Goodman Games

Thought I would share. I came up with this as a way to let warriors pull some of the heat off of other characters in computer game speak: "pull agro". I haven't seen anything quite like this in the core book or the handfull of modules I have so I thought I would share, if you like it feel free to spread it around.

Also, I think it would be reasonable for a GM to expect the player to demonstrate these skills at the gaming table. The GM should probably consider giving out a bonus effect for a an especially creative insult.

Mighty Deed of Arms: Taunt

You are a mighty warrior with swagger. Your opponent may not be able to even speak but you know just how to push their buttons. Whether insulting the valor of the town guard or flashing a bit of red at a Minotaur, you can enrage your enemies. An enraged enemy is a sloppy enemy.

Roll Effect

3 “Is that all you got?” Your mighty strike pushes your melee opponent back a bit and your sneering insult enrages them. Infuriated your opponent attacks with abandon taking a -1 to AC and all saves until the end of your next round.

4 “Ohh no he didn’t!” Your taunt is enough to drive your opponent into a blind rage. They take a -2 to AC and all saves as they send furious blows at you. Any opponent in this type of rage is easy pickings for a thief’s backstab attack as the opponent only has eyes for you!

5 “Give ‘em a wink”: You strike the opponent before you and knock them back a bit. You give a wink to an opponent in melee with a close ally. The opponent is distracted and suffers a -2 to AC until the end of the next round as they try to figure out: “did he just wink at me?”

6 “Come over here!” You strike your opponent in front of you and send a shout out to an enemy in melee combat with an ally. Your come hither hand wave is enough to make the other enemy lose all interest in your ally and run to attack you! If your ally has not attacked this round, they get a free parting shot as his target blindly rushes for you. The opponent takes a -2 to AC and all saving throws until it manages to hit you for the first time in melee.

7 “You and what army?!” Your taunts are enough to insult every enemy in the room and apparently a bunch of mothers are insulted too! You attract the attention of every opponent in the area that is not yet engaged in melee or using ranged attacks. They all turn their attention to you ignoring all of your luckless allies that usually get picked on. Up to four (4) enemies that surround you in combat suffer a -1 penalty to AC and saving throws until they manage to hit you successfully with a melee attack.

8+ “More than just talk!” You have seriously stirred up the hornet’s nest, now back it up! You attract the attention of every enemy not engaged in melee and can even pull enemies off of adjacent allies (up to four). The crazed enemies suffer -1 to AC and all saving throws until they score a successful melee attack against you. Enemies that abandoned your allies to attack you grant a free attack as they move away from your allies. If you score a critical hit against an enemy, all enemies in melee combat with you must make immediate morale checks. You backed your taunts and your enemies back away in haste (probably soiling themselves and improving the smell of the dungeon in the process!)

Love it! Sounds like a page from MONTY PYTHON AND THE HOLY GRAIL.

"Now if you do not go away I will taunt you a second time!"

I just found this post and Plan to use it in my game. This is good stuff. I can't wait to hear the warrior role play this deed.

Great Post! Stealing this!

What about affecting multiple enemies. I have a player that uses taunting to get everyone to attack him (tanking at AC 22) thus allowing the other characters to attack risk free. The system I cam up with is that he has a base chance on his deed die of 3. That will taunt one opponent. For each score above 3 that taunts an additional opponent. But Each opponent can make a will save vs. the to-hit + deed die score to resist. Thoughts?

Max_The_Judge wrote:...The system I cam up with is that he has a base chance on his deed die of 3. That will taunt one opponent. For each score above 3 that taunts an additional opponent. But Each opponent can make a will save vs. the to-hit + deed die score to resist. Thoughts?

Sounds pretty solid. I might readily allow a doubling of the number of opponents for each number higher than 3 (so 1, 2, 4, 8, etc.). And even more if circumstances suggest more effect (Warrior has just killed two of them, and dares the rest to come and get him, for example).