New Mastery: Doomspeaker

[Rocmistro]

Rich, just came up with a new generic mastery: Doomspeaker.

While others are resolving their Opening Volleys, you can use Awe or Battle to Intimidate your foe. This works just like a normal "Intimidate Foe" check but you can use it one time during the onset of battle to intimidate your foes. You may not make an opening volley if you do this, and regardless of the number of Opening Volleys that the Loremaster allows, you can only intimidate foes once per combat using this ability.

What do you guys think? Should it be cultural virtue instead?

[Glorelendil]

1) Why add Battle?

2) I'd just call it Booming Voice or some such, partly because "Doomspeaker" is a really cool term and I'd rather save it for something else. It's just Awe at range, right?

EDIT: But as a general concept I really like the idea of being able to perform that task during opening volley, in place of a ranged attack.

[Rocmistro]

Elf:

Thanks! Booming Voice is fine too.

Battle has always been available as an Intimidate Foes option.

But yes, essentially it's Intimidate Foe at range. (with some controls put in place so it doesn't get crazy).

[Glorelendil]

Doh! I never even realized that; I always thought it was just Awe. But you're right.

In which case I like everything about it but the name. Again, awesome name, maybe not the best application.

('Doomspeaker' almost suggests to me the ability to use Lore in place of Awe/Battle for Intimidate Foe...or in Encounters.)

[zedturtle]

Yeah, I'd like to reserve something like Doomspeaker for something that plays off the multiple meanings of doom (it can be fate, but it can also be a decision, 'this is the doom that I deem.')

I'm a bit leery of it; but if the Doom-shouter has to stand apart from the heroes then it could be an interesting trade-off. I'm thinking (as I'm sure Rocco was) of Aragorn standing on the battlements of Helm's Deep and warning the orcs of their danger.

[poosticks7]

I like the idea - it gives the melee only adventurers something to do in the opening volley.

I suggest not calling it something related to voice though. A badass dwarf with a big axe doesn't have to say much to get his point across.

Not sure what you could call it instead though.

Stand Firm.
Valiant Salute.
Badass Pose (joke).
Staunch Guard.


I don't know will have a think.

[Glorelendil]

Awesomer

[Rocmistro]

"Undimmed Glory"

"Like a Fey king of Old" (maybe too Theodonic)

"Majestic Presence"

[Rich H]

What do you guys think? Should it be cultural virtue instead?

I think it's a nice idea and depending on whether you go with it as a combat option or virtue will largely determine what you call it. Virtues have more poetic phrases when named whereas as combat options (eg, Protect Companion, Intimidate Foe, etc) are more utilitarian in convention. Therefore if it is *just* a combat option/task then something like "Intimidate from afar" or "Hurl Insult" would be more appropriate than more flowery phrases.

[Falenthal]

Just to have an idea of what you're really talking about:

Would this be catalogued as "Doomspeaker"?



You can see how all the volleys failed in first term...