[3.5] Class for Hengeyoukai

[Crasical]

What classes would you use to represent a 'standard' Kitsune or Tanuki?

Obviously, you'd want to start with a Hengeyoukai just to get the 'animal with the ability to take human shape' but as for the class...
Kitsune get a whole suit of magical abilities, Divination being one of them. From wikipedia:


Other supernatural abilities commonly attributed to the kitsune include possession, mouths or tails that generate fire or lightning (known as kitsunebi), willful manifestation in the dreams of others, flight, invisibility, and the creation of illusions so elaborate as to be almost indistinguishable from reality. Some tales speak of kitsune with even greater powers, able to bend time and space, drive people mad, or take fantastic shapes such as a tree of incredible height or a second moon in the sky. Other kitsune have characteristics reminiscent of vampires or succubi and feed on the life or spirit of human beings, generally through sexual contact.

Generally I'm feeling Sorcerer or Wizard, just because of the huge range of spells that a Kitsune can have, but I also think they could be Beguilers if there is some way to splash in a handful of fiery/lightning blasting spells, Fly, Dream, and at higher levels Wish, Insanity, and Shapechange. And I really have no idea how to represent the succubus-life stealing abilities.


Tanuki are odd, to say the least. I would generally say they're specialist transmuters, but on the other hand it's never really clear if their transformations are illusory or actual shapechanging, Alter Self vs. Disguise Self, basically. It'd be tempted to say they're Wild-shape Rangers, but that leaves them with 5 levels of no transformative ability at all, which just feels wrong.

Anyway, anyone got any ideas?

[ArcturusV]

Tanukis? Hmm... I'd think they'd probably be something like Factotum into Shapechanger.

[Crasical]

Tanukis? Hmm... I'd think they'd probably be something like Factotum into Shapechanger.

Shapechanger? I don't know that one.

[ArcturusV]

It's a PrC in Oriental Adventures. As a Hengeyokai you instantly fit it's more annoying prereq, of having to have a way to change shape as an ability. Gives you Wildshaping starting from level 1. 5/10 spellcasting, and a few other perks I can't remember off the top of my head. Including the one that doesn't actually do anything for you, which is "Your type becomes Shapechanger" since Hengeyokai already are.

But it gives you faster progression of Wildshaping than the Ranger or Druid would. I don't know if there are any early entry tricks for it, but if there were, that'd get you there. Factotums being skill based and having some Magical Tricks up their sleeves sounded fairly Tanuki to me, which is the only reason I picked it.

[Gildedragon]

Tanuki: beguiler or rogue, maybe bard

Kitsune: factotum or wizard or artificer

Bakeneko: sorcerer or warlock or binder

Rat: Rogue or factotum

Badger: barbarian

[Crasical]

Ooooh, 'Shapechanger'.

I'm not so sure about that, actually. The 10 ranks of concentration mean you can't take any of it until 8th level, and the progression after that puts you a level BEHIND a druid or Wildshape Ranger. Granted, it bases your max HD off -character- level instead of class level, which has potential as a dip before going into Master of Many Forms, but...

EDIT: Scary potential, actually. MoMF levels stack with other class levels that grant wild shape for the purpose of determining the HD you can turn into, don't they. So you can double up since it counts the character level total AND the levels in MoMF....

[ArcturusV]

Yeah, I didn't think there were any early entry tricks for it. But I didn't know. Still, it's not a bad dip. And I've used it (And seen it used) as something like a Barbarian/Bear Warrior/Shapechanger/Warshaper sort of thing.

But Wildshaping isn't generally a bad idea for a "Tricky" character either, which I think a Tanuki should be. But the classes that naturally get wildshape generally aren't "Tricky" types. Druids have all the subtly of a Rockslide most days. And Rangers aren't too much better on it. Only reason it came to mind.

[Crasical]

Tanuki: beguiler or rogue, maybe bard

Kitsune: factotum or wizard or artificer

Bakeneko: sorcerer or warlock or binder

Rat: Rogue or factotum

Badger: barbarian

Any particular reason for any of those? :smallconfused:

I'm really not getting why you suggest Artificer and Factotum for Kitsune specifically.


Yeah, I didn't think there were any early entry tricks for it. But I didn't know. Still, it's not a bad dip. And I've used it (And seen it used) as something like a Barbarian/Bear Warrior/Shapechanger/Warshaper sort of thing.

But Wildshaping isn't generally a bad idea for a "Tricky" character either, which I think a Tanuki should be. But the classes that naturally get wildshape generally aren't "Tricky" types. Druids have all the subtly of a Rockslide most days. And Rangers aren't too much better on it. Only reason it came to mind.

Yeah. Wildshape may not be the right way, since Tanuki can also transform things and other people, not just themselves, and aren't limited to animal forms. It's just what came to mind first.

[Waker]

For Kitsune you could mix Wu Jen and Beguiler with Ultimate Magus.

[Gildedragon]

Tanuki: beguiler or rogue, maybe bard
Tanuki are tricksy but not particularly bright. And quite backstaby and violent at times.

Kitsune: factotum or wizard or artificer
Kitsune are the most human-interactiony of the three; relying heavily on wits and social skills to get around (Factotum) often impersonating other entities (Factotum). Traditionally they are also associated with the crafting of particularly high quality weapons (artificer). Wizard is a middle ground between those

Bakeneko: sorcerer or warlock or binder
though intelligent, these creatures are generally seen as malicious and holding varied spiritual powers. They aren't the particularly studious type, so sorcerer is a better fit.


Rat: Rogue or factotum
Skills and rattiness...

Badger: barbarian
Yeah. Badgers are angry mofos.

[NNescio]

Here's a Kasha (http://hyakumonogatari.com/2012/05/09/kasha-the-corpse-eating-cat-demon/), which is essentially a necromantic/demonic version of the standard bakeneko:


Cat Hengeyoukai Focused Nekoromancer 3*/ Dread Nekoromancer 1†/Focused Nekoromancer 1/Ultimate Magus 5/True Nekoromancer 10‡

* Dropping Illusion, Enchantment, and Abjuration.
† Practiced Spellcaster is needed here.
‡ Uses Arcane Disciple (Death) to qualify and Southern Spellcaster to advance both sides.

Also has the Surrogate Spell feat.

Alternatively: Fiendish Cat Hengeyoukai Focused Nekoromancer 3*/ Dread Nekoromancer 1†/Focused Nekoromancer 1/Ultimate Magus 5/True Nekoromancer 8‡

A cookie for the first person to figure out which character this build is based on.

[Crasical]

Guessing Orin from Touhou, as that's the only Kasha I've ever seen in media...

[NNescio]

Guessing Orin from Touhou, as that's the only Kasha I've ever seen in media...

http://i1208.photobucket.com/albums/cc366/PlagueEleven/Smileys/bth_cookie.gif

Yup, pretty much. I was trying to see how many times I can fit "Nekoromancer" in a build.