Shattered Kingdoms

I was just thinking, that when a Leader of a group dies, the group is thrown into dissaray (disbanded) and all hell breaks loose.

Instead, how about a char in the group with a minimum of the preset intelligence and charisma gets passed the leadership... Kind of rally after the leader falls and have a new leader. Of course this would only happen if someone was qualified ( above the min stats in both Int and Cha ). Maybe even somewhat randomize it, have a 50% chance it passes control or something.

Anyways, what do you think D?

I think it isnt a bad idea, but they should be at least a certain level, maybe age ticked to kind of represent experience or something. I don't think it should just be anyone because it is quite a boon to the opposition if they can target and kill the leader. It's part of the tactics of group combat.

I'm not sure how I feel about this. On one hand, it changes group combat dramatically. On the other, it may increase the duration in which group combat persists. I'm all for making a fight take longer and require more skill then just "I'm more prepped, therefor I win with ease".

What about if we made this a skill for a swashie? I think it would fit...

sleeper

No sir. This is not a good idea. Maybe, just maybe, as a skill for a class (I'm not so sure about swashie being the one), but this will certainly only help to automate battles even further. As it is right now, you have to be on your toes and make sure that if your leader falls you break up and regroup yourself. Aiming for a group leader is such an effective tactic in both PK and PVE that it would be insane to debuff it. I could think of a few grouped NPCs that would be unbelievably harder to beat if this became the case.

If it isn't to hard to code, I could certainly see rally sort of setting up a queue to making the last merc. who used the skill become the next leader. Aside from that, though, it is just too big of a nerf and way too much automation to battle.

How about an automatic skill for mercenaries which lets them "save" the group if the leader falls? Or, on the flip side, an automatic skill for paladins which lets them defer the group's leadership when they fall?

It needs to be class specific because it is a very powerful effect.

I wouldn't want to see this as a mercenary skill because I feel mercs are already buff enough. I wouldn't mind not seeing it on a swashie, but my reasoning for throwing them out there was because of their high-level of charisma. Putting something like what Benzo said on a Paladin and Hellion wouldn't be a bad idea.

sleeper

Sounds very much like a merc skill seeing as they are the leaders of group combat. Mercs work better when they work in groups sounds perfectly reasonable to me. Thats the whole concept of the Merc class. It would have to be an automatic skill else a random formation would make the skill useless.

I think the best way to run something like this would be the merc instigates a save will for each group member. Those who make the save stay in the group. Those who fail are instantly ejected with a room echo so the enemy knows who breaks ranks and who to target. The more powerful the merc/skill trained the lower the save check is needed.
The newly formed group should have some extra weaknesses taunt checks against the merc or draws the person out of formation. Perhaps a check every other combat round to keep in the group.

could have it work in conjunction with the leadership skill...

I'd see this as a hellion/paladin/merc skill.

the other classes it just doesn't really make sense for.

A neat idea though, I'd have to think on it a bit more before I'd choose whether or not it's too powerful.

Merc only skill. If they are the leader they can "designate" a follow up leader.

Leader-"If I die, lead them to victory"

Second - "Yes sir."

It is a nice feature to have. I have used it for years on another mud. If it were to be added here, I would see it group leader player only in an out of combat scenario and if they were in the room. Perhaps a skill added to transfer leadership in mid-battle.