(3.5) Building Guts from Berserk

[0Megabyte]

So, I've been reading the Berserk manga again, and I must admit I started wondering, "how would you build Guts, the manga's main character, in D&D 3.5?"

Besides giving him the monkey-grip feat and whichever one would allow him to wield a greatsword one-handed, I'm honestly not sure.

Does anybody else have any ideas?

[Oslecamo]

Half-iron golem from MM 2 for the pimped out metal arm, massive str bonus, defenses against magic and melee and even a short-ranged blast attack.

Barbarian-frenzied berseker for "Can't die from damage b***!" thingy.

Fullblade (exotic large greatsword you can use in medium if you have proefeciency). If you're willing to reflavor weapons Frostburn has a large exotic weapon that it's basicaly a massive stick with reach and high damage but so heavy that needs a full round action to strike. Take another feat and you can use it as normal. Reflavor as freaking huge piece of metal.

Then power attack, cleave, greater cleave, supreme cleave, profit.

[Kaiyanwang]

As I said in another thread, find a way to put a small thayan bombard in his arm (I mean, use Thayan Bombard crunch put in an arm prosthetic).

And the things above.

[Eldan]

Instead of a half-golem, he could also just have a graft, which has the advantage of costing money instead of adding LA, though it doesn't add strength.

I wouldn't stat him as a pure barbarian, actually: his first few levels were probably fighter, given that he worked for a military organization and was constantly training.

[The Cat Goddess]

I think he deserves Warblade levels, since he's equally good with other weapons.

Edit: Don't forget to give him Improved Crit.

Edit #2: Stone Dragon strikes will get him loads of extra damage.

Leap Attack is another appropriate Feat.

[Boci]

So:
Animated possessed hand crossbow to allow it to fire and reload on its own.
Strongarm braces + large greatsword or fullblade.
Crusader with the stance that allows a fort save to not die from hp damage or warblade barbarian mix PrCing into Frenzied beserker
Hellbred race for the brand on his back.

[Oslecamo]

Instead of a half-golem, he could also just have a graft, which has the advantage of costing money instead of adding LA, though it doesn't add strength.

And since when does half-golem gives LA? I just see a money price in the entry and a CR increase for NPCs since the half-golem limb can't be looted. It doesn't actualy comes with any pesky LA for players.

Also shock trooper, karmic strike and robillar's gambit since we're at it for massive melee carnage.

[Hida Reju]

To do Guts justice see if you can fit in some form of Regen that way the redonkulus amount of damage he takes makes more sense.

[Kaiyanwang]

To do Guts justice see if you can fit in some form of Regen that way the redonkulus amount of damage he takes makes more sense.

Maybe not regeneration (his arm is still missing) but if the PC goes to epic and to Constitution 25, you can go with a fast healing..

[The Cat Goddess]

To do Guts justice see if you can fit in some form of Regen that way the redonkulus amount of damage he takes makes more sense.

Warblade/Barbarian d12 hit dice, plus high Con, plus house-rule minimum rolled hp per level = Con Modifier or max die roll, whichever is lower.

Throw in Die Hard & house-rule characters going to -(10+Con Modifier) before dying.

And let's not forget Barbarian DR... perhaps also giving him the tactical feat that allows him to Negate Power Attack for the person he's Dodging?

[AvatarZero]

You know, you don't need to go outside the core books to find rules to make a character who is extremely tough. Just develop your appreciation for how tough hit points make a person. Falling ten feet deals 1d6 damage (average, 3.5). So does being on fire, once per round. Being stabbed with a sword by an ordinary guy probably only deals 1d8+2 (average, 6.5). A level 10 Fighter has 10+9d10+Con*10 HP, call that about 80 hit points with a modest Con modifier.

You don't need to make a character based on Guts anything other than a high level human fighter to make him tough enough to survive falling off a 200 foot cliff, or being set on fire and not being able to put himself out for two minutes, or being stabbed a dozen times. And of course, he'd walk away from all of those minor injuries.

[Thant]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=77973

This could give you a hint or two.

[Ossian]

Sweet! I got linked in a thread

I was toying with the idea of adding to the builds in my signature the "Powerful build". It is not a feat, but an extraordinary ability, however for the sake of statting a character who is as über as Gatsu I reckon some leeway is allowed.

The idea of statting him as a very high level core fighter with very high abilities (STR, DEX and CON) toughness and improved toughness etc... is also appealing, especially if you think that he might just get the "berserk fury" as another extraordinary ability (enhanced by his armour when he gets it).

It also really depends on how you describe berserking fighters. Seriously, I believe that a 10th level fighter with a greatsword and STR 18 must not be a pretty sight, especially if he gets infuriated bc of the circumstances. It is someone who should make you pee your pants when he threatens you with violence and with a bit of imagination you can just use cleave, great cleave and supreme cleave to describe how Gatsu cuts through low level warriors with one swing of the dragonslayer. Imagine you give everyone 1 or 2 HD, and a full plate. We are still talking about 8-16 HP and an AC of 18. You cut one down, you get to attack the next one, at full BAB, and so on. With that sword and his expertise, it is almost trivial to butcher hundreds of them.

O.

[Chrono22]

Here was my attempt using 4th level gestalt:
http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetvie...sheetid=188142
Needless to say it fell short of the mark. But for a 4-level build it's pretty good.

[Learnedguy]

Just put all his levels into barbarian or fighter and you'll be fine. Gutts don't need to fancy-pansy multi-classing or prestige classes or anything else of that bull****.

And his feat lines goes along the lines of Power attack. Cleave. Cleave some more. Lots of cleaving. More of it. How about some whirlwind attack?

Yes, Gutts isn't optimized. He doesn't need to be.

[Chrono22]

Just put all his levels into barbarian or fighter and you'll be fine. Gutts don't need to fancy-pansy multi-classing or prestige classes or anything else of that bull****.

And his feat lines goes along the lines of Power attack. Cleave. Cleave some more. Lots of cleaving. More of it. How about some whirlwind attack?

Yes, Gutts isn't optimized. He doesn't need to be.

Actually, yes, he pretty much does. DnD can't do him justice without that bull****, as you put it.
Power attack? Cleave? Please. The things he does go above and beyond the pathetic feats of mere barbarians or fighters. He makes epic level fighters look like novices.

[Ossian]

Actually, yes, he pretty much does. DnD can't do him justice without that bull****, as you put it.
Power attack? Cleave? Please. The things he does go above and beyond the pathetic feats of mere barbarians or fighters. He makes epic level fighters look like novices.

Gatsu is a deadly fighter, according to Zodd (a filed expert we may say) he possibly is the deadliest fighter alive at the time of their fight, someone no human could really stand up to. He is physically beyond human (though not yet Kratos like), and a very resourceful fighter too. He just won't die!

He does have two kinds of exploits: mowing down mooks in numbers that would make you tremble, which high level fighters with the Power Attack feat tree can also do, and going toe to toe with demons, unspeakable horrors, hordes of screaming fiends etc..., all the while being (more often than not) poisoned, crippled, blinded, set to fire, maimed etc...

Again, it depends on how you scale his enemies, but considering what he does during the Eclipse (i.e. before the "training" of the demon hunt) and what he does against Ganishuka, I believe he is the one character who truly deserves to get close to epic.

Multi-classing and Prestige Class and Ex abilities serve the purpose of rendering the mechanics of some of his more spectacular exploits, especially near the last installments of the saga, but you might just make him a Barbarian 2/fighter 18 and be happy with the results :)

[The Shadowmind]

I'd say Guts needs be to be gestalt, one side needs to be a few levels of feat variant rouge,(the other side needs to be a full BAB class), possibly has at least a 1 level dip in Marshall. If we can a graft that gives a breath weapon, change the likely location of the face to the arm for the cannon. The armor might could be emulated with Clockwork armor plus a Gutworm.

[The Cat Goddess]

I still say Warblade will give him lots of the abilities you're looking for.

[Pechvarry]

I still say Warblade will give him lots of the abilities you're looking for.

Can't agree more. Every Warblade school fits another facet of his style. Jump Attacks and such? Tiger Claw. Perseverance? Diamond Mind + Iron Heart. Attacking multiple foes? Iron Heart big time. Heavy striking? Stone Dragon. Seasoned battle commander? Obviously, White Raven.

The only problem is that he needs to be a gestalt Warblade//Warblade so he can get them all.

[Prime32]

And since when does half-golem gives LA? I just see a money price in the entry and a CR increase for NPCs since the half-golem limb can't be looted. It doesn't actualy comes with any pesky LA for players.

No LA =/= LA +0.

No LA means "You cannot play this". Beholders don't have LA either.


So just go with a warforged and give him an armbow or something. Maybe renegade mastermaker if you don't want him to be a Construct.

Not too familiar with Berserk, but what about psychic warrior, using share pain with a psicrystal to become a damage sponge? (and even take on a demonic form) Or even a glaivelock.

[The Cat Goddess]

[nyarlathotep]

Really is seems like he's just a mid level warblade ubercharger with a suit of magic armor that gives deathless frenzy.

[Dr.Epic]

Never saw the show but know you need to take monkey grip great sword so a ridiculously huge sword.

[Piedmon_Sama]

I love how in both those images, the Dragon-Sword is so ridiculously huge you can't even get a clear picture of it.

[Chrono22]

WARNING! big picture inside!

Spoiler

Show

[The Cat Goddess]

Never saw the show but know you need to take monkey grip great sword so a ridiculously huge sword.

Well, there's an Exotic Weapon called the "Fullblade", that is basically an oversized Greatsword.

Then you get Strongarm Bracers, so you can use a "large" one.

Then you get Monkey Grip, so you can use a "huge" one.

Of course, even then, it doesn't have Reach... Not even if a Tiny creature were wielding it (who has a melee range of 0!).

[Kaiyanwang]

Then you get Strongarm Bracers, so you can use a "large" one.

Then you get Monkey Grip, so you can use a "huge" one.

These two don't stack.

[Ossian]

Really is seems like he's just a mid level warblade ubercharger with a suit of magic armor that gives deathless frenzy.

That´s a cool take on Gatsu, although I would blend it with some Fighter levels to make it a bit more feat heavy.

I guess just granting him "powerful Build" and Monkey grip is the easiest way to swing a huge bastard sword (which, IIRC is essentially what a fullblade is, more than a greatsword).