Val Bloodline talent errata

while your idea has merit I think it may end up confusing people (due to the fact that the system provided is unlike any other)

Story wise, your hero has little control over how their bloodline powers manifest.. the system we are proposing is much less stringent then the old system bloodline powers worked off of (requiring you to get all of the lower level bloodline powers)

Elorii are also forced, even in this system, to pick bloodline powers they may not like as they move up to the bloodline powers.

Just a thought on this. Could we base it on Bloodrank? If the numbers add up right you can use Potent blood to effectively skip a tier of talent you don’t really like. In the end though i do think the best answer is just more options at each tier, which i’m sure will happen but takes time.

I see no issue with the rules as written, where you need at least one BL talent of a tier Lower to get the benefits of the higher ability. This way they are consistent with the Elorii Bloodline Talents, and (theoretically) the same as the Black Vals whenever they are released (unless they change things up). I see no mechanical reason why you shouldn’t have to get at least one Tier III to get a Tier IV. Just like any tiered effects, you sometimes have to take a lemon to get to the good stuff.

To me, Val bloodlines are different than Elorii bloodlines. Elorii have a single tiered talent whereas Val have multiple (usually) unrelated talents. I strongly feel that one of my two suggestions (either count of talents not directly related to tier or additional talents added at tier 3 and 4) needs to be implemented to allow some flexibility (either is still far more restrictive than what is currently in the rules of just cherry-picking whatever you want).

I also do not mind this requirement. I like the notion of having a power that is not predictable/obvious.

I’m looking forward to the time when walking from one tree to another is useful!

I’m starting to think “count of tier-1” (rather than “possess 1+ of tier-1”) is the way to handle all (or at least most) of these new restrictions. See Josh’s nearly identical suggestion for how to handle Learn Martial Technique. If all (or most) of them are handled in the same way (count) then this isn’t unusual/odd and won’t confuse people.

If this goes in as proposed, can we at least get a second bloodline talent for each family at T3 and T4 before anyone gets that far? As I’ve said, I don’t mind more restriction – I just majorly dislike the complete lack of choice with the proposed errata.

that’s nothing new, spanning back to the d20 days…

sometimes to get to the uber stuff, you have to take the “not so uber” stuff

I think this is a poor way to balance things. Requiring you take stuff you don’t want, won’t use and which doesn’t fit with your character is heavy handed. It only results in all characters of a val bloodline being identical.

There was a reason no one liked Feat Taxes and the like in d20

John

I think I can no longer support this errata because you have referenced a Lady Gaga song.