Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 Lawolf Jul 22, 2014 12:32:45	One problem I have long had with D&D is how it handles improvised actions. Actually let me clear tht up. how it doesn't handle improvised actions. There is very little in the way of DM guidelines for improvised actions, which often leads to improvised actions never being all that useful. Since every DM resolves them in a different manner, players never really get a good sense of how likely their awesome idea is to pull off in game. So, what if you could use inspiration to automatically succeed at the awesome stunts you imagine your PC performing?     The Inspirational-Stunt System You may spend your inspiration to perform a daring stunt the likes of which others could scarcely conceive. You perform this stunt as a bonus action. A stunt does not involve an attack, though you may use your action to attack before, after, or during a stunt. A successful stunt can be used to achieve a variety of effects such as: *Tumble, leap, or squeeze through an enemies’ spaces without provoking opportunity attacks. *Distract or taunt a creature causing it to suffer disadvantage on all rolls it makes next turn. *Double your speed and jumping distance by swinging from a chandelier, sliding down a banister, using your spear to pole vault, etc. *Feint, trick, or fight dirty to gain advantage on all attacks you make this turn. *Find a target's weak spot to ignore its damage reduction or resistance. *Slam into an enemy to knock it prone and/or push it up to 10 feet away from you. *Other comparable effects. To perform the stunt, you must provide an in-game situation that explains your benefit. Especially difficult stunts may require a successful ability check or contest to succeed at. If the situation is highly favorable, even greater benefits can be achieved with the DM’s discretion.
#2 kill_the_wiz_first Jul 22, 2014 12:37:53	Lawolf wrote:
#3 Lawolf Jul 22, 2014 12:47:20	kill_the_wiz_first wrote:
#4 pukunui Jul 22, 2014 12:45:07	I like this idea. As I mentioned in the other thread, I really like Dragon Age's stunt system, and I wouldn't mind seeing something similar for D&D.   Tying it to inspiration is a good idea (because, let's face it, just getting advantage on a roll is hardly very inspired).   That being said, I am considering handing out a Plot Twist card when I give someone inspiration, and many of those cards have stunt-like effects in addition to other things.
#5 MechaPilot Jul 22, 2014 13:43:05	One of the stunt systems that I liked was from the D20 Modern Macho Women With Guns supplement.  The system basically goes like this: you are free to attempt outrageous stuff and to spend action points to accomplish that stuff.  If you succeed, you get action points for it.  You get more action points for succeeding at increasingly outrageous stuff.   I have to admit that I sort of feel the absence of action points in DDN.  I think I'll probably come up with a module for adding them back in.
#6 iserith Jul 22, 2014 13:49:33	I like the idea of spending a resource to do a cool thing, but not certain this solves the problem of DMs being inconsistent (DM to DM or situation to situation with the same DM) with how they adjudicate improvised actions. The examples provided certainly help though.
#7 Rastapopoulos Jul 22, 2014 15:13:19	Lawolf wrote:
#8 Rastapopoulos Jul 22, 2014 15:20:50	I think your rule for Inspirational Stunts is nice, but I'm not sure it fits the "improved actions" spot in the rules... as it's a very limited resourve you have to spend. I could see myself using something like you wrote, but I still would use a more regular improvised action system that can be attempted anytime.
#9 Saelorn Jul 22, 2014 15:25:28	Sure, why not? Spend an Inspiration point = negate all circumstance penalties for the round, to bring improbable stunts into the realm of possibility. Or you could just allow it to give the player direct narrative control, declaring success on any one action (or linked series of actions) which could succeed but would be unlikely due to difficulty and complexity. Go wild with it.
#10 Uchawi Jul 22, 2014 15:54:35	My problem with stunts is a caster can reserve a spell slot to pick the stunt they want, or make a magic item, and the martial character has to have an elaborate sub-system in place, with optional rules, that the DM arbitrates. Where if you have martial character maneuvers, all you have to do is place in a sub-system similar to vancian or completely different to use them. So if a caster gets a preset DC for spells, then a martial gets a preset DC for maneuvers. The DM remains neutral in regards to letting anyone at the table to gain a spell, maneuver, feat, skill, background, etc. Then any player/class can react to any modifier that comes into play, via the rules or DM, when it may effect a dice roll.
#11 Rastapopoulos Jul 22, 2014 18:20:13	This reminds me of the Marvel FASERIP system where you could spend Karma to boost up a roll. It worked nice for a super-hero based game.
#12 strider13x Jul 22, 2014 19:10:37	I think Inspiration shouldn't be required to perform these kinds of stunts, the Disadvantage mechanic combined with Ability checks can do all those stunts without the need for Inspiration. Sure, the DMG needs an expanded guideline section on how to more evenly aducate some common tropes, but the more you codify the more constrained the system is.   I always promoted the concept of Conditions that anyone can apply to a target via Ability Contest. One (or two) Condition per Ability. STR=Restrained, DEX=Prone, CON= Stunned, INT=Confused, WIS=Dazed, CHA=Distracted/Frightened. Some of these are already in the rules (see Grappling and Shove Attack options). Class Features and Feats could expand these Action options (again, already precedent currently in the system with Fighter Extra Attacks and Rogues Cunning Action). DMs need only take these precedents as examples and use them, no need to further create any new rules or systems.
#13 Lawolf Jul 22, 2014 19:25:03	strider13x wrote:
#14 Shirebrok Jul 22, 2014 23:04:21	Hmm. You might be on to something with this. Inspiration is a nice concept, but it is kinda "meh". Advantage on a roll is good, but not particularly exciting. I'm not exactly fond of the flavour, either. I'm going to think up of something.
#15 Artifact Jul 22, 2014 23:21:15	As already mentioned, rules we don't need but a strong set of guidelines would be helpful.  So I like this.   These stunts aren't precisely mechanics free but are 'close enough' that I would allow them as Lawolf describes them.  It's the spending inspiration that makes it work for me (I'd feel okay about hand waving the mechanics involved).
#16 Lawolf Jul 24, 2014 8:09:13	Artifact wrote:
#17 Karnos Jul 24, 2014 8:16:52	I have an alternate idea, which is already supported by the rules.   If you do an improvised action that fits with your character's traits, ideals, bonds, or flaws, you will probably get an inspiration point.   The improvised action itself might be only just as sueful as a normal basic attack, or it might just be even slightly inferior, but that point of inspiration gained will often make it worth doing.