Bushi Kit - Balanced? Comments Please
Greener
Member Posts: 430
BUSHI: Bushi are masterless warriors, men without ties to a lord, temple, or monastery. They are commonly mercenaries, bandits highwaymen, or wanderers, earning their money however then can. They can be found serving samurai, protecting the court, or swelling the ranks of armies. A few may be kensai who have fallen by the way. Most, however are men of low birth who have chosen the way of the warrior to advance in the world
Advantages:
- May use Ki ability once per day per level (starts at 1st level with one use).
KI: The bushi temporarily raises his effective level by two for one turn. He temporarily gains +15 HP, +2 THAC0 and -2 to all saving throws.
Disadvantages:
- Can't wear armor heavier than splint mail
Advantages:
- May use Ki ability once per day per level (starts at 1st level with one use).
KI: The bushi temporarily raises his effective level by two for one turn. He temporarily gains +15 HP, +2 THAC0 and -2 to all saving throws.
Disadvantages:
- Can't wear armor heavier than splint mail
Post edited by Greener on
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Comments
How about...
BUSHI: Bushi are masterless warriors, men without ties to a lord, temple, or monastery. They are commonly mercenaries, bandits highwaymen, or wanderers, earning their money however then can. They can be found serving samurai, protecting the court, or swelling the ranks of armies. A few may be kensai who have fallen by the way. Most, however are men of low birth who have chosen the way of the warrior to advance in the world
Advantages:
- May use Ki ability once per day per level (starts at 1st level with one use).
KI: The bushi temporarily raises his effective level by two for one turn. He temporarily gains +15 HP, +2 THAC0 and -2 to all saving throws.
Disadvantages:
- Race restricted to human
- Can't wear armor heavier than splint mail
By the way, with just the "Ki" ability, which is basically the Berserker's Enrage ability, it's pretty bland.
A Berserker can still be of any race, wear any armor and has the same special ability.
I would advise on making it more flavorful. Add some unique abilities that no other class has or combine them to form something unique.
It's a bit hard to do I understand because every almost archetype is covered.
No armor high damaging Kensai, tanking berserkers, barbarians, stalkers, swashbucklers.
I would try to think of something that fits a particular niche that no one class can fill or do and work from there.
Like giving some skills like Pick Pocket if they're bandits or highwaymen and maybe Set Trap.
Stuff like that.
I've tested and it works
I understand what you are saying, I was trying to add in some kits from AD&D Oriental Adventures
I liked the bushi's ability, perhaps just adding that and removing the armour restriction may work?
I think the armor restrictions are good. The race restriction, I'm neutral about it but I think there's no real reason to keep it to Humans only.
Perhaps the Bushi ability could scale instead. So it's not providing immunities like the Berserker but it's not identical to it.
Like +5 temporary HP, +1 THAC0 (improving), +1 AC, -1 to saving throws (improving?) every 5 levels.
So you don't have the permanent boosts of the Kensai but you don't have the tanking ability of the Berserker + immunities, either.
Maybe giving them a +1 or +2 THAC0 bonus with the oriental weapons (katana/wakizashi/ninjato) so you don't have Bushi characters with a warhammer or an axe for powergaming reasons but rewarding characters true to the flavor of the class.
I think that's better balanced. You don't have heavy armor or permanent bonuses (Kensai/Swashbuckler) but Ki (could be changed to Ki Focus) gives a needed edge in battle that improves with levels.
I think that would be a good rebalance and not needing much else.
You have an oriental weapon focused character that is something between the Kensai and Berserker.
When you make a kit or class I think you always need to keep in mind "what does this kit/class offer that the others don't? Why should someone pick this class instead of the other except flavor?"
With regards to scaling where you thinking of something like this?
Ki:
level 1-5 +5HP, +1THAC0 -1 to all Saving throws
level 6-10 +10HP, +2THAC0 -2 to all Saving throws
level 11-15 +15HP, +3THAC0 -3 to all Saving throws I was using the AD&D Oriental Adventures 1st edition, but I understand your point
A Berserker/Paladin/Fighter can wear the Splint/Dragon armors too they're not restricted just to them.
Plus the Berserker can wear Full Plate plus get the AC bonus and immunities, a Paladin can just use spells.
The Bushi would have to rely on those boosts to improve his abilities in combat.
Once per day per level might be a bit too much though. A level 10 character can use it 10 times per day.
A 20 level one, 20 times per day. Which is more than he will ever need.
1 use per 5 levels, with every boost is good I think.
And yes, the scaling could be like that.
By the way, I think the classes should be balanced against themselves and not taken exactly from the books.
For example the Cavalier is a mounted Fighter kit I think, which is useless in BG. Instead they turned it into one fighting dragons and demons.
I'll play around with scaling but considering the changes we've made I'm thinking leaving it be may be appropriate
Currently the kits stands as...
BUSHI: Bushi are masterless warriors, men without ties to a lord, temple, or monastery. They are commonly mercenaries, bandits highwaymen, or wanderers, earning their money however then can. They can be found serving samurai, protecting the court, or swelling the ranks of armies. A few may be kensai who have fallen by the way. Most, however are men of low birth who have chosen the way of the warrior to advance in the world
Advantages:
- +1 bonus to Armor Class at 1st level, plus an additional +1 bonus every 5 levels.
- May use Ki ability once per day every 4 levels (starts at 1st level with one use)
KI: The bushi temporarily raises his effective level by two for one turn. He temporarily gains +10 HP, +2 THAC0 and -2 to all saving throws.
Disadvantages:
- Can't wear armor heavier than splint mail
Advantages:
- +1 bonus to Armor Class at 1st level, plus an additional +1 bonus every 5 levels.
- May use Ki ability once per every 4 levels (starts at 1st level with one use).
KI: The bushi temporarily raises his effective level by two for one turn. He temporarily gains +15 HP, +2 THAC0 and -2 to all saving throws.
Disadvantages:
- May not wear armour heavier than splint mail
- 4 Charisma
I was originally trying to code a -4 starting reputation into the kit, but that proved more difficult that initially thought, thus I have instead replaced that with -4 Charisma to best represent those "who have fallen by the way...or are men of low birth"
The original Oriental Adventures kit includes the +1 bonus to Armor Class every 5th level because bushi are quite often poor and find it difficult to buy and maintain their armour and equipment...their lack of armour gradually teaches them to be nimble on their feet. Thus, in addition to any defensive adjustment a bush may have from a high dexterity score, his armour class improves by one step for every five experience levels