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elonin
2010-01-26, 07:59 PM
Even though Jack is a samurai I'd tend to think that he doesn't have these levels. From the series Jack would have maxed out climb and jump and tend to have levels in near full BAB classes. He might have class levels in ranger and a monk (he has at least trained with monks)

Drakevarg
2010-01-26, 08:00 PM
Looking at Jack's training montage, he's either a straight fighter, or has at least one level in every martial class. Which is of course unlikely, what with Monk and Barbarian being mutually exclusive by RAW.

As for Aku, he's probably a diety of some sort.

DementedFellow
2010-01-26, 08:01 PM
Ranger, favored enemy (robots), taken multiple times.

tyckspoon
2010-01-26, 08:04 PM
Warblade. Diamond Mind, Iron Heart, and the movement-enhancing Tiger Claw maneuvers. Part of Tome of Battle's design goal was to make characters like Jack function in the D&D rules.

Xenogears
2010-01-26, 08:05 PM
Give him some levels in the Blade Dancer PrC from OA. A one level dip would uncap your max jump height, give a +10 bonus on Jump, Tumble, and Balance, and double his speed. Some more levels increase all of that and let him enchant his blade once per day. I think only 1-5 levels. Prolly only 1. Actually 1-2 levels in the OA Samurai would be pretty good. Gives him a bonus feat and a katana and wakizashi that can be enchanted directly (instead of selling your loot at half price and then using the gold), good fort and will saves, and 4 skill points. So a little better than fighter in some circumstances. Also one level of the Singh Rager (or any other class that gives Rage while allowing Lawful alignment).

Thats a start.

SurlySeraph
2010-01-26, 08:08 PM
@^: So, Kensai levels?

Xenogears
2010-01-26, 08:12 PM
@^: So, Kensai levels?

That would work good with it as well....

Actually the Singh Rager PrC might work pretty good now that I think of it. You need Ki Shout but it lets you use it more often, pumps the DC, and gives you Greater Ki Shout for free (and Jack does love his shouting...), plus pounce after a few levels, rage, and some other abilities.... all while staying Lawful.

Drakevarg
2010-01-26, 08:15 PM
In terms of fluff, Kensai would be almost perfect. Oath? Kill Aku. Signature weapon? God-slaying katana of DOOM.

On a tangent, why does DnD keep insisting that katanas are bastard swords? I've held many of them in my life and they're pretty clearly longswords.

Or perhaps being six feet tall just makes me think that they're perfectly serviceable one-handed weapons...

Xenogears
2010-01-26, 08:21 PM
In terms of fluff, Kensai would be almost perfect. Oath? Kill Aku. Signature weapon? God-slaying katana of DOOM.

On a tangent, why does DnD keep insisting that katanas are bastard swords? I've held many of them in my life and they're pretty clearly longswords.

Or perhaps being six feet tall just makes me think that they're perfectly serviceable one-handed weapons...

Well Bastard Swords are also known as Hand and a Half swords due to the style of switching from one handed to two handed (Or so I've heard). So it can be used either way. Also Katana's were most commonly (though variation was common) used two handed.

Back to Jack now. Let me think. If we're going with Kensai there is no need for Samurai so switch that to plain Fighter. Then get spellcasting (either a feat or a 1 lvl dip in something like assassin) for Blade Dancer, go 4 lvl of Singh Rager for pounce and rage and yelling, then finish off with Kensai? Might work. Too many of those PrC's need to be taken later though...

SurlySeraph
2010-01-26, 08:22 PM
Two reasons.

1. Like bastard swords, you can wield them in one hand (like Miyamoto Mushashi) or in two hands (like a normal person) effectively.
2. That way they do slightly more damage, thus placating the katana fanboys.

Doomboy911
2010-01-26, 08:23 PM
I'd throw Jack under samurai because of the ancestrial weapon.

Thurbane
2010-01-26, 08:23 PM
Could Aku be an advanced Shadow Demon with levels of Wizard or similar?

...also, lets not devolve into a katana vs. bastard sword argument. There's a reason this exact topic was once banned for over a year on the WotC forums - both sides of the debate seem a little too passionate about excatly how effective a katana is compared to Western style swords.

JoshuaZ
2010-01-26, 08:24 PM
Jack probably is something like Swordsage 8/Master of Nine 5 or something like that. Tome of Battle does a good simulation for a lot of what he can do and Master of Nine gives him mastery of all the major martial arts which fits in well with the fluff. Maybe with a few monk levels thrown in. It might actually make sense to gestalt him with fighter on the other side for some bonus feats. Probably though no Desert Wind maneuvers since he never seems to do much like stuff in that school. Gestalt of Swordsage 8/Master of Nine 5 on one side with Fighter 6/Monk 6/Warblade 3 would probably do decently.

Aku is probably a low level demigod. So probably 1 divine rank. According to the SRD deities are supposed to have 20 ranks in a single class and add on from there but that doesn't simulate him well. So I'm going go suggest divine rank 1 with wiz 3/cleric 3/mystic theurge 10. Cleric domains probably darkness and death.

Jack's sword should probably be an artifact which is something like a +5 Keen, Ghost Touch sword which has the special ability of being able to threaten critical hits against Aku despite Aku's divine template.

How does that sound?

Drakevarg
2010-01-26, 08:25 PM
Given his apparent Immunity: Everything that isn't Jack's sword, I'd say he's almost certaintly a diety of some sort.

Xenogears
2010-01-26, 08:29 PM
Jack's sword should probably be an artifact which is something like a +5 Keen, Ghost Touch sword which has the special ability of being able to threaten critical hits against Aku despite Aku's divine template.

How does that sound?

Given that the sword was literally forged by gods It most certainly qualifies as an artifact. I'd say take the angelwing Razor from BoVD (Ironic....) as the base. Can cut through anything even a wall of force. Then have Aku be protected by a permanent non-dispellable Wall of Force. Now only Jack can hurt him.

elonin
2010-01-26, 09:03 PM
Aku is clearly a god (at least lesser diety) from the episode "birth of evil". I like the theme of kensai and ranger for Jack. For the standard game Jack seems to have a good number of ranks in the sense skills, though he's also intelligent. He also clearly has power attack and improved critical. He isn't a brute fighter only though.

arguskos
2010-01-26, 09:05 PM
Jack: Good enough to defeat anything.
Aku: Can't be beat by anything.

They're practically the IDEAL Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable Object scenario. More interesting to me is... what's the Scotsman? :smallamused:

Eldariel
2010-01-26, 09:07 PM
I'd say Jack has all lucky sevens base 18s across the board, even in...nay, especially in Cha. He's brilliant, wise, quick, strong, durable and especially gawd damn charismatic. And he kicks a god's ass on regular basis.

Drakevarg
2010-01-26, 09:08 PM
Jack: Good enough to defeat anything.
Aku: Can't be beat by anything.

They're practically the IDEAL Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable Object scenario. More interesting to me is... what's the Scotsman? :smallamused:

Which is exactly why the show was so awesome.

As for the Scotsman... Barbarian maybe?

Prime32
2010-01-26, 09:10 PM
I would go with a swordsage/factotum for Jack. Swordsage for his fighting abilities, Factotum because he's good at improvisation. Don't forget the Leap of the Heavens feat so he can "jump good".

The sword is an artifact. Made of starmetal. If you want something similar try a starmetal holy avenger.

chiasaur11
2010-01-26, 09:11 PM
Jack: Good enough to defeat anything.
Aku: Can't be beat by anything.

They're practically the IDEAL Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable Object scenario. More interesting to me is... what's the Scotsman? :smallamused:

A fan of Haggis.

arguskos
2010-01-26, 09:13 PM
A fan of Haggis.
Damn straight he is. :smallamused: But is he No True or not? XD

Prime32
2010-01-26, 09:14 PM
Thought on the sword:
A magic item which lets you cast a touch-range spell with the Purify Spell (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Purify_Spell) metamagic feat applied? If Aku tried to use it on Jack he would take no damage.

Bear in mind that Jack once killed an evil well by stabbing it.

Beorn080
2010-01-26, 09:26 PM
The Scotsmen is definitely some form of barbarian. He has an utterly chaotic fighting style that fits in perfectly with a barbarian's rage. I would also say he has a high level 5/day wand of magic missile for a leg.

Xenogears
2010-01-26, 09:30 PM
The Scotsmen is definitely some form of barbarian. He has an utterly chaotic fighting style that fits in perfectly with a barbarian's rage. I would also say he has a high level 5/day wand of magic missile for a leg.

Wand? WAND? WAND?! It's clearly a staff or rod.

Drakevarg
2010-01-26, 09:31 PM
Thought on the sword:
A magic item which lets you cast a touch-range spell with the Purify Spell (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Purify_Spell) metamagic feat applied? If Aku tried to use it on Jack he would take no damage.

Bear in mind that Jack once killed an evil well by stabbing it.

Again, it's abilities and origin both point towards it being a Major Artifact powered by Plot.

elonin
2010-01-26, 10:53 PM
Oh yea the Scotsman is definitely a barbarian. Jack has defeated Aku before but couldn't get the kill shot in.

Harperfan7
2010-01-26, 10:59 PM
Jack, like all fictional badasses, is gestalt.

Definitely Samurai (oriental adventure), Monk, Warblade, & Weapon Master.

I just don't know how much of what.

Pharaoh's Fist
2010-01-26, 11:01 PM
They're practically the IDEAL Unstoppable Force vs. Immovable Object scenario. More interesting to me is... what's the Scotsman? :smallamused:
Racial HD in Scotsman.

Baron Malkar
2010-01-27, 12:21 AM
If you consider Jacks sword to be finesse-able the duelist from Urban arcana on a quick hero base seems to cover all the bases including deflecting bullets with his sword...Ahem. At least thats how I see it.

Sstoopidtallkid
2010-01-27, 12:35 AM
Jack: Warblade 15. Stone Dragon, Tiger Claw, and a touch of Iron Heart. Sword of Epic God-Slaying(Artifact, pierces all DR, makes wielder negate all Divine Ranks in 100' and be immune to any ability derived off of Divine Ranks).
Aku: Lesser Deity, Rogue 20/Shadowdancer 10.
Scotsman: Warblade 15. Stone Dragon and Iron Heart.

Magnor Criol
2010-01-27, 01:24 AM
I dunno if Jack can really be pigeonholed into just one class, even with a class as versatile as Warblade.

Considering:
A) how many martial arts styles he's mastered - doesn't it talk about how he literally travelled all over the entire globe as a young man to learn every fighting style everywhere ever?
B) He's so RIDICULOUSLY more skilled in every way than just about everyone he meets.

It always seemed to me almost like he's a gestalt character, with martial classes on both sides, in an otherwise non-gestalt world.

Also ridiculously high ability scores, both physical and mental. His only low stat might be charisma, and by "low" I mean "below a 16" because he's actually still pretty charismatic.

Perhaps he's gestalted two ToB classes, with Master of Nine thrown on the end there somewhere?

Beorn080
2010-01-27, 01:33 AM
Could he be considered epic? He does fight what is essentially a god and win a few times. Feats like Holy strike and Bane of Enemies would seem to fit perfectly for him.

Hida Reju
2010-01-27, 06:24 AM
I would Gestalt him with Unarmed SwordSage 20 with Warblade 20. This gives him a redonkulus amount of abilities to use. His stats will be near superhuman due to a +5 inherit bonus from "Quest" wishes for his origin to all stats.

That with the normal stat progression will give him stats of crazyness.

If you want to simulate how strong he is without gear mod like he has vow of poverty with none of its drawbacks when without gear. Then if in Armor give him the stats of the Armor or gear instead of his inherit ones.

Then with Artifact sword that against anyone other than Aku it's a +5 Vorpal, Keen. Against Aku it loses vorpal but gains Bane Outsider and holy.

Kris Strife
2010-01-27, 06:54 AM
I think the Scotsman's sword is capable of hurting Aku as well actually, cause of the magic runes rather than being forged by gods. His bounty is about as high as Jack's own, and Jack wasn't able to break it.

Uin
2010-01-27, 07:09 AM
Racial HD in Scotsman.
As an actual Scotsman, and not just an American that thinks they're Scottish, I concur.

Bayar
2010-01-27, 07:35 AM
I think the Scotsman's sword is capable of hurting Aku as well actually, cause of the magic runes rather than being forged by gods. His bounty is about as high as Jack's own, and Jack wasn't able to break it.

Nono, the magical runes made the sword immune to being sundered.

Prime32
2010-01-27, 07:42 AM
Considering:
A) how many martial arts styles he's mastered - doesn't it talk about how he literally travelled all over the entire globe as a young man to learn every fighting style everywhere ever?
B) He's so RIDICULOUSLY more skilled in every way than just about everyone he meets.The "know loads of martial arts styles" class is Swordsage, possibly with some Master of Nine on the side.

The "ridiculously skilled at everything" class is Factotum.

elonin
2010-01-27, 08:56 AM
I don't know TOB classes, though think it's funny that when asked to stat out some uber melee character that book gets pointed to. The deflecting bullets bit might be using the catch arrows feat. Jack is also really good at dodging. Yes there was an episode that depicts him traveling all over the globe getting training from many different styles. Oddly enough there was a reference to his kimono being extremely durable, even though it got shredded on every tough fight. From his description I thought about calling it armor (in rolemaster they have shirts/robes that protect as heavy armor types).

Kris Strife
2010-01-27, 09:15 AM
And where does he get his new robe for every episode? The only time he ended with it intact was the one about the robot assassin... Where I hoped Jack wouldn't kill him :smallfrown:

Xenogears
2010-01-27, 09:23 AM
I think he has the Epic Paragon Template. A bonus to-hit, AC, +15 to all stats, etc. It's in the SRD if anyone wants to look at it. But it seems to fit Jack pretty good. So Give that to him for free (it doesn't have an LA IIRC anyway.)

Prime32
2010-01-27, 09:39 AM
I think he has the Epic Paragon Template. A bonus to-hit, AC, +15 to all stats, etc. It's in the SRD if anyone wants to look at it. But it seems to fit Jack pretty good. So Give that to him for free (it doesn't have an LA IIRC anyway.)

No LA =/= LA +0

Just like "no Con score" =/= Con 0

Xenogears
2010-01-27, 09:41 AM
No LA =/= LA +0

Just like "no Con score" =/= Con 0

I know. Otherwise I would have said LA +0. I was saying that since it doesn't have an LA, and there is no level limit to this exercise, there is no point in creating one for it so you might as well toss it on Jack for free.

Lord Bingo
2010-01-28, 06:22 PM
I don't even want to guess what Jack has levels in. It is not as important as the fact that he carries the sword that can hurt AKU!

AKU probably is a Mystic Theurge with Rogue, ninja, or some such levels to boot, 40-50 in all who has some racial ability which has been honed to a point where it gives him damage reduction ∞/Jack's sword.

Prime32
2010-01-28, 07:19 PM
I don't even want to guess what Jack has levels in. It is not as important as the fact that he carries the sword that can hurt AKU! Jack doesn't only fight Aku. It's not like there's nothing distinctive about his fighting style when he's not fighting Aku.