felinoel
2008-02-10, 06:47 PM
After watching the animated series of Avatar for the umpteenth time, I felt the urge to run a DnD game based off of that, I remembered back to when I first watched it and then I noticed the Shugenja class from the Oriental Adventures book is oddly close to a Bender of the show, now I am looking at the 3.5 version in the Complete Divine and I am basing my Bender class off of it... Any suggestions?
First of all, a few basics, sense elements will be higher leveled in something a Bender can get, and I will replace it with how Benders can bend their elements regularly, allowing a Bender to form a whip from water, or knives from fire, or a projectile from earth, but the possibilities with this is unlimited and it will allow for some heavy roleplaying, also I might say that if you make a whip out of water, you better be proficient with whips or suffer a penalty. Second of all, I had a possible player or two complain that Toph can bend metal, Katara can bend blood, and Azula can bend lightning. These guys are all uber powerful, so I will make those epic level abilities, but I don't know what to give air, perhaps sonic? And third of all, a bender of one element, cannot cast spells of another element, unlike the Shugenja, any comments?
These are only a few changes I am making, and I am currently working on the class description and such right now, but sadly, due to being a college student with two jobs, I have minimal time, but I would like to hear comments and suggestions.
This was taken directly from the Shugenja, I need help converting it to Bender, the four elements will have different stats in this area...
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The Shugenja’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional
Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shugenja. Weapon and Armor Profi ciency: Shugenjas are proficient with all simple weapons and with the short sword (they often carry a masterwork short sword called a wakizashi). They are not profi cient with any type of armor, nor with shields. In their home culture, it is considered inappropriate for a shugenja to wear armor, although shugenjas serving with the military or traveling in foreign lands sometimes take the time to learn how to wear armor properly. Armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, Swim, and Tumble. Armor does not interfere with his spellcasting.A friend of mine had shown me a website that has a DnD version of Fire Benders and Earth Benders, but nothing on air and water, below is what I have from that site and I need to know the same info for air and water, any ideas?
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/DnD/bender.jpg
Also, this is what I have so far if anyone would like to comment on this
Bender
Benders are divine spellcasters who cast spells by attuning themselves to the elements around them and focusing the power of the elements through their bodies to produce magical effects. Their common personalities and actions are based upon their element. Water Benders are peaceful, they are generally healers, and usually good aligned. Earth Benders are rigid, strong, and honor bound; and are usually lawful. Air Benders are loose, harmonious, the people of their tribe are usually monks, but due to their nomadic ways, they are generally chaotic. Fire Benders are fierce, quick to act, vicious at times, and are usually evil aligned. Benders can only learn the element they are native to; the people of the Water Tribes can only bend water, the people of the Earth Kingdom can only bend earth, the Air Nomads can only bend air, and the people of the Fire Nation can only bend fire. But, in each generation, one person is capable of Bending all four elements; this is the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. When the current Avatar dies, they are reincarnated into a baby native in the next of the four nations in the Avatar Cycle, which parallels the seasons: winter for water, spring for earth, summer for fire, and autumn for air.
Adventures: Benders don't often adventure out of their native element's land, but if they need to they might to increase their magical knowledge and personal power. They are particularly drawn to investigate disturbances in the natural harmony of the elements. Some Benders dedicate their lives to fighting other lands for power or for protection.
Characteristics: Benders aren't much of a spellslinging sorcerer, as they mostly prefer their use elements ability. Their common characteristics are based upon their element. Water Benders are peaceful, they are generally healers. Earth Benders are rigid, strong, and honor bound. Air Benders are loose, harmonious, and fun loving. Fire Benders are fierce, quick to act, vicious at times, and are not fun to be around.
Alignment: Water Benders are usually good aligned. Earth Benders are usually lawful. Air Benders are generally chaotic. Fire Benders are usually evil aligned.
Religion: Water Benders are affected by the Moon, and thus usually pray to it for good fortune, as they do the ocean, but they do not worship them as a gods, in fact they call them as spirits. Earth Benders are in a kingdom, and serve their king. Air Benders are so loose they just follow morals of being nice, having fun, and such. Fire Benders follow the Fire Lord.
Background: In order to bend one must train, bending is usually taught in dojos, depending on the elemental nation. Water Benders rise with the moon, Fire Benders rise with the sun; Water Benders are slightly stronger in the moonlight while Fire Benders are slightly weakened, Fire Benders gain slight strength in the day and Water Benders are weakened.
Races: Almost without exception, all benders are humans, but dwarves and gnomes would be slightly more likely to become a benders
because they have an affinity for earth.
Other Classes: Benders tend to look down upon members of people who are not benders and often feel that if you cannot bend, you cannot fight. This is in fact felt the same by the common populace and because of this, most people who fight are a bender if not at least a multiclassed bender. But Benders. especially adventuring Benders, wisely understand that different classes have specialized skills and abilities often needed for success.
Role: Because they’re the preeminent spellcasters in their culture, Benders’ spell lists run the gamut from top-notch combat spells to powerful healing and versatile utility spells. But they have a limited set of spells to choose from.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Benders have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma determines how powerful a spell a Bender can cast, how many spells the Bender can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. To cast a spell, a Bender must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell’s level + the Bender’s Charisma modifier. High Dexterity is helpful for a Bender (who typically wears little or no armor) because it provides him with an Armor Class bonus. Or High Strength is good for Benders who use their abilities for fight in melee combat. A good Constitution gives a Bender extra hit points, a resource that he is otherwise low on.
Alignment: Any.
First of all, a few basics, sense elements will be higher leveled in something a Bender can get, and I will replace it with how Benders can bend their elements regularly, allowing a Bender to form a whip from water, or knives from fire, or a projectile from earth, but the possibilities with this is unlimited and it will allow for some heavy roleplaying, also I might say that if you make a whip out of water, you better be proficient with whips or suffer a penalty. Second of all, I had a possible player or two complain that Toph can bend metal, Katara can bend blood, and Azula can bend lightning. These guys are all uber powerful, so I will make those epic level abilities, but I don't know what to give air, perhaps sonic? And third of all, a bender of one element, cannot cast spells of another element, unlike the Shugenja, any comments?
These are only a few changes I am making, and I am currently working on the class description and such right now, but sadly, due to being a college student with two jobs, I have minimal time, but I would like to hear comments and suggestions.
This was taken directly from the Shugenja, I need help converting it to Bender, the four elements will have different stats in this area...
Hit Die: d6.
Class Skills
The Shugenja’s class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (all skills, taken individually) (Int), Profession (Wis), Spellcraft (Int). See Chapter 4 of the Player’s Handbook for skill descriptions.
Skill Points at 1st Level: (4 + Int modifier) × 4.
Skill Points at Each Additional
Level: 4 + Int modifier.
Class Features
All of the following are class features of the shugenja. Weapon and Armor Profi ciency: Shugenjas are proficient with all simple weapons and with the short sword (they often carry a masterwork short sword called a wakizashi). They are not profi cient with any type of armor, nor with shields. In their home culture, it is considered inappropriate for a shugenja to wear armor, although shugenjas serving with the military or traveling in foreign lands sometimes take the time to learn how to wear armor properly. Armor check penalties for armor heavier than leather apply to the skills Balance, Climb, Escape Artist, Hide, Jump, Move Silently, Sleight of Hand, Swim, and Tumble. Armor does not interfere with his spellcasting.A friend of mine had shown me a website that has a DnD version of Fire Benders and Earth Benders, but nothing on air and water, below is what I have from that site and I need to know the same info for air and water, any ideas?
http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f130/felinoel/DnD/bender.jpg
Also, this is what I have so far if anyone would like to comment on this
Bender
Benders are divine spellcasters who cast spells by attuning themselves to the elements around them and focusing the power of the elements through their bodies to produce magical effects. Their common personalities and actions are based upon their element. Water Benders are peaceful, they are generally healers, and usually good aligned. Earth Benders are rigid, strong, and honor bound; and are usually lawful. Air Benders are loose, harmonious, the people of their tribe are usually monks, but due to their nomadic ways, they are generally chaotic. Fire Benders are fierce, quick to act, vicious at times, and are usually evil aligned. Benders can only learn the element they are native to; the people of the Water Tribes can only bend water, the people of the Earth Kingdom can only bend earth, the Air Nomads can only bend air, and the people of the Fire Nation can only bend fire. But, in each generation, one person is capable of Bending all four elements; this is the Avatar, the spirit of the planet manifested in human form. When the current Avatar dies, they are reincarnated into a baby native in the next of the four nations in the Avatar Cycle, which parallels the seasons: winter for water, spring for earth, summer for fire, and autumn for air.
Adventures: Benders don't often adventure out of their native element's land, but if they need to they might to increase their magical knowledge and personal power. They are particularly drawn to investigate disturbances in the natural harmony of the elements. Some Benders dedicate their lives to fighting other lands for power or for protection.
Characteristics: Benders aren't much of a spellslinging sorcerer, as they mostly prefer their use elements ability. Their common characteristics are based upon their element. Water Benders are peaceful, they are generally healers. Earth Benders are rigid, strong, and honor bound. Air Benders are loose, harmonious, and fun loving. Fire Benders are fierce, quick to act, vicious at times, and are not fun to be around.
Alignment: Water Benders are usually good aligned. Earth Benders are usually lawful. Air Benders are generally chaotic. Fire Benders are usually evil aligned.
Religion: Water Benders are affected by the Moon, and thus usually pray to it for good fortune, as they do the ocean, but they do not worship them as a gods, in fact they call them as spirits. Earth Benders are in a kingdom, and serve their king. Air Benders are so loose they just follow morals of being nice, having fun, and such. Fire Benders follow the Fire Lord.
Background: In order to bend one must train, bending is usually taught in dojos, depending on the elemental nation. Water Benders rise with the moon, Fire Benders rise with the sun; Water Benders are slightly stronger in the moonlight while Fire Benders are slightly weakened, Fire Benders gain slight strength in the day and Water Benders are weakened.
Races: Almost without exception, all benders are humans, but dwarves and gnomes would be slightly more likely to become a benders
because they have an affinity for earth.
Other Classes: Benders tend to look down upon members of people who are not benders and often feel that if you cannot bend, you cannot fight. This is in fact felt the same by the common populace and because of this, most people who fight are a bender if not at least a multiclassed bender. But Benders. especially adventuring Benders, wisely understand that different classes have specialized skills and abilities often needed for success.
Role: Because they’re the preeminent spellcasters in their culture, Benders’ spell lists run the gamut from top-notch combat spells to powerful healing and versatile utility spells. But they have a limited set of spells to choose from.
GAME RULE INFORMATION
Benders have the following game statistics.
Abilities: Charisma determines how powerful a spell a Bender can cast, how many spells the Bender can cast per day, and how hard those spells are to resist. To cast a spell, a Bender must have a Charisma score of 10 + the spell’s level + the Bender’s Charisma modifier. High Dexterity is helpful for a Bender (who typically wears little or no armor) because it provides him with an Armor Class bonus. Or High Strength is good for Benders who use their abilities for fight in melee combat. A good Constitution gives a Bender extra hit points, a resource that he is otherwise low on.
Alignment: Any.