover
and just taking random shit off the floor and shooting it
Once in a while an actual officer orders him to use magpie to actually help them
they say its still unloaded
I'll mull over my intent/wording but for now it should be fine to assume it's recharged/reloaded
a really quick and dirty Torrent I'm throwing together for my Wallflower game- but despite how simple it is I do really like this
Ball
finally getting back into this
I'm committing to the Fire Trail Firefly Drone, and I'm reducing the STC inflicted heat to 2
Incendiary Grenade is still 2 Blast 1 areas, but it's on thin ice. If someone ran 2 Napalms with Incendiary Grenade and gave feedback I'd appreciate it
Was Silksong fun?
I'm not done yet but it's been painfully enjoyable
For a minute, I was worried that it was gonna be shorter than OG HK for some reason, and I'm very glad to be wrong
that said, I have many game ideas I wanna write about but I feel like I left some unfinished business with PPG, so I'm cleaning up a v1.10
Ofc it has unfinished business, it’s got ghosts (jokefunny)
Rally the Righteous
System, Recharge 6+, Quick Tech
Until the start of the Zealot’s next turn, allies affected by ZEAL are treated as one SIZE larger for GRAPPLE, RAM, and engagement. They may clear SLOWED and stand up from PRONE, then move up to 5 spaces as a reaction.
since I'm making FanCharge at-will but 1 person, I'm buffing Rally the Righteous and making it Recharge 6+
So it’s more of a duration than just an instant effect- I like it
it's been like that, all I did was add the Move
Coulda swore an old version was just the prone + slow clear as well as bringing allies from outside Zeal closer
Anyway since this does not involve moving the zealot and has more niche buffs, the reaction movement is defo more warranted compared to FanCharge
Could I get a refresher on what the discussion around Incendiary Grenade was about ? I think I might have an idea, but I want to be sure I'm adressing the right problem first
The question is "how many zones is too many Zones to place and track per NPC", basically
Same as how I consolidated Anchor's Null-Grav to a single Blast and how Kai consolidated 3 Javelins on Rainmaker to a single Blast 1 Skyhammer Salvo
Ok great, it's relevant.
Remeber the "lingering flames on STC line + all adjacent spaces" thingy you used to have ? How about recycling that for the grenades ? Kinda like how the HAVOKs are line grenades but on steroids.
that actually got brought up earlier
Make it like line 3/4 + adjacent spaces or something
I think at that point I'd rather just have a blast, or a cone
Sorry then, my memory does not last this long
it's fine, it was weeks ago
but the issue with lingering flames in a line is that they're not much of a threat/difficult terrain, especially if it's on a Limited/Recharge basis
this is why I changed Firefly to make a short-lived fire trail on protocol instead
so I can get that fire trail dream but also give it power to easily reposition
Fair then, do what you want. Not sold on "cone lingering effect" though, sounds like a pain to place correctly as the Napalm
And if you do it covers just so much
Cone 3 covers less area than Blast 1, and Cone 5 covers less area than Blast 2
Was mainly thinking cone 7 if you're spending a limited 1 FA on it
lol that'd be obscene
But in those cases yeah sure, it works
Make the damage on them not have a save or be save-for-half and see how effectively that walls off those lines of attack (as long as the line is long enough)
legit that's what I'm doing for my current "on fire" zones
no saves, only threats
if you enter or end your turn in the zone you get toasty
Hive's had it right the entire time
can't take the heat, get the fuck outta the kitchen
Alright Mesmerist is the last loose end I have at the moment. Currently between
- Memetic Magnetism Recharges immediately if only 1 target is in the area. Codespike Grants +1 Acc to tech attacks if used as Overwatch
- Memetic Magnetism is as v1.9. Codespike instantly recharges a Tech system on Overwatch hit
this replaces Codespike jamming on Overwatch
First option Pros:
- Improves uptime of the base kit, as the recharge on MemeMag had been a complaint
- Makes it more likely for the Mesmerist to get follow-up hits for Mirror Image
- Helps allied tech attackers control the target
First option Cons:
- Makes MemeMag a little more finicky
- Codespike effect is Yet Another Thing To Track on Mesmerist's base kit (alongside Mirror Image and Memetic Magnetism itself)
Second option Pros:
- Memetic Magnetism doesn't have a mode switch, meaning less system mastery required
- Improves uptime for potent Mesmerist control choices over Default Invade
Second option cons:
- Doesn't help the Mesmerist land hits
- Concerns over interactions with other Tech Recharge systems
Still personally in favor of option 2, as long as you account for the obscene potential of the [K]Ultra recharge Tech optionals (especially puppet crasher, for obvious reasons)
Actually that's an existing concern with Hypnotic Attraction
Puppet target -> Overwatch -> recharge puppet target
I'd probably restrict the recharge to a single Tech system
Much less so, since it has to be towards you anyways and doesn't even deal heat/conditions on hit. At most you achieve "bringing them 1 space towards me" over just skirmishing
Puppet crasher, by comparison, does actual repositioning even if the target is next to you, does 2/3/4 heat and lock-on and impaired
How hard would it be to make it be "only Mesmerist systems" ?
Here's a better question: What happens if I slap an Anomaly or Brigand recharge ability on it
I can probably do just Mesmerist systems yes
I'll just do that I guess
Codespike Rapier
Main Melee, Smart, +2/+4/+6
[Threat 2][4/6/8 Energy + 2 Heat]
On Hit: If the attack was made with OVERWATCH, the Mesmerist may immediately recharge one Mesmerist QUICK TECH or FULL TECH system.
-# What if mesmerist was Lace from Skong
Have you considered allowing it to recharge Jaunt ?
I don't have a stance on the matter, it's just that that's the only non-tech recharge thing in it's kit.
Oh, didn't you also have something for death by glamour ?
That one's relevant to me, given my currently planned Mesmerist major NPC is such a fucking Mettaton reference
yeah I nerfed it to 1 heat per destroyed Mirror Image at all tiers
that's on v1.9 iirc
Oh right it used to scale didn't it ?
All good then, still have the funny trait with the name
I will never change the name
Wh... who needs arms mirror images with legs traits like these ?
Here's a question: now that Codespike is Nerfed, Should Metafold Riposte have Recharge instead of 1/scene?
Well, not recharge because then it could loop itself infinitely, but you have a point
Imma leave it
Maybe if you exclude Riposte from recharging Riposte, but that's a lot of words to fix something that is already fine
Smart +2/+4/+6 is very good
Dimensional Raid (Ultra) is much less rude now too
I think that's a good thing
Just "even more heat and some damage too" is good yeah
I anticipate that there may be some cases where "I recharged my option but then I recharged all my stuff next turn anyway" but you know what, I think that's ok
the point is improving consistency
as a threat for disrespecting its Overwatch
Increasing the Heat on-hit to 2 also feels correct with this version
I have no opinion on this, so go for it I guess yeah
Always surprised by how fast you put these out after talking about 'em
oh damn lol
Also, no relation to all of that :
What happens if I pwyw before you put a mandatory price on something ? Do I have to buy it again or not ? Just the difeerence if it's lower ?
I believe if you bought it you keep access to the downloads
that's what happened (roughly) when I bought DataMoth's Iridia supplement before it fully released
as long as I don't put a price tag on the individual file (which I do not plan to do) and instead have it for the whole project
That's perfect !
Because, y'know. I may or may not have stumbled upon some money while cleaning up.
I'll admit I am considering a limited amount of community copies too when I do go paid
but I'm trying to reach a stable state for NPCs first before pulling that trigger
as long as I'm making changes like I just did today, I don't feel comfy going paid (yet)
like as in significantly changing an NPC's interactions/play pattern
anyway, HMU with feedback as always
The only thing I'm gonna be hitting you with is money my guy (in 1-6 business days)
I got a question because I just got the idea for something narratively neat, but idk if it would work mechanically
@vagrant grotto if two anomalies have Local Climate, are they immune to each other's local climates too if they're the same?
I can see why it's vague; I see no problem with letting it be immune to an identical env hazard from another anomaly
I think making it immune to allies with the same hazard makes perfect sense
👍
I was asking because I wanted to give those twin Kensei Extreme Cold Auras lol
slightly related: finished that Machine Torrent for my WF game
Ball
Aight, short notice, but is anyone down to playtest <t:1758391209:F> or <t:1758477609:F> this weekend? Honestly did not expect to have the weekend free, nor to have pushed 1.10 today
This is correct - as long as you have paid any amount, you have permanent access, even if the price changes. (If you paid $0 for pwyw, then you do not gain ownership, you just download the files.) There's one specific exception: If you have a file that's individually priced, then it basically acts as a constant gate saying "anyone who has paid X amount gets access to this file", so if that becomes more expensive people can lose access.
(I'm basically regurgitating what's on this page, haha, so you can look at that. https://itch.io/docs/creators/pricing)
Thank you! Glad to have the confirmation haha
I had the same worries about how access would work when I was starting out, haha.
Damn that's very short notice
checks watch Yeah I'm still somehow free
Both times are fine for me
If you/the party would prefer, I can fill a role. Otherwise-
both a generic machine vulture and a vet vulture with grapplescrapper
Oof yeah that's a tough one. I can probably do it if I have to, I even have a build to test out
Though only the first time for me please
Sounds interesting
Is it a oneshot on the second date?
Both are one shots
Pack like it’s for a regular mission; no meme builds
Right now it’s looking like today is the day
ah, darn, i can only do sunday tho
Mm, no worries then
if i have to bring anything
probably a sherman or a swallowtail
tho idk
mourning cloak sounds fun and i've never played one before
Okay so to be clear: No one is under any obligation to playtest my games lol. You absolutely never have to play, this is fun hobby time
So if you can make it and are willing then feel free, otherwise enjoy your day okay?
Litterally yesterday I was complaining about no game this week, I am so looking forward to this
It just shifts some plans up an hour or so, nothing unmanageable
Had to check something with someone first is all
Alright, then it sounds like I have 3 for today at least. I’ll put out a want ad in #lancer-game-recruiting in an hour or two unless I decide to just rock with 3 folks + an NPC buddy for y’all
Quick warning to you : unfortunately, the build I plan to run tonight has NuCav, sorry. (It's meant for CRB enemies, I need that to stand a chance)(Also it's mostly for rank 3 believe it or not)
It’s fine
Would be happy to see how NucCav actually plays with my OC rules
It’s been a while since I’ve seen one with my current iteration of house rules
Well everything works out then ! Ain't I glad I chose EAF instead of OC looping after all ?
'cause yeah, it's funky Bolt Thrower Barbie time
For as much as I enjoy size 2s, this will be my first with a size 3. PC side at least.
Unwritten house rule: Barbarossa has base speed 3
Carry on as you will
I'll like to bring a Hacktail with a backpocket CPR
I thought you couldn’t play today?
for tomorrow
I appreciate the interest, regardless!
though, may I ask how long the game is expected to take?
4-5 hours
ah, yeah
hope the session later is productive!
I can ask my friend if needed
Sure go for it
Thank you!
Would almost make me want to not abuse of every movement tech at this point, absolutely unreal
Still keeping the build the same though, OC boost loss makes it up I imagine
IDK if she exists yet, I'll ask later but if you need an immediate response go ahead and ask elsewhere
Actually, makes me think : where we moving the discussion to before this gets any more flooded ?
I’ll make a thread on this server
seeing the playtest and writing this to remember :
Are you sure you added the slow on hit to the STC in the lcp ?
Noticed yesterday that Mesmerists just never lost all their mirror images really; part of that was a low-EDEF target rich environment, but I think starting with 2 Mirror Images may be too much. I might drop it to 1 instead
Well if they never lose the Mirror Images does that not indicate that the invis is not making them dodge attacks?
Additional context: all the attacks were missing and Mirror Images still didn’t drop to 0 except like, for one
Gotcha
The Overwatch on-hit never came up due to the fight being pretty locked in
And due to effects like lock breaker
The Overwatch effect when it was Jammed always was kinda a “this won’t come up often but it will be a threat” effect anyhow
Who knows if that’s still the case
Yeah though now it’s a flat 2 heat + 4/6/8 damage on hit
So the threat is now Heat and sustained Tech
What’s the current Overwatch rider again?
Recharge 1 Mesmerist feature
In other news, Narcissus Override is busted with buddies overlapping control effects, so that’s getting nerfed to a 1 turn quick action
Playtesters enjoyed the new Firefly drone as a nuisance
I got a Torrent to proc the firewall once with some knockback so that felt cool
Scalding Greywash on Torrent seemed Fine as a quick action filler move
My Burn + AP flag was on full display though yesterday though, apologies to the Barb and WW
Only reason I made so many is to supplement the existing NPCs in core lol
Kensei is probably getting a speed nerf to 4
Thinking of modifying Allied Arcing to require LOS to an ally with LOS tbh, it’s been basically just Arcing* (with a footnote)
I don't think it's too much of a problem tbh...
I can think of ways where it would matter more
I think it's another thing where larger maps it will be more relevant, where lots of enemies being in one area is common. Like, it means some sneaky member all the way at the back or a sniper hiding away from enemies in the backline is more protected
Also, unrelated note I found out from that playtest
Pegasus is quite fun
peggy my beloved
Pegasus is pretty neat! I do think it’s a cool artillery mech
Lockbreaker triggered once because I was, again, put on objective duty, so I wouldn't say that was a factor really
the only difference is this time that wasn't intentional
Note the lack of aux-spammers too, a crucial part of the ecosystem as always (/j, I'm biased because i love them)
Sorry 😭
Next playtest I need to make John cartmover
question: are the playtests open to anyone?
Can't speak for Valk, but basically
Valk normally asks either people he's familiar with or puts out a looking for players form in game recruiting
Basically I just informally ask here first since most people here are invested in my stuff and willing to playtest it in good faith
Usually first come first serve since there’s a smaller population
i see i see, thank you
on a side note, I'm trying out your Handling Objects rules (including for escorts), Allied Arcing and Heat Seeking for my current game, so I'll try get some feedback from the players as I play
Great! it'll be appreciated
though one player was already a little dubious of Heat Seeking in that he thinks that it disincentivises you from exceeding heatcap and stressing the enemy on multistress things, though I suppose that would be a non issue if i decide to throw in One Reactor stress too
mmmm that's valid, I suppose Heat Seeking does trend that way/was built with my stress rules in mind
I wouldn't be against extending it to Exposed too
yeah that was his idea too so I think I'll try that out and see if it's anything
I think for the sitrep changes we discussed enemy total amount/reinforcement density ?
Not saying you have to do anything like that for now, but keeping an eye on it during your playtests could be interesting
yeah no I was greedy on initial Opfor, otherwise I ran it like a normal Escort
I could've dropped a Mesmerist
Kensei changes considering:
- Reduce Base Speed to 4
- Change "empty" Unsheathe to a quick action
Was also thinking of ways to make the Charged profile punch hard without being a raw damage smasher
thought that crossed my mind was "reduce charged profile damage to 8/10/12 (aka base damage +3 extra damage) but Shred until EoNT on hit", but I think that the WW and Bracers using Resistance was a valid way to blunt the Kensei
Have you considered giving charged profile some reliable too ? I can't think of much else it doesn't have already to make it better without just upping the damage.
hadn't yet but that makes sense? Though I already give it Accurate
but dropping Accurate in favor of Reliable makes sense
the observation that Kensei's charged attack is potent vs both Armor Tanks and Dodge Tanks was insightful; I think I'm okay with that but I need to think on it
Rip Jetstream Sam
Now more like Helicopter Sam
“Minuano” Kinetic Saber
Heavy Melee, +2/+4/+6
Normal: [Threat 2][5/7/9 Kinetic]
Charged: AP, Reliable 3/4/5 [Threat 2][8/10/12 Kinetic]
During the Kensei’s turn, it may attack using the CHARGED profile if this weapon has been sheathed since the start of the Kensei’s turn.
This weapon becomes unsheathed after attacking.
Alright, is this anything
Looks neat but unfortunately I can't say how it feels until I see it
yeah figured
I think you're right that it shouldn't deal as much damage as a Demolisher since it does have such high flexibility for its actions and use of sheathe
this puts its charged skirmish above curve for a striker but not outta line vs. its peers IMO
Kai's Rebaked Operator deals 7/9/11 reliable 3/4/5 on +1/2/3 attack at range 12 with no questions asked (and Burn on crit)
Yeah
Cutting the range to threat 2 (but no benefits on OW), same reliable, similar damage but AP
mmmmmmmmm
I hope it doesn't become toothless
I can always consider that Shred on Hit 😛
Yeah
Like... I vibe with it
It's a punishment outside of "I kill you big"
"Everyone kills you big"
I'm curious... I was thinking about Kai's comments on the strider, it's original problems being it's multiple NPCs in a trenchcoat and I'm curious about the line to cross with it and if the Kensei is close to that line
Eh? I think it's flexible but not multiple NPCs in the same way as strider
alright, as for toothless, I'm suggesting this change (mostly because Reliable 3/4/5 is fucking with my formatting):
“Minuano” Kinetic Saber
Heavy Melee, +2/+4/+6
Normal: [Threat 2][5/7/9 Kinetic]
Charged: Reliable 3/4/5 [Threat 2][8/10/12 Kinetic]
During the Kensei’s turn, it may attack using the CHARGED profile if this weapon has been sheathed since the start of the Kensei’s turn. If it does, targets hit are SHREDDED until the end of the scene.
This weapon becomes unsheathed after attacking.
Wasn’t it a full action before?
Yes but forever*
yes it was a Full Tech before, now it will not
*ends turn adjacent to mesmerist
On miss it lasted until end of next turn, on hit it lasted until you end adjacent to mesmerist
Ah, so making the miss an actual miss and the on hit effect the previous miss effect
turns out if you have a buddy actively preventing the target from approaching, it's pretty damn cracked
that reliable seems low to me, strangely. Maybe just 4/5/6 instead ?
4/5/6 strikes me as bonkers high tbh
No the reliable is in line with that of archers it’s fine
Also I think that’s a rare “NPC with reliable melee weapon” so that’s fun
yeah, but a miss with the "thing that threatens you" shouldn't be nothing
yeah though I could understand that this is Not An Archer
3/4/5 isn't nothing tbf
3/4/5 is high damage for reliable, on any character even PCs
without AP and the shred on hit, ehh
It can shred to circumvent that, and again, Archers have the same reliable damage
Even an archer that can’t take reactions can be deadly with its reliable damage
It can shred if it hits, in which case reliable doesn't apply
Fair but there’s still Overwatch and attacks until the shred clears
I think staying with a Reliable scaling w/ precedent until data proves it should be changed is smart enough
Aight twist my arm I upped the reliable
casual reminder that Charged Profile cannot be used for Overwatch
OW doesn't have the reliable since it's only on the Charged
to 4/5/6?
yes
Can it not un-charge and overwatch?
yes but then no reliable
yes it attack normally for 0 reliable and 5/7/9 damage
check the statblock above again
orchis has never taken a single L
Honestly I didn't mind the AP and burn so much as being put in giga control jail
I am actively gutting Narcissus as we speak
Though I threw hard during the opener and that caused a cascade of problems from that point onwards
Or forgetting that I could have just told the torrent/Kensei to suck it by FA disengage and walking around
everyone forgets disengage exists
tbf everyone forgets disengage yeah
I was more concerned about the possibility of getting my HP pool vaporized and played too conservative 
I honestly don't, to me it feels so not worth it that if one side uses it, it feels like the other side has won
yeah no like I said I'm gutting Narcissus
"but Isa you did a hyperactive armor fluid burst dive bomb on round 2 how is that conservative" I am prone to fits of gremlin behavior
Actually yeah, that was probs a situation actually FA disingage would be useful huh...
Disengage is forgotten because it's really fucking rough even if it makes sense in the moment
it's one of those "is sometimes good but just feels bad to use" things imo
When will Lancer add PF2E Step to its actions 
Skirmisher 1
you mean 2
Lancer only has 50 foot Steps unfortunately
I can also echo FA Disingage feels more punishing without the overheating elephant in the room
aight small impasse
Thinking of reducing Zealot's FanCharge OS from 2/3/4 to 1/2/3, but that means that Martyrdom's OS will stick out like a sore thumb
do I reduce Martyrdom's OS to 1/2/3 to match and then have its Burn stick out like a sore thumb too? or do I reduce the burn to 1/2/3 to match Emberlight nexus
OS is weird
And it stacks with other defensive traits
And the only way to really deal with it is "shoot them more"
OS goes kind of insane with armour and there's so little of it in base lancer it's hard for me to value it
do core book NPCs even have anything with OS?
Priest only, basically
Obligatory comment about there are more words in the definition of overshield than words in abilities that use overshield in the CRB
i was stunned that literally one single system had the overshield tag in crb
1 Talent, 1 NPC and 1 system
which riker pointed out to me in homebrew design
which is so odd to me given that it's about as debilitating as jam but can't be cleared in most ways
when will Lancer give me the "Hacked" modular condition
But OS is very weird and I think PPG has made me realise that