By Rob Heinsoo; art by Rich Longmore
Here’s the second of the kin power lists from the in-progress work on the Beta playtest packet of 13th Age 2E. (The first article, for us humans, is here.)
When there’s already a good choice like that’s your best shot, it can be a challenge to come up with competitive powers that aren’t broken. Comrade defender was in the Alpha packet, and represents a slightly more active form of defense compared to that’s your best shot. Never give in is new and potentially of interest to a wider range of dwarf heroes.
Alpha packet playtesters noted that there probably wasn’t a good reason to slot the feat for that’s your best shot all the way up at champion tier. By the same logic, the new power I used with my dwarven fighter in our champion-tier playtest, comrade defender, also gets an adventurer-tier feat. And the intention this time around is that kin powers can matter, so never give in also has its feat slotted in at adventurer tier.
Onward to Underhome!
Dwarves
Kin power: Choose one of comrade defender, never give in, or that’s your best shot?
Comrade Defender (Kin Power)
Once per battle when you intercept an enemy moving to attack an ally, make a basic attack against that enemy after the enemy’s attack as a free action.
Adventurer Feat: Your attack has a +2 attack bonus and takes place before the attack of the enemy you intercept.
Never Give In (Kin Power)
Once per battle when you heal using a recovery, make a save with a +2 bonus against a temporary effect as a free action.
Adventurer Feat: The first time the save fails each battle, you don’t expend the power, though you can only use it once per turn.
That’s Your Best Shot? (Kin Power)
Once per battle as a free action after you have been hit by an enemy attack, you can heal using a recovery. If the escalation die is less than 2, you only get half the usual healing from the recovery. Unlike other recoveries that might allow you to take an average result, you have to roll this one!
You can’t use this ability if the attack drops you to 0 hp or below. You’ve got to be on your feet to sneer at their attack and recover.
Adventurer Feat: If the escalation die is 2+ when you use that’s your best shot, the recovery is free.