PDA

View Full Version : Guts from the anime



toddex
2007-11-02, 06:16 AM
Anyone know of some sample builds for guts from the berserk anime.

At first I was obviously thinking he would be a straight up barbarian / frenzied zerker but after thinking back at the anime and the manga. He uses alot of tactics most of the time coupled with his brute strength. Hes launched far into the air wearing a suit of full plate and wielding his massive over sized greatsword. He uses the sword as a wing type deal to direct himself toward his enemy as he falls. So i have no idea what he would be now...

--edit

Just on another note hes not really a godless killing machine that turns on his friends when the enemies are all dead until he gets the berserk armor.

Azerian Kelimon
2007-11-02, 06:23 AM
Warblade + cursed Raging lycanthropic armor, I'd say. The stunts he pulls are ToBby.

Zincorium
2007-11-02, 06:26 AM
Alright, you do need to provide some details as to what sort of builds you can use or are looking for, books allowed, level, etc.

Second, Guts was not designed around D&D, nor is the reverse true, so there is no direct synching up of attributes, not every trait is going to correspond to a mechanical feature and you're just going to have to take a lot of it as purely flavor.

From what I've seen and know of the show, Guts really is no more than a strong person trained to fight with a weapon that is significantly larger than could typically be used. He doesn't demonstrate a D&D-esque rage, he has no magic or overwhelming deific backing, so really you don't need anything other than fighter to represent him.

If you want a mechanical basis for the overly large weapon, use a fullblade from the arms and equipment guide, or take monkey grip from complete adventurer. Note, however, that monkey grip is worse mechanically than power attack, and given how massive the greatsword in the PHB is, the greatsword + power attack is actually pretty sound for describing gut's fighting style.

d12
2007-11-02, 06:27 AM
For what it's worth, a friend of mine made a character based on Guts a couple years ago (named Holt). He played Holt in a level-9 game a mutual friend was running and he was a barbarian-5/fighter-4. He wielded a large bastard sword. Don't really remember anything about armor--think he used a mithril breastplate. Nothing fancy (I think it was a mostly-core-only game anyway), mostly just a character build inspired by Guts. If I remember correctly, he had Improved Critical, and DM was using auto-critting rules. Damn could that dude kill things. ^_^

Ryuuk
2007-11-02, 06:29 AM
I'd view him as a Fighter (Warblade with Iron Heart or Crusader who's cause is simply his survival/to kill Griffith, if you have access to Tome of Battle) / Barbarian / Frenzied Berserker

He started of as mostly a skilled swordsman, if somewhat reckless. Simple fighter or the aforementioned ToB classes would do for his youth until the eclipse.

After the eclipse, he would have started going barbarian in my eyes. His rage is what keeps him going and he would have found himself dead a few times without puck's healing (The barbarians +4 con which gives hp but then dissapears).

After getting the armor he goes Frenzied Berserker, but he has a strong enough will save (probably boosted somehow by Shrieke, or however you spell the witch's name) to control it. He usually struggles to stay sane once he lets it take over.

toddex
2007-11-02, 07:37 AM
I was just reading through the complete scoundrel and the avenging executioner prc sounds perfect to fit in there somewhere also.

Ossian
2007-11-02, 09:13 AM
Aye aye, Guts (or "Gatsu") rocks! Another tip could be following him through the tankobons (the comics' volumes). Before anything else, bear in mind that I am as much a lover of that fabulous series (by far the best) as I am an "Aragorn is 5th level" supporter, if somewhat more generous in my granting levels to heroic characters. Let's not forget, he IS the main character. So, his story is a story already told, finished, he made it (so far, I am at the last album, no spoilers if you know how it ends). There is no need to make a build that allows Gatsu to do what he did any day of the week. He was also somehow lucky, there were circumstances that need to be factored, and he almost all the time made it to the endo of the tankobon dying or almost incapacitated. So, let's assume that, unbeatable as he is by mr. Joe Someone (as Zodd the Nosferatu often states), Guts still has rolled a good many 20s. There are at least 10000 Gatsus that, in alternate universes, did not make it, and died at tankobon 1, 3, 7, 34 etc...

Gatsu starts as an extremely gifted and strongwilled character, getting his 1st level somewhet early (the test of fire on the battlefield was when he was just 9). He started training way too early to be a healthy activity (as pointed out by many of Gambino's warriors). So, give him an elite array of stats. Start as level 1 fighter and let him advance to level 2 or 3 by the time he joins full time the Hawks. Mind you, Guts is facing mostly ill paid mercenaries, thugs and non heroic warriors who are often 1st level, so basically cannon fodder. Being used to larger than normal swords, he definitely needs to start working on his monkey grip. In the meanwhile, power attack and combat reflexes are just what he does.

The war against Tuder breaks out and Gats serves in the cavalry of the Hawks, displaying some pretty good skills at mounted fighting, always practising with his sword. He's possibly the strongest fighter on the battlefield (and he gets confirmation of this by his equivalent and peer in the fight, Lord Bascon of Tuder). We can raise Gats to level 5 or 6, which is possibly already enough to wade through the 100 men of Tuder when he fights them alone (Caska takes down just 5 or 6 of them). Still, pretty poor mercenaries motivated by greed, undertrained and just plain violent. Not fighters, but thugs (not as in unearthed arcana though, just thughs). So, possibly he is now a fighter 5/barbarian 1 (he really butchers people with that sword in the heat of battle).

He quits the hawks, and retires on Godor's mountain for solo training and a quest to find his own identity, his scope in life. He gets another level. (FTR6/BAR1). he definitely bets a lot more on technique than on rage.

When he gets back to the now scattered hawks, he has just beaten Shilat the Kushan (not easy) and later spearheads the attack to the tower to free Griffith, he does an awesome job, but not "withou a scratch, and he was helped by Pippin, Caska and Judo, plus he had the advantage of surprise (AND he is the hero, so he's GOT to make it). If he does not have power attack, cleave and great cleave I am an elf...

Then s**t hits the fan when Wiald and the Dogs chase them. The fight with wiald is really tough, and Gatsu barely makes it alive (and he has to use a lot of cunning). Too bad that the eclips was scheduled for the next day or so...

So, Eclipse it is. To account for his ability to whitstand damage and to get back in fighting shape in a couple of minutes without fevers or infections, Complete Warrior's "Faster Healing" is a must-have feat. Let's say that, again, destiny kicks in and somehow Gatsu (at the cost of an arma and an eye) survives. Judging from Zodd and the Skull Knight's remarks, ability had little to do with gatsu's survival (aside from his impressive vitality and the screaming rage he flew in when he saw Caska with Griffith). So, after getting some healing and all his techno stuff, he hits the road with the Dragonslayer, the light repeating crossbow and some throwing knives.

We then have an almost 2 years long narrative gap (which means he spent them wading through gore, mud, undeads and destruction). Ah, hes' gained 3 levels perhaps? I'd say that by the time he gets back to Godor, searches and finds Caska, defeats the Inquisitor Mozgus, comes back and faces off with Zodd (holding his own, no small a feat) he's a honestly unstoppable Fighter 8/Barbarian 2. Massive damage, massive BAB, he really rocks. Intimidating rage would be OK by now (perhaps the 9th level feat?) judging from the comments that Serpico does on his being more dangerous for the terror he spreads among the soldiers when he ends 4 lives with a single stroke.

Setting off for the country of elves while the Kushans are invading isn't that easy. Plus, he has to face Slann. He's piece of cake for her, but still he manages to wound one othe Hand of God (something unthinkable even for the best warriors of his time). Orcs, trolls, other monstrosities make his life a lot harder, and let's not forget the death match with Gurnbeld the naga/Apostole.

So, wrapping it up, and allowing Gats still some room for improvement (after all, I still have to read how it ends), gatsu does earn his daily bred as a Fighter 8/Barbarian 2/Frenzied Berserker 2 (and Die Hard as a bonus feat for the Fr.NBers is just perfect).

However, that does not really convince me. Not because the PrC is not accessible (haven't really bothered checking) but because the "Deathless Frenzy" and the "Supreme Cleave" really describe well what we see him doing.

So, another option other than the level by level would be the "gats package by tankobon 66". That is somewhere near this:

Fighter 9/Barbarian 2/Frenzied Berserker 4. That is a massive 24 YEARS OLD (jeez, I'm 30...) 15th level character with a must have monkey grip and a powerful fullblade, tons of HP, +15 BAB, rage, faster healing and an artifact level armor that grants him a Tireless Frenzy AS if he were a Frenzied Berserker of level 10.

Sure, one should figure how the mechanical arm affects him, but I'd rather overlook this detail, after all it's fantasy fiction and Gatsu seems to be able to wield tose impossible blades like sticks for narrative purposes, one or two hands seems almost the same sometimes.

The "Berserker Armor" (forged by the dwarves) would be nice to stat out too.

Ossian

Stats would be: