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View Full Version : Paper Lotus: Half-Orc Kung-Fu Paper Mage (need build help)



A Gray Phantom
2007-04-30, 02:31 AM
:thog: An endearing character, Paper Lotus is a Half-Orc monk with an incredible knack for origami. He seems to bend the paper at will, folding incredible works of art in seconds.

I'm planning on pitting this character against the players in my D&D game, and need a little help. But first, a little backstory!

I was originally inspired by the anime: Read or Die (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXZ1kmP4kEQ&NR=1). <-- This is a poor quality clip of Yomiko Readman using her powers to control paper. If anyone has a better clip, PLEASE post a link :biggrin:. Also, Yomiko would make the coolest host for Reading Rainbow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yW6RoNuLkMQ) (I hope I'm not the only one who watched that show in 2nd grade). Also, check out this nice fan art of Yomiko (http://www.deviantart.com/deviation/35241977/?qo=7&q=yomiko+readman&qh=boost%3Apopular+age_sigma%3A24h+age_scale%3A5).

The martial arts part is easy: A Half-Orc with levels in the monk class. High strength, followed by good wisdom and dexterity, and a fair con. Charisma would be his dump stat: He's lovable and kind, but is very shy and gets nervous around women.

His paper magic, though, is tricky.

The spells/powers would be as follows:

Paper Chains and Bonds: Like entangle (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/entangle.htm), but uses paper rather than plants.

Wall of Paper: Like any of the "wall of (fire/ice/anything)," but creates a weak wall of paper.

Thousand Crane Attack: Like summon swarm (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonSwarm.htm), only one thousand paper cranes attack the target, causing multiple paper cuts - only dealing non-lethal damage.

Paper Trick: A simple origami magic power that allows you to make very simple puppets, dolls, toys, and whatever. Like prestidigitation (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/prestidigitation.htm), it is a simple trick that can produce a myriad of amusing gimmicks.

All the spells/powers would need large amounts paper as a material component.

As DM, I could simply say that he's a half-orc that has spell-like abilities to control paper, but I think it would be nice to have some stats punched out for this fella.

At first I thought about making a sorcerer/monk, but I'd never pull it off with Paper's horrendous charisma score (I'm thinking of basing his power aroud wisdom). Then there's the problem with multiclassing in between monk and sorcerer.

I then thought about psionics... however, I don't know how psionics works (everyone I've ever met tells me that it's broken and forbid it in their games :smallconfused:).

I tried to read up on the mechanics, but I couldn't understand it. Would Paper have to be in a psionic class to have psionic powers? If so, what do I do about his levels in monk?

What do I do? I like this character, and wouldn't mind actually playing it in a game that I'm not running.


One more thing..

:thog: "I, Paper Lotus, thank you for taking the time to help polish off my, Paper Lotus', stats. To show my appreciation, I will make paper flowers for everyone!" ~ (Starts folding like crazy!)

@~'~~ (isn't my flower pretty?)

Miles Invictus
2007-04-30, 03:55 AM
This is awesome. You should homebrew a PrC that lets him keep fancy monk stuff but gives him the reality-bending power to...err...fold paper.

Also, anyone who fights supervillains over stolen books is awesome. The big bad evil guy with a giant grasshopper for a mount is also awesome, but not quite that awesome.

A Gray Phantom
2007-04-30, 04:07 AM
This is awesome. You should homebrew a PrC that lets him keep fancy monk stuff but gives him the reality-bending power to...err...fold paper.

Also, anyone who fights supervillains over stolen books is awesome. The big bad evil guy with a giant grasshopper for a mount is also awesome, but not quite that awesome.
Glad you like him. He's one of my favorite characters. I've played him with the heroes champion system, but I want to adapt him for D&D.

:thog: The great thing about him is that he isn't really a villain :smalltongue:. I want to test the players' alignments to see how far they'll take the fight.

And Read or Die is super anachronistic cool! The grasshopper guy is Jean Henri Fabre (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jean_Henri_Fabre), an entomologist from the late 19th century/early 20th century. Yomiko ends up fighting several historic figures in the OVA.

JellyPooga
2007-04-30, 04:11 AM
Urg! I wish you hadn't started this thread...thinking about paper makes me think of paper-cuts and thinking about paper-cuts makes me shudder...they sting so much!:smallfrown:

Anyway, I like the idea. On the paper-abilities, Warlock might make a good multiclass (I don't know if there's a particularly good PrC for Monk/Warlock though) - Eldritch Blast becomes a Paper Missile, Invocations are your SLA's...there's even an Invocation that summons a swarm for your Thousand Crane Attack.

Hell, come to think of it, you might not even need to take Monk levels. Warlock has the same base attack, Leaps and Bounds (Invocation) more than makes up for any lack of mobility (at least at early levels...maybe multiclassing as Rogue, Scout or Ninja could increase this), you get DR and Energy Resistance (kind of Monk-ish) and at higher levels can enter a meditative state to increse your rate of healing (Fiendish Resilience). Take the right Feats and allocate your Skills appropriately and Warlock's your boy. Only problem is the Charisma thing...Not as problematical as for a Sorcerer, but some Invocations have Saves and that could hurt...possibly remedied by a) not taking any Invocations that require a Save, or b) Taking stuff like Ability Focus (+2 to DC) or a similar Feat.

Khantalas
2007-04-30, 05:23 AM
I then thought about psionics... however, I don't know how psionics works (everyone I've ever met tells me that it's broken and forbid it in their games :smallconfused:).

Not to make it a "psionics is not broken" thread, but ask them being able to win almost in any battle in one round and never worrying about any danger while resting and being able to destroy cities without even trying is broken.

Then remind them that arcane magic can do that while psionics can't.

Also, there was a PrC on exactly that show somewhere around. Maybe you should use the search feature.

Wehrkind
2007-04-30, 05:29 AM
It should be "The Paper". I am fairly certain they never refer to or about her without the definite article. Definitely fits the sort of goofy Hong Kong kung-fu movie appelations theme.

Death Quaker turned me onto this OVA, and it really is quite good. She says the tv series goes into a lot more detail on things, so as soon as I can justify spending ~150$ I am going to pick it up.

I like the warlock idea the best. Bump up the lethality on a few of the abilities to make it more viable and more like The Paper herself. Keep in mind she smothers a few people with paper over their mouths, tangles their hands on things, and slices them up pretty well with the little paper attack. I would definitely go either warlock or psion, though she never seems to get tired doing it so warlock is probably best.

Great idea though!

A Gray Phantom
2007-04-30, 02:48 PM
Urg! I wish you hadn't started this thread...thinking about paper makes me think of paper-cuts and thinking about paper-cuts makes me shudder...they sting so much!:smallfrown:

Anyway, I like the idea. On the paper-abilities, Warlock might make a good multiclass (I don't know if there's a particularly good PrC for Monk/Warlock though) - Eldritch Blast becomes a Paper Missile, Invocations are your SLA's...there's even an Invocation that summons a swarm for your Thousand Crane Attack.
Snip
:thog: I looked up warlock with warm fuzzy thoughts of heroism and victory, but then I noticed the class requires you to be emo :smalltongue:.

Just kidding, but still, warlocks are required to be evil or chaotic. Paper Lotus is lawful good. He's nice, kind, and adheres to a strict code of ascetism and training in search of inner peace and tranquility through the martial arts. He also has a code against killing. I think that paper magic should give someone the option to use non-lethal force.

That, and, like psionics, everyone I know forbid warlocks in their games. They say that it is broken :smallsigh:.

Mr. Khantalas, thank you for suggesting the search feature for the paper prestige class (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=38269&highlight=paper+prestige+class). I've made a link, and I think I'm going to expand on that idea.

I'll start a thread that lists requirements for the prc, and tweak it a little to work it into my game...

Requirements
Craft Origami: 8 ranks
Knowledge Arcana: 8 ranks
Knowledge (anything else): 3 ranks
Knowledge (anything else): 3 ranks
Knowledge (anything else): 3 ranks
Perform (air guitar (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4yIyumRRJkA)): 1 rank

Special
In my champion heroes game, Paper Lotus gets his paper powers by (what else?) reading lots of comic books. He accidently discovers a golden age comic titled "The Adventures of Paper Lotus!" Instructions on how to gain paper powers are listed in detail in that issue. Our young hero quickly performs the rituals and BAM, instant paper powers.

To gain paper powers, one must complete the paper ritual, as detailed in a tome of some sorts (whether it be a comic book for geeks, bible for clerics, or spellbook for mages). Should your tome ever be destroyed, you will lose all your paper powers until you recover said tome and perform the ritual once more.

What do ya'll think of the prc requirements? Do I need to add anything here? More knowledge skills?

One more thing:
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That has nothing to do with paper mages, but I thought it was cool.