Revamped and Completed Trees

Your new Oath definition should specify what kind of action it is, and whether or not you can change oath targets.

I have two thoughts regarding the armor thing on Fraternal Bindings: It could use the average armor value (more paperwork) or use the armor of whoever actually got hit to begin with. (Assuming both oath members got hit equally, it would even out to the same as averaging.)

Just make Even In Death not an Oath anymore, if you don't like the asymmetry. It could just be an Epic Free Ability that requires you have an oath active.

I think Pony's switch of even in death to give both the commander and his oath brother a "shield" until the other is dying is a perfect compromise. A few questions, what is SR? Is it supposed to be DR? How about True Oath, is it supposed to read you can have 2 oaths active or are you really supposed to be able to have infinite oaths active (Current reading says you may have more than two oaths active at once)? At Our Darkest Hour! is a silly name mainly because of the exclamation point, I suggest Darkest Before Dawn. Does this ability affect the commander as well, or is it only his allies?

Other thoughts: I like the Companion skill, but I don't like the Equip Minion skill. Equip Minion just seems really awkward to me. I think letting a player gain all of the summon buffing skills is fine, if they want to invest the skill points to have an awesome minion then that's 8 skill points they aren't spending elsewhere. For Fraternal Bindings I suggest just splitting the damage before any reductions in half, odd numbers have the extra point of damage hit the original target, and then letting each character use their separate armor values and stuff against their own damage.

New Abilities:

Phalanx - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Passive
Effect: When there are more allied units in your zone than enemy units, you and all of your allies gain a +1/3/5% block chance.

-Not sure on numbers or if Ws or something would be better, but you get the idea.

Combined Will - 3 Ranks
Requirements: ???
Type: Passive
Effect: When there are more allied units in your zone than enemy units, you and all of your allies gain +(Some Amount) MR.

-Most trees see, to ignore magic entirely, which makes some sense fluffwise. But considering how many casters there are, and how powerful they can be, I feel that each tree should get at least one skill that involves them. Like Phalanx, this might do better as a boost to WP, which would have the bonus of making allied casters stronger.

Final Thoughts: I really like where this tree is headed. My main recommendation for new skills would be something revolving around (fluffwise) impacting morale. Things like killing an enemy inspiring everyone else so that they get some slight boosts across the board or something. I'm thinking of things like this:

Front Line Leader - 3 Ranks
Requirements: ???
Type: Passive
Effect: Whenever you kill an enemy all allies gain +1/3/5 to Ws and Bs for 1 turn. At Rank two of this ability the bonus is also applied to Wp and A. At Rank three of this ability the bonus is applied to all stats except W and lasts for two turns.

Obviously this would need some tweaking, but it could help keep commanders focused on the battle rather than just sitting back and letting their minions run the show. Perhaps this would work better if it only activated if the commander kills the enemy in melee or something, but that seems mean to the ranged and mage type commanders.

When Ferret said SR (Spell Resistance) I think he meant MR or Magic Resistance since SR is no longer a keyword. I think your combined will is a much better and more appealing ability with the same idea. As for Equip minion. Don't you worry it's getting the axe. It is not very good and was something i tossed out while brainstorming. The problem with splitting the damage before applying armor to both characters is basically you are gaining double armor on every attack. The skill is already quite powerful without it, two characters splitting damage equally would be very difficult to kill. I think using the character who was hits armor is quite acceptable. Each characters DR and such would still apply.

As for your suggestions.
Phalanx - I like it. Added

Combined Will - For each ally in your zone, you and all allies in your zone gain MR 3/5.


Front Line Leader - I like it a lot. It could be simplified quite a bit though.
Effect: Whenever you kill an enemy all of your allies gain +1/3/5 to all rolls on their next turn.


I'll add a compiled version of the new list a little later today.

Path of the Commander

Strike of 1000 Blades - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Powerful Melee Attack
Effect: 1/2/3 Allies within range may make a basic attack at the targeted enemy.

Rally - 2 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Powerful Free Ability
Effect: All allies, including yourself within 1 zone gain DR equal to 5/10% of their maximum W.

Front Line Leader - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Passive
Effect: Whenever you kill an enemy all of your allies gain +1/3/5 to all rolls on their next turn.

Flanking Maneuver - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Passive
Effect: When there are more allied units in your zone then enemy units, you and all of your allies gain a +1/3/5% critical strike chance in melee.

Phalanx Formation - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Passive
Effect: When there are more allied units in your zone then enemy units, you and all of your allies gain a +1/3/5% block chance in melee.

Combined Will - 2 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Passive
Effect: When there are more allied units in your zone than enemy units, you and all of your allies gain MR +5/10. There must be at least 2 units in your zone for this to apply.

Opening Strike - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Powerful Melee Attack
Effect: All allies gain +5/10/15 to hit and wound this target this round.

Darkest before Dawn
Requirements: TBD
Type: Epic Ability
Effect: All allies gain DR equal to 10% of your WP + W + WS. They also gain +5 to all rolls for the next 3 rounds. This is increased to +10 if they are wounded and +20 if they are dying.

Oath - When you activate an oath you target a single ally or summon. Whenever both of you are in the same zone you gain the benefits mentioned in the oath's description. Only one oath may be active at a time. Treat oaths as Powerful Free abilities. If at any round both of you do not end up in the same zone the oath ends immediately.

Sword Brother - 2 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Oath
Effect: If you and your oath target, attack the same opponent in melee you both gain +5/10 to hit. If both attacks hit and wound they each deal an additional 1/2 damage.

Shield Brother - 2 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Oath
Effect: You and your oath brother gain a 5/10% block chance. If only one of either you or your oath target is targeted this round double this block chance.

Blood Brother - 2 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Oath
Effect: If you or your oath target is dealt damage split evenly between the two of you. Reduce the damage dealt to each of you by 0/1 (to a minimum of 1).

Oath of Vengeance - 2 Ranks
Requirements: One other Oath
Type: Oath
Effect: Any foe who deals you or your oath target damage with a melee attack receives 1/2 damage ignoring armor, double this damage if the other person's WS is higher than the attackers.

True Oath - 1 Rank
Requirements: 3 Oaths.
Type: Passive
Effect: You may have two oaths active at a time. They may target different allies, the same rules as normal oaths apply.

Until Death - 1 Ranks
Requirements: True Oath
Type: Epic Oath
Effect: You and your oath target cannot be reduced to less than 1hp unless the other is Dying (Below 25% W).



Summon Minion - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Powerful Summon Ability
Effect: Summons a minion with 6/8/10 in all base stats and 3/4/5 in W. This minion deals 2-5 damage in melee. Minions also gain an additional 10% of all your statistics when summoned.

Veteran - 2 Ranks
Requirements: Summon Minion
Type: Passive
Effect: Your summon minion gains an additional 20/40% (total of 30/50%) of your WS and a 3/5% critical strike chance. All other summons you control gain +2/5 WS.

Marksman - 2 Ranks
Requirements: Summon Minion
Type: Passive
Effect: Your minion gains an additional 20/40% of your BS (total of 30/50%) and AG and a medium ranged attack that deals 3-6/4-8 damage. All other summons you control gain +2/5 BS & AG.

Bodyguard - 2 Ranks
Requirements: Summon Minion
Type: Passive
Effect: Your summon minion gains an additional 10/20% of your T and W (total of 20/30%) and a 5/10% block chance and 1/2 armor. All other minions you control gain +2/5 T and 1/2W. .

Brute - 2 Ranks
Requirements: Summon Minion
Type: Passive
Effect: Your summon minion gains an additional 20/40% of your S (30/50% total). They also increase their melee damage to 4-8/5-10 damage.

True Companion - 1 Rank
Requirements: Two of Marksman, Brute, Veteran, and Bodyguard
Type: Passive
Effect: Your summon minion gains an additional equipment slot.

Current oath definition means you can't change oath target - intentional? I'm fine with either way, it just used to be different so I thought I'd ask.
Blood Brother: So you split damage after using the armor of whoever actually got hit, and then subtract one from both totals? Am I reading it right? Sounds good, if so.
True Oath: Non-epic oaths? Are you opposed to someone using Until Death and something else simultaneously? It would be strong, but for an oath specialized commander, I think it's appropriate.

FlyingPinkPony wrote:
Until Death - 1 Ranks
Requirements: True Oath
Type: Epic Oath
Effect: You and your oath target cannot be reduced to less than 1hp by an enemy unless the other is Dying (Below 25% W).

Added a clause to prevent some serious bullshit that only someone like me would try to pull.

Flanking Maneuver - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Passive
Effect: When there are more allied units in your zone then enemy units, you and all of your allies gain a +1/3/5% critical strike chance in melee.

Phalanx Formation - 3 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Passive
Effect: When there are more allied units in your zone then enemy units, you and all of your allies gain a +1/3/5% block chance in melee.

Combined Will - 2 Ranks
Requirements: None
Type: Passive
Effect: When there are more allied units in your zone than enemy units, you and all of your allies gain MR +5/10. There must be at least 2 units in your zone for this to apply.

I have a question about these guys. Since Combined Will states that you have to have 2 units in your zone (does this mean you and someone else or you and two other peeps?), and the others don't does this mean that if there no enemies in your zone at all you get the block chance even if you're by yourself?

Aye you do indeed get the block chance if by yourself. However that is why it also states the block chance is for melee only. So while you would get an increased block chance if alone it would serve you no good. As for Combined will the idea was at least 1 other person would be sufficient. Two would include yourself.

Sexy.

@Ferret - The idea was now you cannot change oath targets but you can activate them at any time as a free action. As for the non-epic part it is now removed. As for splitting damage you use the persons armor who got hit. At rank 2 you subtract 1 damage from each target. The damage would be split after damage had been assigned which is after armor values are calculated. I'll edit the wording before tossing it up officially to make it more clear.

Any other thoughts concerns or questions on this tree or I should I pack it up and send it on its merry little way to the official list?

I think she's good to go.

Aye, good enough.

Done.