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gurgleflep
2013-05-21, 01:09 AM
Well, this is an odd request isn't it? To explain why I'm asking this: I've been playing a lot of Tekken lately and Ganryu is in my top 3 most played characters.
I'm wanting to - in the next campaign I actually get to play in - play as a sumo wrestler! No armor, no weapons, over-sized but still agile, great with grapple and strong!

The DM is permitting homebrew classes, races, the whole nine-yards and I know you're all great with this kind of stuff :smallsmile:

If you have any questions please don't hesitate to ask :smallbiggrin: Thank you all for this!

Just to Browse
2013-05-21, 01:31 AM
Balance / Optimization level?

Are you specifically looking for Ganryu abilities (and if so, can you point me to a wiki or something with a source of those abilities?) or do you just want the things you described?

"Sumo" is also probably just a decent monk build with Powerful Build and grapple. I think you could grab a monk fix and go.

gurgleflep
2013-05-21, 01:57 AM
Balance / Optimization level?

Are you specifically looking for Ganryu abilities (and if so, can you point me to a wiki or something with a source of those abilities?) or do you just want the things you described?

"Sumo" is also probably just a decent monk build with Powerful Build and grapple. I think you could grab a monk fix and go.

I'm afraid I don't know exactly what exactly you mean by balance / optimization level.

Ganryu's wiki page. (http://tekken.wikia.com/wiki/Ganryu)
Here's a video of him fighting in the most recent Tekken. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ROMPuIdkQiI) It doesn't show much of him grappling, but that's just due to whoever's playing him.

I'm looking for a little bit of both, really. I would like to keep the style pretty grapple oriented like the ones often seen in televised events but with a bit of the fantasy, unrealisticness of the game.

I've never played as a monk - heck, I've never played anything but a barbarian or a ninja to be honest - so would you be able to make some suggestions?

stack
2013-05-21, 09:46 AM
Unarmed swordsage focusing on setting sun maneuvers. I don't know Tekken at all, but if you want to throw people around that is the way to go. Take jotunbrud if human or play a goliath to get powerful built.

drew2u
2013-05-21, 11:21 AM
Since you're looking for homebrew options, this was my beginning take of my own Sumo character, using the archetype format applied to the Monk class:

Sumo Monk

Obese (replaces Fast Movement: see 'Mountain Uproot' below) - -3 Dex checks, weight doubles for your species, carrying capacity is treated as one STR category higher.
Powerful Build for these Combat Maneuvers (instead of flurry of blows):
Grapple
Bull Rush
Sunder
Drag
Move
Damage
Pin
Overrun
Reposition
Trip
Ground Pound (instead of slow fall) - can choose to share half-damage with what's below him (takes half-damage from falling, but also deals half-damage to objects/ground he lands on).
Anchored Body (instead of Empty Body) - acts as a dimensional anchor to grappled foes.
Shrug Off (replaces evasion & Improved Evasion) - DR 2/magic, DR 5/magic
Mountain Uproot (Replaces Abundant Step) - The -3 Dex penalty from 'Obese' disappears. Speed increases by +10 ft.
Awesome Blow (as per the monster feat?)

OzymandiasX
2013-05-21, 01:18 PM
Monk is really the way to go for this concept, I think. You could even use a standard monk and see if your DM would let you be size Large (with the associated bonuses and penalties)... that would fit perfectly.

Or maybe check out the Sumotori variant and the Way of the Titans path from the Quintessential Monk book. It is an old 3.0 book, but has tons of cool flavorful variants for monks that can easily be tweaked for a 3.5 or PF game.

http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/The_Quintessential_Monk

Deepbluediver
2013-05-21, 01:48 PM
The issue I see is this: I'm not sure there is enough of a concept here to make a whole 20-level class. Some people have an idea for a good concept, but then try to stretch it to far.

That how you end up with some classe who spend 20 levels gaining mastery over every school of magic and gaining complete control over the multitude of cosmic forces, and other classes that that spend 20 levels learning how to shoot a bow.

As others have said, I think monk is the probably the way to start here, although I recall seeing something like a boxer/brawler in a splatbook once.

My point though, is do you need to have have a whole seperate class? Or is this the kind of concept we can represent with a PrC?



I'm afraid I don't know exactly what exactly you mean by balance / optimization level.

What levels do you expect this game to run from? What other classes are people playing as? What sort of encounters does your DM usually use? And how difficulat are they?

Basically, how powerful and versatile should this character be in order to remain comparable to the setting and the rest of the party.

Just to Browse
2013-05-21, 05:27 PM
The issue I see is this: I'm not sure there is enough of a concept here to make a whole 20-level class. Some people have an idea for a good concept, but then try to stretch it to far.
[snip]There is a 20-level class called "swashbuckler", and yet there are 5 or so WotC pirate PrCs. So of course it can be a PrC, but it can also be a base class or an ACF. And ACFs are both easier to write and easier to access.

I'm actually on board with drew2u's ideas. Anchored Body sounds frakkin cool.

Deepbluediver
2013-05-21, 07:24 PM
There is a 20-level class called "swashbuckler", and yet there are 5 or so WotC pirate PrCs. So of course it can be a PrC, but it can also be a base class or an ACF. And ACFs are both easier to write and easier to access.

I'm actually on board with drew2u's ideas. Anchored Body sounds frakkin cool.

The Swashbuckler, like the monk, is a tier 5 class, and most builds don't recomend taking more than 3 or 4 levels in it. In other words, it seems like the perfect example of a concept stretched too thin.

drew2u's ACF seems fine; I think it's flavorful and there's nothing in it that seems objectionable. In fact, for a grapple-based character Powerful Build is quite nice.
But at it's core its still a monk. That's why the questions about what gamestyle and optimization level are important.

stack
2013-05-21, 07:34 PM
OP, is there anything you want this character to do that you can't do with setting sun maneuvers?

gurgleflep
2013-05-21, 09:40 PM
Okay, so the general consensus appears to be: use the monk and get it as close to a sumo as I can using various feats, ACFs, and body types.

I like the idea of using a PRC.

We'll likely be beginning in 5th level and playing through to twentieth. The rest of the party is as-of-yet undecided on what they'll be.

I've not looked into the Setting Sun stuff - I don't have the book personally, but a friend in the group has it.


If I overlooked something, please ask.

turbo164
2013-05-22, 12:29 PM
You might also add a touch of Dungeoncrasher Fighter for "Ring-outs" :)

gurgleflep
2013-05-22, 12:48 PM
You might also add a touch of Dungeoncrasher Fighter for "Ring-outs" :)

That's in Dungeonscape, right?

Ossian
2013-05-22, 12:54 PM
Monk gets my vote as well, perhaps with some feat that lets you apply CON bonus to armour instead of WIS (I recall something on a splatbook). Focus on grapple (complete warrior and oriental adventures have a lot to offer) and see if your GM allows you as a class feature (maybe after you hit level 6, like the Monk Variants) to get "powerful build" as a class feature (see the psionic half-giants for an example).

gurgleflep
2013-05-22, 01:06 PM
Monk gets my vote as well, perhaps with some feat that lets you apply CON bonus to armour instead of WIS (I recall something on a splatbook). Focus on grapple (complete warrior and oriental adventures have a lot to offer) and see if your GM allows you as a class feature (maybe after you hit level 6, like the Monk Variants) to get "powerful build" as a class feature (see the psionic half-giants for an example).

What's a splatbook?

turbo164
2013-05-22, 01:20 PM
What's a splatbook?

Slang for pretty much any non-core book.

And yep, Dungeoncrasher is from Dungeonscape.

gurgleflep
2013-05-22, 01:21 PM
Slang for pretty much any non-core book.

And yep, Dungeoncrasher is from Dungeonscape.

Okay, thank you on both of those :smallsmile:
It's fortunate that we're a large group, we've got 80 plus books (third party included) :smalleek: Hopefully I can find it somewhere :smallbiggrin: