A fighter template Samurai is pretty brutal too or you can mix Fighter and Monk as an alternative.
Alright, created a DM alias so that's a start :) It should be pretty laid back, preferably two posts a day and one over the weekend since I know people are busy but I'm not gonna kick anybody for doing less or more.
I'd like to do 5d6 drop the lowest two on seven rolls with re-rolls being allowed for particularly bad cases. I'm also on these boards a lot so I should answer responses to me pretty quickly but I don't expect immediate replies as that's unrealistic.
For equipment we'll use the wealth by level table from the DMG and each player will send me a wish list of items which they may receive as a party loot throughout the run of the adventure.
@Anderlorn
That's definitely a strong option and if someone ends up running that I think it could be pretty cool. I'm kind of hoping for some players who are willing to stylize their characters attacks more then simply setting up dice rolls and damage rolls so we can get a feel for a sort of flowing action-movie fight scenes. And like I said, once I've got a party of five I think I will go with gestalt characters (and maybe even dip into some of the mythic stuff once I'm more familiar with it) to make the most "kung-fu movie god" characters haha. I really just want to have a fun game that is sort of goofy at times and has a serious tone at others.
Dotting for interest.
I normally don't go for gestalt games, but Wu Jen / Monk for some magic-wire-fighting-kung-fu could be a lot of fun.
I normally don't go for gestalt games, but Wu Jen / Monk for some magic-wire-fighting-kung-fu could be a lot of fun.
Firstly that made me picture the most interesting man in the world. Second, I like that combo as it seems very Avatar and can easily be formatted to be a very cool character, just remember that the taboos for Wu-Jen are basically excuses to be eccentric and should be played up as much as possible (in my opinion) so you will constantly be offered meat meals in bathtubs while getting a hair cut and sitting facing west :D jk, but I do like that combo I expect to see it a lot if I end up with multiple applicants.
For backstories: Since this is a homebrew world don't worry about ingratiating yourself too much with a particular group. If you have a lord, just state you have a lord and I'll tell you who it would most likely be (giving you a few choices). Also, in true "Journey to the West" form, all character alignments are allowed however Evil characters will be bound to the main quest by Geas spell from the Grand Monk Tai Len. Once I have a few applicants and feel like this might really happen I'll start up with the starting point of the quest and the campaign world
Would it be all right to roll statistics here now to start working on a character submission?
That would be more then fine, it'd actually be preferable
I don't have a problem with Unarmed Fighter. But with 3.5 you won't be able to multiclass between Monk and anything else (at least not back in forth in my memory) If there is a difference in Ninja that makes this significant I don't mind. Also this game will be Gestalt. There's a link here
1 3 3 4 6 = 13
5 3 4 4 1 = 13
4 3 5 4 2 = 13
4 4 5 2 3 = 13
1 5 3 2 2 = 10
3 4 3 6 5 = 15
1 3 5 2 1 = 10
15, 13, 13, 13, 13, 10
You can take a reroll on one 13 and one 10 if you would like Ringtail, pick the better of the two on the rerolls.
4 3 5 5 5 = 15
4 3 1 6 4 = 14
Final array = 15, 15, 14, 13, 13, 13
Excellent, when you've got your character concept together you can post it here or PM me, I can go either way. And like I said in backstory you can name any NPC's that are vital to your past but anything current we'll collaborate on. Thanks for the interest Ringtail
I'll cook over some ideas tonight and start working on the crunch tomorrow. :)
i am dotting with interest. I haven't played 3.5 in a long while, but i have a number of character ideas that i particularly like, especially as pertains to Tome of Battle.
I am thinking Swashbuckler/Swordsage, perhaps with something wonky thrown in to cover one of the party's bases (for instance, something divine or arcane, leaning towards artificer, warlock, warmage, or archivist here).
how strictly "asian" of a theme are you going for here? something more wuxia standard (with little magic) or something more "samurai 7" with some technology thrown in there?
because if it's more "samurai 7", i am even more excited
Just a clarification....
What is the ruling again on the Monk and other 'classes'?
and if i remember correctly there were a slew of feats that allowed monk to be multiclassed with various classes. i know there was one for monk/ninja or monk/rogue, pretty sure they were in Complete Adventurer or Complete Scoundrel.
Dot as well, I do.
12
17
14
12
12
14
13
rogue/ninja//wizard/wu jen. Not sure yet if I want to use the oriental classes or just re-skin the standard.
Would you be open to allowing monster races, or races with LA to take one side of the gestalt?
well those feats, when taken, allow you to (as a monk) take a level in a certain other class (the feat specifies which) and still go back to take another level of monk later freely (rather than the usual 3.5 standard of once you leave monk, you can never go back). Also it allows certain class abilities to use your total level in the two specific classes. You would have to look in the books though, as those feats are not OGL content as far as I know. They aren't on the d20srd and I can't link them.
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Ex-Monks
A monk who becomes nonlawful cannot gain new levels as a monk but retains all monk abilities.
Like a member of any other class, a monk may be a multiclass character, but multiclass monks face a special restriction. A monk who gains a new class or (if already multiclass) raises another class by a level may never again raise her monk level, though she retains all her monk abilities.
Same thing goes for paladins.
So once you multiclass out of monk, you can't go back, unless you have the appropriate feat(s) to do so.
Nebten there are feats that specifically allow you to break the "can never go back rule".
Check Complete Adventurer for the following feats:
Ascetic Hunter (ranger)
Ascetic Knight (paladin)
Ascetic Mage (sorceror)
Ascetic Rogue (rogue)
Check Complete Scoundrel for the following feats:
Ascetic Stalker (ninja)
the classes in parenthesis are the ones that are affected by the feat in addition to the monk class. There are other similar multiclassing feats for ranger/rogue/ninja/swashbuckler/scout/etc.
as for "gestalting", without the feats i have listed, one whole side of the gestalt would have to be monk, with no other classes (well if you went with monk, then another class, you couldnt thereafter take more monk levels). this isnt necessarily a bad thing, monks have the best saves
Alright, awesome to see plenty of new faces on the thread, first clarification on gestalt. In my gestalt games people effectively pick two classes and are simultaneously leveling up in both. This means you aren't multiclassing as that's jumping back and forth. Monk/Ninja is fine. If you want to go one step further and say Monk/Ninja and then multiclass from Ninja you would stat your multiclassing as Monk/Ninja 2 (for example) Monk/Wu-Jen 3. If you multiclass away from the Monk side of things you can never take another level of Monk on either side.
I may be persuaded to allow a monstrous race or two if asked specifically. In that case level adjustment applies to both classes but monstrous HD apply to one. I.e. a Gestalt Giant has 6 HD (again just a hair brain example) which makes it a Giant/Fighter 6. It's LA will make it count as 8th level total though. I know that might not seem sensical, but without HD to represent levels it just seems easier then someone saying Drow/Ranger 2/ Ranger/Sorcerer 3.
In regards to setting, it's definitely more Wuxia then technological though if someone would like to convert Gunslinger to 3.5 I may be persuaded to it (though a Gunslinger/anything seems like it could get pretty broken quickly in my mind). The reason why there is some wiggle room in my mind is because the orient was the birthplace of firearms, especially wonky medieval ones.
I will be putting together a post for the campaign world in the next few days it just hasn't hit my weekend yet. I'm also thinking of creating a homebrew divine class based on mythological Shinto priests and Chinese ideals on the Celestial Bureaucracy. I'll state outright, I'm basically just grab-bagging the stories I like the most and the monsters I think work best. I may also put out a homebrew race for the campaign world (thus far I'm thinking plant creatures of some kind but I'll probably change my mind).
Again I encourage Tome of Battle and welcome suggestions of builds from other classes. I don't believe I have an issue with a Swashbuckler/Swordsage as long as you play to the Swordsage flavor text more (think Kung-Fu with David Carradine lol). More to come, like the ideas I've heard so far, and thank you guys for explaining the monk thing while I was away from my computer.
Currently, if I get five or more applications assumed 5th level Gestalt. If I only end up with 4 after a few days start sending in 6th level Gestalt and If there only appear to be 3 applicants I still take them but with 7th level Gestalt characters. Looking forward to more applications, feel free to ask any questions that come to you
P.S. I Also do allow prestige classes in my gestalt games but only on one side of things. So you can't be a Monk/cleric 5/ Drunken Master/ Sacred Fist 2 But you can be a Monk/cleric 5 Drunken Master/cleric 1 and then a Monk/Sacred Fist 1 if you really want that level.
i dont see how traits, if included, would be affected under any circumstance. since they are not tied to a class, you don't get twice as many for being gestalt. likewise, you don't get twice as many character feats.
Right, thanks Tenro you hit the nail on the head! :) I'm okay with Traits though I'm not a huge fan of them (I like the flaw system from 3.5 better if anyone wants to use those and is willing to roleplay them) just let me know what traits you'd like to take, they do have to apply to the campaign world so I may create a few or replace a few with different flavor text, I'll let everybody know
i loved Kung Fu! i liked Legends the best.
questions:
1.) on the magical/technological side, i am looking for a yes/no on a few things: [warforged. artificer. warmage.]
2.) If allowing creatures with LA, is LA buyoff permissible? what about templates (vampire, etc?)
3.) How do you feel about creation of unique weapons, if appropriate craft ranks and Exotic Weapon Proficiency is taken?
4.) are psionics permissible?
Well to qualify as aquatic I feel they have to be around water most of the time and most of this adventure will be about getting to the coast (think Mainland China journeying to the farthest island out of Japan) but if you're willing to risk almost constant penalties I don't think I have an issue with them. Just try to flavor text it as a water spirit or you could use the Undine featured race from the pathfinder SRD.
As for have the books I don't have an issue with you using the SRD I'm an old rules lawyer so if I miss something it was most likely on purpose or because I'm tired, you should be fine.
If I understand your trait choices you'd like to be a sea elf, adopted by Aasimar and trained to be a monk from birth? I don't directly have an issue with this if you can create a good backstory for it, in this campaign world an Aasimar would be little more then a lesser member of the Celestial Bureaucracy which means they would be very busy as effectively pages between the afterlife and the mortal realm, so you would've travelled a lot as a child while they taught you martial arts. Alternatively you can role-play it as a martial arts master who obtained Nirvana (or a sort) and became a Bodhisattva and stayed behind to raise a child. while I don't oppose the idea, I'm going to need to see a backstory to support it and you'll have to role-play as an almost buddhist monk/ninja which will be... a stretch to say the least. put some thought into it and get back to me
Alright Tenro I'll answer these in order:
1) Warforged would have to be made by the gods and would be exceedingly rare but I could see it. Artificers are fine as the Chinese and Japanese were some of the most prolific inventors in history and this setting should show that. Warmage I'm going to nix however as Wu-Jen and sorcerer are more the flavor I'd like to see and Warmage seems at odds with most of the philosophies of the time period. If you role-play it in an interesting way we can revisit but for now I'm saying no.
2) I'm alright with templates and the LA will apply like I stated above. LA buyoff is not a term I'm familiar with, but if I read it correctly is that trading the abilities away to have less LA? if so it'll be case by case. Please don't play a vampire, the sunlight is just too much of an issue and the only Vampires in oriental culture as best I can tell were Tibetan Hopping Vampires (yes you read that right), half-fiend and half-angel are fine, half-dragon is not since our dragons are different (sorry TV tropes kicked in)
3) If you want a unique weapon I can't immediately say no as that isn't specific enough. Let me put it this way, if it sounds like it already exists in a book I'll refer you there and it's fine. if not I may give you a gold amount and you will need the feat. For magic item creation, to craft a magic item before game you had to be able to make it with a roll of a one, but crafting non magical items on a roll of a ten (tell me if that's confusing)
4)Psion yes, Psychic warrior yes, Wilder no, Soulknife no(but that's for your own good they suck) everything else on case by case, give me specifics. I don't mind psionics (personally I'd be trying to make a Psychic Warrior/Warblade for this game) but they can get difficult to control so I'll need a specific class race combo you have in mind. For now I'm going to say no to all Psionic races (no half-giants, no elan, no Psionic Duegar no blues etc.)
Let me know if you have any other questions.
I found it online, Magic of Eberron, right? I like it, I think that will be just fine, very Man with the Iron Fists but that's not a bad thing at all. write it up and let me know if you have any other questions Tenro
1.) Thanks for the ruling. I like the angle on the warforged and will likely pursue that, i like the unique nature of it.
2.) LA buyoff is a system where the LA of something goes down over the course of levels (no need to give up abilities). HERE IS THE LINK TO THE SRD PAGE OF THOSE RULES
3.) for instance, I was thinking of a gun+blade or gun+spear kind of combo.
4.) understood. I likely won't pursue that route, but I was wondering.
Oh yes, you mentioned a plant race. I recently made one for another game, you can use it if you want and reskin it as necessary to fit the mythos of your world. HERE IS THE LINK to the profile I made for him. To be clear, I do not intend to use it for this game myself, but you can if you want to.
Yeah, I'm okay with that but I'm going to apply a single penalty. For each day spent out of water (and by out of water I mean any water, since you described the character as coming from a river you could honestly lay in a fountain for 20 minutes and be fine) the character has a temporary penalty to ability checks and skills. It starts as a -1 and gets worse and worse cumulatively day by day. This way your at least still an actual aquatic being, because a frog stuck out of water indefinitely still dies and I feel the same about elves
I found it online, Magic of Eberron, right? I like it, I think that will be just fine, very Man with the Iron Fists but that's not a bad thing at all. write it up and let me know if you have any other questions Tenro
yes precisely what i was thinking, and Magic of Eberron is the correct book. I will get a writeup done in the next day or two. (i have work tomorrow and some errands, as well as a wedding the next day, so no promises).
so I'm looking at:
1. swashbuckler // artificer
2. swashbuckler // artificer
3. swashbuckler // artificer
4. swordsage // artificer
5. swordsage // artificer
6. swordsage // renegade mastermaker
although i might just change swordsage to warblade, and drop renegade mastermaker and play as a warforged from the start.
Thanks Tenro, that is a pretty good base. I already have an existing homebrew I just haven't used it anywhere, most likely it'll be a lot like that except with a Wis bonus instead of intelligence (blessed by the bureaucracy with life and all that or representing nature spirits)
1) Cool, just let me know and I'll help you with backstory if you want to attribute it to a particular entity
2)Thanks for that link, that seems fine, anyone who wants to take advantage of that should read that link however not that if you get racial HD any levels alongside the racial HD will still not count
3) I've had a gun-blade in a previous game (ran it right after Final Fantasy XII came out and someone was persistent) and it wasn't that broken, I'll tell you what I told her though, it's going to be extremely hard to make, count as a double weapon for all purposes of cost and will as a base cost a pretty penny (I'm think at least 300 base cost, bumped to 900 to masterwork it as it's a double weapon) and you'll have to enchant it sectionally (i.e. Flaming would go to the blade or the gun, only to both if you enchanted each component). I know that seems harsh but it is quite a difficult concept, it isn't even considered modernly intelligent and I assume you want it to work without a 'misfire' rule. I like the Iron fist idea better but if you'd like to try and dual wield them I think I'm okay with it, like I said this is supposed to be for some ridiculous characters.
4) Glad you asked all the same, someone had to eventually.
Yeah, that backstory works for me, I'll work at it from my side. Now don't make the mistake lots of people make though, your character has been alive assumably for a long time (elf lifespan and all that) and that means a lot of things have happened to them. Even if she spent one hundred years in a monastery learning Wushu or something there are going to be events that define her. As a DM I'm coming to enjoy more and more said, "Backstories are the parties chance to offer plot hooks to the DM instead of the other way around." Create events I can tie into the story, notable NPCs and how they interact. Enemies, rivals, friends, patrons, set them all up and then we'll find a middle ground we both enjoy. I don't want the Jesus story where something weird happened when you were born and HOLY CRAP YOUR 30!! (hope that doesn't offend anyone) I want to know what your characters life was like. Impress me.
I also approve of the class combo though you'll need to explain a bit of why he's trained as a Ninja (good Ninjas seems very naruto) and what the intended use of those skills were. When one trains a Ninja they are honing a tool for use in the world, keep that in mind.
Alright, that's fair. So far I've only counted five applicants total so right now if everyone made a character we could start but since I haven't put a deadline or a campaign world whereabouts it's understandable. Honestly, people who finish their character first are going to be picked, consider this first five approved characters in win type of thing. Anyhow, like I said tomorrow I'll put out the campaign world, any homebrew stuff I'm using and probably a deadline.
Tenro, in my opinion you should always do even levels in something else before jumping into ToB classes, but it's your call. I prefer swordsage for fluff but warblade is a better class in my opinion even if it's a bit limited.
Hey all, I loaded the first part of the campaign world mythology under the Campaign info tab, it's got a spoiler as it's rather long. Not vital reading, I basically just blended together two oriental mythologies and my own spin on it. More to come later tonight regarding the countries and common races as well as my homebrew class "Disciple of the Bureaucracy" which will be a cleric variant with some extra abilities.
Ok, dotting interest, a few questions.
1. Since the 3.5 Soulknives suck, can we use PF Soulknives from Dreamscarred Press except use 3.5 Weapon abilities and anything else needed for 3.5 feel?
2. My plan is PFSoulKnife\Monk or Fighter Monk.
3. Can we create feats for using oriental style weapons such as Oriental or Elven weapons in Flurry of Blows such as the Katana and etc. DnD has always missed the style of Oriental fighting and I think something like this would do it justice?
4. In addition, the Katana can be used with Weapon Fineese just like an Elven Curve Blade and Aldori Deuling blade in PF can.
5d6 ⇒ (2, 2, 1, 6, 2) = 13/10
5d6 ⇒ (6, 3, 6, 5, 2) = 22/17
5d6 ⇒ (2, 3, 1, 3, 6) = 15/12
5d6 ⇒ (6, 6, 6, 2, 6) = 26/18
5d6 ⇒ (4, 4, 4, 3, 2) = 17/12
5d6 ⇒ (2, 4, 2, 5, 4) = 17/13
5d6 ⇒ (1, 3, 4, 5, 2) = 15/12
I'm one of those applicants, I hope.
Question on the race. Using as an example, (and not the one I was thinking of) A Pixie is 1 HD and +4 LA.
So you are saying that the gestalt would be:
Pixie/wu jen 1 // ninja 1
LA // LA
LA // LA
LA // LA
LA // LA
Wu jen 2 // ninja 2
That's a big penalty over:
Pixie/wu jen 1 // ninja 1
LA // ninja 2
LA // ninja 3
LA // ninja 4
LA // ninja 5
wu jen 2 // ninja 6
Means that while everyone else is a 6 HD creature with six levels in two classes, this pixie is a 2 HD creature with some racial abilities that are already reaching diminished returns (hence the LA buy off).
As an alternative, would you consider the racial progression aka Savage Species on one side of the gestalt?
Alright so Anderlorn here are my answers
1. I'll need to look over that and get back to you, if you want to play a Soulknife I'm not really going to stop you since as I said, I considered banning it a courtesy.
2. That sounds fine, I assume Soulknife is wisdom based so that will have good synergy as well
3. I'm okay with you taking a feat to reflect your fighting style with the katana being incredibly quick makes sense, however flurry of blows will be feat to weapon. So if you would want to flurry with a katana you'd have the "Raging Steel" feat but if you want to use the Wakazashi to flurry (a short sword) you'd have "The Thousand Cuts" feat etc. As I understand old Soulknife got a bigger or smaller weapon as he leveled up, I'll check the Pathfinder variant to see if that'll be an issue
4. Have you ever held a Katana? I personally own one in real life and it is a heavy blade, far too large to realistically be used in one hand except by a master (hence exotic weapon proficiency bastard swords existence) so I can't see the Katana being used with weapon Finesse at this time. Especially considering that would make it the largest weapon finesse weapon in terms of damage and threat range combo and nobody would use any other combo.
Anderlorn you can reroll one 12 and one 10 but keep the better result