DnD 4E Regional Benefits Review

Member: 109
Joined: Mar 23 2009

I'm soliciting review from fellow RPGers, Gallidon artisans, and anyone else stopping by to read this.

This section is probably the easiest to build of the 4E Campaign Setting for Gallidon, so I'm posting it first for review.

Here's the stat block from the Background chapter (where users can select a region of origin and get a small bonus) for feedback.

For those unfamiliar with 4E regional benefits, think of it as something common for all player characters (no necessary NPCs) that hail from that specific region. They might not have been born there, so these are more cultural bonuses that any character of any class receives at character creation time.


HIGH HILLS REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Nature to your class skill list and gain a +2 bonus to Nature checks.

ILLUMINATED PEAKS REGIONAL BENEFIT
You can reroll any Nature check, but you must keep the second result, even if it is worse. You also gain a +1 bonus on initiative checks.

THE ISLES REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Acrobatics and Athletics to your class skill list, and you gain a +1 Acrobatics checks and Athletics checks.

MIDDLE KINGDOM REGIONAL BENEFIT
You gain a +2 bonus to all Perception checks.

NOTH REALM REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Endurance to your class skill list and you gain a +3 bonus to Endurance checks.

SEA OF GRASS REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Athletics and Nature to your class skill list, and you gain a +1 bonus to Athletics checks and Nature checks.

SEVENTH KINGDOM REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Dungeoneering to your class skill list, and you gain a +2 bonus to Dungeoneering checks.

MULCAR REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Stealth and Thievery to your class skill list and you gain +1 bonus to Stealth checks and Thievery checks.

THE ROCK REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Arcana and History to your class skill list and you gain a +1 bonus to Arcana checks and History checks.

TAR MIRA REGIONAL BENEFIT
You can reroll any History check, but you must keep the second result, even if it is worse. You also gain a +1 bonus to all Perceptions checks.

WASTELANDS REGIONAL BENEFIT
You gain resist 4 fire and a +5 bonus to Endurance checks made due to thirst. At 11th level, resistance improves to 7. At 21st level, it improves to 10.


Feel free to add some more or post recommended changes.

This is a first draft, so you can expect some changes. Any feedback or new ideas (or new regions) would be great.

thanks,

Member: 4
Joined: Sep 2 2008
Regional Bonus Suggestions

Some quick suggestions:

Illuminated Peaks: reroll Insight instead of Nature?

Middle Kingdom: Diplomacy instead of Perception?

Seventh Kingdom: I'd leave this blank or just omit it until there is an official 7th Kingdom.

Tar Mira: bonus to Streetwise instead of History & Bluff instead of Perception bonus?

I'm not sure of the mechanic, but it would be good to grant folks from the Sea of Grass some sort of bonus dealing with horses & riding since they are The Horsemen of Gallidon.

Member: 109
Joined: Mar 23 2009
> Illuminated Peaks: reroll

> Illuminated Peaks: reroll Insight instead of Nature?

I wanted to avoid giving two regions the same bonus. High Hills also have Nature bonus. Can easily be updated. No real reason other than just wanting to spread benefits around a bit to give each a little difference.

> Middle Kingdom: Diplomacy instead of Perception?
Good idea.

> Seventh Kingdom: I'd leave this blank or just omit
> it until there is an official 7th Kingdom.

Ok

> Tar Mira: bonus to Streetwise instead of History & Bluff instead of Perception bonus?

Ok. I think Bluff is a bit different in 4E. I'll have to look it up.

> I'm not sure of the mechanic, but it would be good to grant folks
> from the Sea of Grass some sort of bonus dealing with horses &
> riding since they are The Horsemen of Gallidon.

How about a +Ride bonus?

Member: 4
Joined: Sep 2 2008
Peaks reroll and Ride

I suggested Illuminated Peaks have an Insight bonus to avoid doubling the Nature Bonus (typo?) with the High Hills and because it works for the culture and Kingdom of Ishi.

Riding bonus sounds perfect for the Sea of Grass.

Member: 109
Joined: Mar 23 2009
Ride

There doesn't seem to be a Ride skill in 4E. I glanced over the skill list in the PH and I couldn't find it. I'll look into it next week. I'm sure mounted combat feats would use some sort of skill check.

Member: 4
Joined: Sep 2 2008
4E Ride

It looks to me as if ride as a skill does not exist in 4E. There is a feat called Mounted Combat. What do you think of that as a bonus feat for characters from the Sea of Grass?

Member: 109
Joined: Mar 23 2009
Feat

I think a feat is too much for regional benefits. There seems to be some sort of formula that WotC used to determine regional benefits and I think the worth/cost of a feat is more than a +2 bonus and a couple of class skills that the other regions get.

Member: 109
Joined: Mar 23 2009
Updated benefits

Here's the most up to date benefits list for review and comment.


HIGH HILLS REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Nature to your class skill list and gain a +2 bonus to Nature checks.

ILLUMINATED PEAKS REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Nature to your class skill list and gain a +2 bonus to Nature checks.

THE ISLES REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Acrobatics and Athletics to your class skill list, and you gain a +1 Acrobatics checks and Athletics checks.

MIDDLE KINGDOM REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Diplomacy to your class skill list and gain a +2 bonus to all Diplomacy checks.

NOTH REALM REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Endurance to your class skill list and you gain a +2 bonus to Endurance checks.

SEA OF GRASS REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Nature to your class skill list and gain a +2 bonus to Nature checks.

SEVENTH KINGDOM REGIONAL BENEFIT
TBD

MULCAR REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Stealth and Thievery to your class skill list and you gain +1 bonus to Stealth checks and Thievery checks.

THE ROCK REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Arcana and History to your class skill list and you gain a +1 bonus to Arcana checks and History checks.

TAR MIRA REGIONAL BENEFIT
You add Streetwise and Bluff to your class skill list and you gain +1 bonus to Streetwise checks and Bluff checks.

WASTELANDS REGIONAL BENEFIT
You gain resist 4 fire and a +5 bonus to Endurance checks made due to thirst. At 11th level, resistance improves to 7. At 21st level, it improves to 10.


I'd still like to see something different between Peaks, Sea of Grass, and High Hills. I just don't know what right now.

I'd also like to see something for each of the major cities, since the culture there would likely be a bit different and more urban than the rest of the region.

Member: 4
Joined: Sep 2 2008
Peaks benefit

Based on this excerpt:

Visitors to the Illuminated Peaks are often struck first by the overwhelming sense of orderliness, then by the way in which the inhabitants seem to just "know" how to act in any given situation.

I would suggest replacing the Nature skill bonus with an Insight skill bonus.

Member: 4
Joined: Sep 2 2008
Sea of Grass benefit

Still not sure where to go with the Sea of Grass benefit. I went back to the original inspiration: the Kanem Empire in North Africa around 900 AD prior to the spread of Islam.

Nuture, some kind of Animal Husbandry, Riding, Perception? I don't know of any game mechanic for great vision, or weather sense, or something along those lines. And since they've changed riding to a feat in 4E, that kind of kills that thought as a bonus.

A +1 to Athletics & Nature bonuses might just be the best way to go.

Member: 86
Joined: Jan 30 2009
Busy Bees Everywhere!

Gents,

You have been busy. Lots of great stuff here. Since you are doing this, I think I'll keep the basic adventure as a 'generic' but include stats for 4e as an appendix to the core adventure.

Shurijo, not sure where got the time, but more power to ya man! Keep it coming and I'll try to add two cents if I feel it will add to the discussion.

Also - I took a chance to look at some backgrounds in the character creator and here are some other ideas for the Grasslands...

+ 1 bonus to saving throws that end dazed, , stun, immobilized

or

+ 1 to Initiative Checks (being on the plains and all)

or

It takes 4 failed saves to kill you (might be better for Northern guys! :)

jp

Edit to add some ideas...

jp

Member: 109
Joined: Mar 23 2009
new regional benefit

joropa, thanks for the ideas. I think the +initiative might make a good feat when on horseback.


Here's a new one.

KREA’AL REGIONAL BENEFIT
You gain a +3 bonus to Insight checks for recognizing an effect as illusory and saving throws against illusions