Shattered Kingdoms

Okay! Make taunt not cause !flee anymore and all fixed!

You should be able to flee when Bashed. Bash is cheap. Can't run, can't cast any spells or use any skills...

I think the taunt change is pretty good. I've managed to get away from new taunt before (albeit because of a lucky tick). Maybe if it had more of a saving throw it'd be better, but to be honest it just makes swashbucklers a bit more playable (no matter how unrealistic the skill is).

Maybe you could have a saving throw based on knowledge of languages? It'd reduce the number of people (non-swashbucklers, anyway) who had all languages set to mastered, and I've seen that complained about before.

That's against the skill's help file though. :/

I think swashbucklers are the best melee class currently. taunt, trip, disarm.

I know someone will pop in here going "OMG GIATN BARb." but yeah, no.

No, not a giant barb unless it gets lucky (though I eagerly await the day when barbs are good). But I think mercs have the edge on swashbucklers. Sure, a swashbuckler can beat a caster that isn't on his or her toes, but a merc's got all-round staying power, a solid punch, a choice of any weapon, retreat, trip, bash, rally...

Yeah, I'm going mercs. And not just because they've always been one of my two favourite classes.

I think the only issue is whether taunt is just too unfair vs spellcasters. I don't play a lot of spellcasters (though I don't do swashbucklers either), so obviously I lean toward no. But I am of the opinion that if there is virtually no saving throw (or a particularly difficult one to make), which is how I understand it to be, that there should be ways around it.

I'd take a merc to a swash.

A proper merc can destroy a swash with relative ease.

I'm not opposed to taunting adding a frenzy like effect on the taunted party, that makes perfect sense. If this happens though, the taunted person shouldn't be able to target anyone but the swashi. As it stands right now, if you're taunted, you can't flee but you can immediatly switch combat targets. Something you can't do when bashed.

I'm against adding a concentration requirement for the swashi. Swashi's are already the group tank and taunting targets puts them straight into harms way. Adding a concentration to taunt will merely make it so when you taunt people you immediatly lose concentration. (Being hit by four people, you get bashed, someone nails you with hellfire, bam, no ones taunted anymore.) In effect adding concentration nullifies the skill entirely.


I am not however opposed to adding charisma lag to the skill based on natural Charisma levels much like order lag. Note I said natural cha levels. This makes it so a good taunter has to actually spend the stat points in the cha stat and not dump hps and depend on two greater cha mods.

So in effect, you have to spend stat points to be a good taunter and your target gets a nice melee bonus.


ADHD man's summary.

Add natural Cha based order lag to taunt.
Add frenzy like ability to the taunted person.

No concentration additions, this makes the skill counteract itself and therefore pointless.

Hm. I like this.

Both of these. I hereby substitute all the above of my suggestions with these two changes.

This will still be the case, it won't change swashies vs. casters neither. It will just make it so that taunt isn't your response to -everything-. You will have to think about whether you really want to taunt them (something which will make the swashie skillset a little less of a complete repeat every single fight).

I'm all for a frenzy-like effect on the taunted.

The cha-based lag sounds fine too, though I doubt it will change much since pretty much every swashbucklers runs around with maxed cha.

The idea sounds fine to me as well, so long as the combat bonuses to the taunt-ee remain minor, and the order lag disappears at a CHA level attainable without the aid of items/buffs - say mid-high 'dynamic?'

This way, it becomes a minor wimp, but one full of potential from a tactical standpoint for all concerned.