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CleanDeceit
2013-07-23, 08:57 AM
(this belongs here)

The aim here is to blend aspects of various classes in hopes of coming up with something balanced and versatile. For references I looked at the Fighter, Ninja, Samurai and Warblade.

What I end up with is a Ninja that gives up stealth, sudden strike and some skills in favor of full BAB, improved hit dice and medium armor proficiency.
From a fighter perspective, extra feats are sacrificed along with heavy armor proficiency, but we are gaining some more mobility with skills, a better reflex save and very flexible extraordinary abilities like the monk/warblade.


Kensai
Hit Dice d10
Skill Points 4xInt
Class Skills: Balance, Climb, Heal, Intimidate, Jump, Listen, Move Silently, Ride, Sense Motive, Spot, Survival, Swim, Tumble, Use Rope.
Weapon/Armor Proficiency: Proficient with all simple and martial weapons, light armor, medium armor and shields (except tower shields).
Base Attack Bonus: As Fighter
Saves: Fortitude-Good, Reflex-Good, Will-Poor.
Special:

Jutsu Pool
"At 1st level, a Kensai gains a pool of Jutsu points, supernatural energy she an use to accomplish amazing feats. The number of points in the Kensai's Jutsu pool is equal to 1/2 her Kensai level + her Wisdom modifier. As long as she has at least 1 point in her Jutsu pool, she treats any Acrobatics skill check made to jump as if she had a running start. At 10th level, she also reduces the DC of Acrobatics skill checks made to jump by 1/2 (although she still cannot move farther than her speed allows). If a Kensai's Jutsu pool falls to 0 she is fatigued.

By spending 1 point from her Jutsu pool, a Kensai can make one additional attack at her highest attack bonus, but she can do so only when making a full attack. In addition, she can spend 1 point to increase her speed by 20 feet for 1 round. Finally, a Kensai can spend 1 point from her ki pool to add her Wisdom Modifier to a single Dexterity Check or Dexterity based skill check for 1 round. Each of these powers is activated as a swift action. A Kensai can gain additional powers that consume points from her Jutsu pool by selecting certain Kensai Styles.

The Jutsu pool is replenished fallowing a short rest after each encounter."

Jutsu Styles
As a Kensai continues her training, she learns a number of techniques that grant her supernatural abilities. Starting at 2nd level, a Kensai gains one Jutsu Style. She gains one additional Jutsu Style for every 2 levels attained after 2nd. Unless otherwise noted, a Kensai cannot select an individual Jutsu Style more than once.

Inner Eye Style (Su): This Style allows the Kensai to use her Jutsu to enhance her sight, granting darkvision out to a range of 30 feet for 1 round. At 12th level the this style grants the Kensai blind sense out to 30 feet for the same round. Using this Jutsu is a Swift action that costs 1 Jutsu point.
Blade Shield Style: A Kensai who selects this Style gains the Deflect Arrows feat as a bonus feat so long as she has at least 1 Jutsu point. In addition, as an immediate action, the Kensai can replace her AC with her attack roll. Roll an d20 adding all modifiers for a single melee attack to determine AC until the start of your next turn. A Kensai must have a weapon in hand to gain any benefit from this style.
Swift Step Style (Ex): A Kensai with this style can ignore penalties to movement due to difficult terrain as long as she has at least 1 Jutsu point remaining. In addition a Kensai of at least 6th level can spend 1 Jutsu as a swift action to gain a climb speed equal to her base movement speed for one round.
Sure Footed Style (Ex): This ability allows a Kensai to move along narrow surfaces at full speed using the balance skill without penalty. In addition, a Kensai with this talent is not flat-footed when using balance to move along narrow surfaces. The Kensai must have at least 1 Jutsu point remaining to gain any benefit from this Style.
Timeless breath Style (Ex): The Kensai has a slower-than-normal metabolism. She can hold her breath for twice as long as normal before needing to make Constitution checks (four times her Constitution score). In addition, whenever the Kensai is poisoned, the time between saving throws (the poison's frequency) is doubled. Thus, a poison that has a frequency of “1/round for 6 rounds” would instead be “1/2 rounds for 12 rounds.” The Kensai gains no effect from this style if she has 0 Jutsu points remaining.
Bushido Mind Style: As a standard action, the Kensai can spend 1 Jutsu to remove the fatigued, shaken, or sickened condition. If the Kensai is at least 8th level, she can alternatively spend 2 Jutsu remove the exhausted, frightened, nauseated, or staggered condition. If the condition has a duration longer than 1 hour or is permanent, this ability removes the condition for 1 hour, at which time the condition returns.
Ki Blood Style: When the Kensai is reduced to fewer than 0 hit points but not slain, she can spend 1 Jutsu as an immediate action to instantly stabilize and remain conscious. She is staggered, but she does not fall unconscious and begin dying if she takes a standard action. She does fall unconscious if he takes additional damage from any source.
Open Palm Style: The Kensai can spend 2 Jutsu points to gain Improved Unarmed Strike and Improved Disarm for one round. In addition the Kensai can add her Wisdom Modifier to AC and damage with unarmed attacks for 1 round
Flowing Form Style: Attacks made against the Kensai of at least 3rd level gain a 20% miss chance so long as she moves at least 10 feet. At 8th level the miss chance increases to 40%. Activating this ability is a move action that costs 1 Jutsu. Alternatively, this Jutsu can be activated as a part of another move such as charge or basic movement but not as part of a special move action such as drawing a weapon or a 5' foot step.
Jutsu Strike Style: The Kensai can spend 1 Jutsu to make a single attack. She adds her Wisdom modifier to the attack roll and an amount equal to any remaining Jutsu points she has to the damage for this attack. The Kensai must be at least 6th level to select this style.
Hidden Dragon Style: As long as a Kensai of 4th level has at least 1 Jutsu point remaining, she is treated as having the Uncanny Dodge class feature. At 8th level she is treated as having Improved Uncanny dodge in the same way.
Crouching Tiger Style: The Kensai can add her Wisdom bonus on any opposed checks she makes in combat for grapple, trip, disarm, sunder, overrun and bullrush attempts.






The name for the class could use a rework. I know there is already a Kensai base class and prestige class, but its the best name I could come up with for now. If anyone has any other ideas for an agility/martial study type class let me know.

I took some inspiration from the pathfinder classes, but this is supposed to be a class for 3.5

I'm posting this to check with the community and see how you guys feel about the balance of power with this class. Let me know if there are any tweaks/modifications you think I should make. Would you let this class in your campaign?

I plan to add few more "styles" and maybe some "bravery" type stuff.
Note: this is not meant to be an assassin but a high mobility front liner with flexible options in combat similar to a barbarian of sorts.

Amnoriath
2013-07-23, 01:33 PM
Well, to be honest, you basically just gave ki power options on a Pathfinder Ranger frame with less skills. I really don't mean to demean you but you really need to explain what you want as a concept and why, thematically, a player would choose this.
If a Kensei is it what you are going for than I would suggest first limiting weapon proficiencies but allow eclecticism. I would then allow them to adapt techniques to the weapon normally outside of its base capabilities. Also I would consider something like a item familiar from the original 3.X.

CleanDeceit
2013-07-23, 03:23 PM
Well, to be honest, you basically just gave ki power options on a Pathfinder Ranger frame with less skills. I really don't mean to demean you but you really need to explain what you want as a concept and why, thematically, a player would choose this.
If a Kensei is it what you are going for than I would suggest first limiting weapon proficiencies but allow eclecticism. I would then allow them to adapt techniques to the weapon normally outside of its base capabilities. Also I would consider something like a item familiar from the original 3.X.

Ah, I humbly accept your criticisem. (and I would not have even considered that your feed back could be "demeaning" in any way if you had not mentioned it... but thats besides the point).

As a concept I could point to several examples from notable Anime movies. There are heros in these films that display great skill with a veriety of weapons, great strength and fortitude and at the same time, extream spead and agility.

I was also thinking of braking up the class into several "paths" with weapon spesific options in mind as you suggest. I think I will rework this "ki pool" option I have initaly gone with and use something else.
After posting this, I was able to find several other homebrew builds for martial fighters that inspired some new ideas. Guess Im a newb at this :smalltongue:

Again, thanks for your suggestions and honesty. Im at work now, but when I get home I will have more time to rework this concept... I may even post it under a new name if I can come up with one.
Cheers

Amnoriath
2013-07-23, 03:57 PM
Ah, I humbly accept your criticisem. (and I would not have even considered that your feed back could be "demeaning" in any way if you had not mentioned it... but thats besides the point).

As a concept I could point to several examples from notable Anime movies. There are heros in these films that display great skill with a veriety of weapons, great strength and fortitude and at the same time, extream spead and agility.

I was also thinking of braking up the class into several "paths" with weapon spesific options in mind as you suggest. I think I will rework this "ki pool" option I have initaly gone with and use something else.
After posting this, I was able to find several other homebrew builds for martial fighters that inspired some new ideas. Guess Im a newb at this :smalltongue:

Again, thanks for your suggestions and honesty. Im at work now, but when I get home I will have more time to rework this concept... I may even post it under a new name if I can come up with one.
Cheers

Well, Anime has a very broad set of concepts usually based excessive power and speed. The fact is a lot of D&D players sort of frown on it because almost no martial core class could ever possibly achieve that. The closest thing to Anime that exists in general acceptable material are the Tome of Battle classes.
What you described actually isn't a Kensei in even the basic sense. A Kensei devotes themselves to specialty of a single weapon often in detriment to others. It is actually much closer to a regular fighter so far as I can tell. So please, give us the best character to what you want to emulate.

CleanDeceit
2013-07-23, 04:58 PM
Well, Anime has a very broad set of concepts usually based excessive power and speed. The fact is a lot of D&D players sort of frown on it because almost no martial core class could ever possibly achieve that. The closest thing to Anime that exists in general acceptable material are the Tome of Battle classes.
What you described actually isn't a Kensei in even the basic sense. A Kensei devotes themselves to specialty of a single weapon often in detriment to others. It is actually much closer to a regular fighter so far as I can tell. So please, give us the best character to what you want to emulate.

Anime is frowned upon by most D&D players? Thats a first. But I understand what you are saying about he excessive power and speed.
I am by no means trying to recreate Goku here. I was leaning more toward the hero from The Sword of the Stranger [2007] (a awesome film if you havnt seen it by the way). I've got some new ideas im jotting down now that will make the class more like a rework of the ToB Warblade.

Another (perhaps more important) question is: how do I post the grid into the thread for the class skeliten (level, BAB, saves, ext). I dont know how to sript that format.

Thanks! :smallsmile:

Amnoriath
2013-07-23, 05:12 PM
Anime is frowned upon by most D&D players? Thats a first. But I understand what you are saying about he excessive power and speed.
I am by no means trying to recreate Goku here. I was leaning more toward the hero from The Sword of the Stranger [2007] (a awesome film if you havnt seen it by the way). I've got some new ideas im jotting down now that will make the class more like a rework of the ToB Warblade.

Another (perhaps more important) question is: how do I post the grid into the thread for the class skeliten (level, BAB, saves, ext). I dont know how to sript that format.

Thanks! :smallsmile:

1. It is frowned upon in the sense in trying to recreate fully for actual play, not in entertainment.
2. Well, the Warblade is regarded as a very solid character and while the features aren't fantastic the maneuvers make it shine. However one can understand maybe tweaking it for a more defined and/or exotic flavor.
3. The quick and dirty way is to simply hit quote under the comment with one than copy/paste. Here a little something I save when I construct mine:
{table=head]Level|BAB|Fort|Ref|Will|Special|Modifications known|Shapes Known|Power Points
1st|+1|+0|+2|+2|Mind Forge(base shape), Weapons Focus(mind weapon)|2|1|2
2nd|+2|+0|+3|+3|Throw melee shape, bonus feat|3|1|3
3rd|+3|+1|+3|+3|Hidden talent, Schemas prepared(+1)|4|2|4 [/table]