Anime Style DND [Archive] - Wizards Community

Anime Style DND [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Lluks
10-20-06, 05:53 PM Okay, a lot of the most fun campaigns I've been in/ DM'ed have been anime style campaigns. What I mean by that is that they have had anime themes, pacing, etc., and the characters could have been stars of an anime as well. Now, I know some of you HATE the idea. Cool. My advice to you is to go to a different thread, because you will find nothing fun here. I'm not in the mood to debate whether anime style works or is cool or whatever in dnd. I'm just here to discuss cool ways to "anime-ify" your characters for those who like doing things this way.

So, if you like anime AND dnd, and like crossovers between the two,then this is the thread for you. Otherwise, please just leave. Nobody is flaming you, don't flame us.
Lluks
10-20-06, 06:06 PM One great class for an anime-style campaign is the Duskblade. First, it's a caster AND a fighter. Most characters in anime have both abilities, not just one or the other. Second, it's powers scream anime, and with a little tweaking, you'll see what I mean.

Okay, so you get the feats Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Bounding Assault, Quick Draw, and Rapid Blitz. First of all, Rapid Blitz already sounds like an anime attack, so you're good there. Second, it's a move seen all the time in anime:
Remember in Kingdom Hearts, when Sora does his Dash thing with the Keyblade that has him do a dashing attack at one enemy, then another, then another?

Now, cast Swift Expeditious Retreat before you do your rapid blitz. You get 30 extra feet of movement, and an excuse to say your character moved with supernatural speed.

If your DM does a "Post-Round Carnage Report"* like I do, then he might say something like this:

"Tenshin, you place your hand on the hilt of your sword, rapidly making signs with your other hand, and then say "RAPID BLITZ!" as you zoom along a triangular path ending right where you started, steel flashing in your wake. The enemies fall to peices as you click the sword back into its sheath, your
back turned to your victims."

You now official look like the coolest thing since food.

*Post Round Carnage Report: A recount of a combat round in narrative, non-dice terms after everyone has declared actions and rolled up the results. Allows the DM to describe the scene in a seemless, coherent manner that isn't as stop-and-go as describing what each person does individually as soon as the roll it up.
Lluks
10-20-06, 06:11 PM Other cool ways to anime-ify a Duskblade:

Call "Swift Fly" "Air Hike" (A la Devil May Cry)
Call "Swift Invisiblity" your "Phantom Strike"
Use Arcane Channeling a LOT, and use it with shocking grasp while yelling out "Thunder Slash!"

The list goes on and on.
Lluks
10-20-06, 06:21 PM For DBZ fans, a monk/sorcerer that tosses of Mximized magic missiles while chanting "Ka...me...ha...me...HA!!!"
You'd want to make sure and get into the Enlightened Fist prestige Class, as otherwise your character's power would start to fall dramatically at later levels, but if you don't have the Complete Arcane, you can do alright by taking a level in fighter and going Monk1/Fighter1/Sorc8/Eldritch Knight 10.
Your fists won't be as lethal as a normal monk, but once you start using your magic (Tenser's transformation, anyone?) you can be pretty lethal.
Lluks
10-20-06, 06:32 PM If you wanna be an anime-style mage, then keep these thing in mind:

#1) Make sure you know True Strike. Cool special blast attacks shouldn't miss.
#2) Get plenty of ranged touch spells. The Reflex half spells are harder to churn out pure damage with when you're in a duel with a boss or something.
The best spell to get is one of the Orb spells (Orb of Acid, Orb of Electricity) in Complete Arcane or Miniatures handbook. The fourth level ones do pretty dang good damage (15d6), you can guarantee you'll hit with True Strike, and to top it all off, NO SPELL RESISTANCE!!!:mage: That means you won't get crippled when you fight a golem.
#3) Make sure you get the feats Maximize Spell and Sudden Maximize. Also, if you have the PHB2, make sure you choose the Metamagic Expert feat. The temptation to have a furry sidekick is high for some, but if you just care about kicking some *** then screw the familiar.
#4) Get Overland Flight as soon as possible. You cast it once and you can fly for pretty much the rest of the day. Flying is good, because you look so much cooler when you fly up and yell "Big Bang... Attack!" before hurling that Maximized fireball at the oncoming army.:tie:
Lluks
10-20-06, 07:27 PM For a cool, evil NPC at early levels the DM could make a Duskblade that uses the spell Blade of Blood: not unusual for a duskblade, but when the duskblade is weilding a scythe, suddenly you get a pretty evil-looking dude. throw in little details like him wearing a skull mask, and if you need a higher-level NPC then use the swift invisibility "Phantom Strike" thing above and Spider Climb. keen edge if you want to make him really scary. If you're trying to wipe out huge chunks of HP (say they have a Dwarf Barbarian in the party), then give him power attack, keen edge, and True Strike. Be careful, though, because a critical hit with this combo can absolutely decimate someone.
Lyinginbedmon
10-20-06, 09:24 PM For my group the game is already pretty anime-esque, since we use the most suiting anime screencaps we can find for our PCs and NPCs and then design the descriptive text and clothing around the image. (One of the first PCs was pictured as Sabaku no Gaara from Naruto, for example, and later on the BBEG was Ashram from Record of Lodoss War)

Additionally, since we only meet once a week (And even then we're lucky to get over an hour), we generally don't have much time to say what the characters decide to do after a session. So instead we have what basically amounts to an anime storyline, where the story moves along in regular episodic steps each time.
This seems to work very well for them, since they aren't particularly avid roleplayers (Which isn't to say they don't do well) and it means that I can plot out a campaign beforehand and have everything ready without having to worry much about drastic alterations to the plot (Building a desert campaign but then the PCs decide to go sailing, for example. It's hard to railroad when the road is the rail, after all ;))

In particular, this new campaign we're starting will be pretty anime-esque, most notably for the descriptions of events the PCs don't have control over (Such as a Naruto's Sasori hired mercenary using a scroll with teleportation circle to summon constructs) and the BBEG, being a Chameleon with a big history and a weapon of weapon shift (Allowing him virtually limitless possibility as a character) and a portrait image composed of a pair of thick blue-frame glasses from Full Metal Alchemist and the wide smile of Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece fame (One of very few customised portraits we have)
roll8dn
10-20-06, 10:04 PM While I tend towards more of the high-fantasy Middle-Earth-esque campaign style, the anime-esque campaigns can be rewarding as well.

For my part, have you picked up Tome of Battle yet? Pretty much everything in that book is almost specifically geared towards a wuxia/anime style campaign. To see a Swordsage racing in a circle, trailing fire, only to have the center of the circle burst into a pillar of flame, consuming your enemies...well, that is certainly in character for the style of campaign that you're describing.

Just a thought...
Lluks
11-04-06, 07:07 PM For my group the game is already pretty anime-esque, since we use the most suiting anime screencaps we can find for our PCs and NPCs and then design the descriptive text and clothing around the image. (One of the first PCs was pictured as Sabaku no Gaara from Naruto, for example, and later on the BBEG was Ashram from Record of Lodoss War)

Additionally, since we only meet once a week (And even then we're lucky to get over an hour), we generally don't have much time to say what the characters decide to do after a session. So instead we have what basically amounts to an anime storyline, where the story moves along in regular episodic steps each time.
This seems to work very well for them, since they aren't particularly avid roleplayers (Which isn't to say they don't do well) and it means that I can plot out a campaign beforehand and have everything ready without having to worry much about drastic alterations to the plot (Building a desert campaign but then the PCs decide to go sailing, for example. It's hard to railroad when the road is the rail, after all ;))

In particular, this new campaign we're starting will be pretty anime-esque, most notably for the descriptions of events the PCs don't have control over (Such as a Naruto's Sasori hired mercenary using a scroll with teleportation circle to summon constructs) and the BBEG, being a Chameleon with a big history and a weapon of weapon shift (Allowing him virtually limitless possibility as a character) and a portrait image composed of a pair of thick blue-frame glasses from Full Metal Alchemist and the wide smile of Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece fame (One of very few customised portraits we have)
:b: :r: :g: :w: :u:
You bring up a very good point: A lot of times when I have asked the players I know for pictures of their characters, they have given me either anime character print-offs, or drew the character themselves. In the second case, it was usually anime style. I think the unique costumes and overall look of the artwork is awesome in dnd.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Lluks 10-20-06, 05:53 PM	Okay, a lot of the most fun campaigns I've been in/ DM'ed have been anime style campaigns. What I mean by that is that they have had anime themes, pacing, etc., and the characters could have been stars of an anime as well. Now, I know some of you HATE the idea. Cool. My advice to you is to go to a different thread, because you will find nothing fun here. I'm not in the mood to debate whether anime style works or is cool or whatever in dnd. I'm just here to discuss cool ways to "anime-ify" your characters for those who like doing things this way. So, if you like anime AND dnd, and like crossovers between the two,then this is the thread for you. Otherwise, please just leave. Nobody is flaming you, don't flame us.
Lluks 10-20-06, 06:06 PM	One great class for an anime-style campaign is the Duskblade. First, it's a caster AND a fighter. Most characters in anime have both abilities, not just one or the other. Second, it's powers scream anime, and with a little tweaking, you'll see what I mean. Okay, so you get the feats Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack, Bounding Assault, Quick Draw, and Rapid Blitz. First of all, Rapid Blitz already sounds like an anime attack, so you're good there. Second, it's a move seen all the time in anime: Remember in Kingdom Hearts, when Sora does his Dash thing with the Keyblade that has him do a dashing attack at one enemy, then another, then another? Now, cast Swift Expeditious Retreat before you do your rapid blitz. You get 30 extra feet of movement, and an excuse to say your character moved with supernatural speed. If your DM does a "Post-Round Carnage Report"* like I do, then he might say something like this: "Tenshin, you place your hand on the hilt of your sword, rapidly making signs with your other hand, and then say "RAPID BLITZ!" as you zoom along a triangular path ending right where you started, steel flashing in your wake. The enemies fall to peices as you click the sword back into its sheath, your back turned to your victims." You now official look like the coolest thing since food. *Post Round Carnage Report: A recount of a combat round in narrative, non-dice terms after everyone has declared actions and rolled up the results. Allows the DM to describe the scene in a seemless, coherent manner that isn't as stop-and-go as describing what each person does individually as soon as the roll it up.
Lluks 10-20-06, 06:11 PM	Other cool ways to anime-ify a Duskblade: Call "Swift Fly" "Air Hike" (A la Devil May Cry) Call "Swift Invisiblity" your "Phantom Strike" Use Arcane Channeling a LOT, and use it with shocking grasp while yelling out "Thunder Slash!" The list goes on and on.
Lluks 10-20-06, 06:21 PM	For DBZ fans, a monk/sorcerer that tosses of Mximized magic missiles while chanting "Ka...me...ha...me...HA!!!" You'd want to make sure and get into the Enlightened Fist prestige Class, as otherwise your character's power would start to fall dramatically at later levels, but if you don't have the Complete Arcane, you can do alright by taking a level in fighter and going Monk1/Fighter1/Sorc8/Eldritch Knight 10. Your fists won't be as lethal as a normal monk, but once you start using your magic (Tenser's transformation, anyone?) you can be pretty lethal.
Lluks 10-20-06, 06:32 PM	If you wanna be an anime-style mage, then keep these thing in mind: #1) Make sure you know True Strike. Cool special blast attacks shouldn't miss. #2) Get plenty of ranged touch spells. The Reflex half spells are harder to churn out pure damage with when you're in a duel with a boss or something. The best spell to get is one of the Orb spells (Orb of Acid, Orb of Electricity) in Complete Arcane or Miniatures handbook. The fourth level ones do pretty dang good damage (15d6), you can guarantee you'll hit with True Strike, and to top it all off, NO SPELL RESISTANCE!!!:mage: That means you won't get crippled when you fight a golem. #3) Make sure you get the feats Maximize Spell and Sudden Maximize. Also, if you have the PHB2, make sure you choose the Metamagic Expert feat. The temptation to have a furry sidekick is high for some, but if you just care about kicking some *** then screw the familiar. #4) Get Overland Flight as soon as possible. You cast it once and you can fly for pretty much the rest of the day. Flying is good, because you look so much cooler when you fly up and yell "Big Bang... Attack!" before hurling that Maximized fireball at the oncoming army.:tie:
Lluks 10-20-06, 07:27 PM	For a cool, evil NPC at early levels the DM could make a Duskblade that uses the spell Blade of Blood: not unusual for a duskblade, but when the duskblade is weilding a scythe, suddenly you get a pretty evil-looking dude. throw in little details like him wearing a skull mask, and if you need a higher-level NPC then use the swift invisibility "Phantom Strike" thing above and Spider Climb. keen edge if you want to make him really scary. If you're trying to wipe out huge chunks of HP (say they have a Dwarf Barbarian in the party), then give him power attack, keen edge, and True Strike. Be careful, though, because a critical hit with this combo can absolutely decimate someone.
Lyinginbedmon 10-20-06, 09:24 PM	For my group the game is already pretty anime-esque, since we use the most suiting anime screencaps we can find for our PCs and NPCs and then design the descriptive text and clothing around the image. (One of the first PCs was pictured as Sabaku no Gaara from Naruto, for example, and later on the BBEG was Ashram from Record of Lodoss War) Additionally, since we only meet once a week (And even then we're lucky to get over an hour), we generally don't have much time to say what the characters decide to do after a session. So instead we have what basically amounts to an anime storyline, where the story moves along in regular episodic steps each time. This seems to work very well for them, since they aren't particularly avid roleplayers (Which isn't to say they don't do well) and it means that I can plot out a campaign beforehand and have everything ready without having to worry much about drastic alterations to the plot (Building a desert campaign but then the PCs decide to go sailing, for example. It's hard to railroad when the road is the rail, after all ;)) In particular, this new campaign we're starting will be pretty anime-esque, most notably for the descriptions of events the PCs don't have control over (Such as a Naruto's Sasori hired mercenary using a scroll with teleportation circle to summon constructs) and the BBEG, being a Chameleon with a big history and a weapon of weapon shift (Allowing him virtually limitless possibility as a character) and a portrait image composed of a pair of thick blue-frame glasses from Full Metal Alchemist and the wide smile of Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece fame (One of very few customised portraits we have)
roll8dn 10-20-06, 10:04 PM	While I tend towards more of the high-fantasy Middle-Earth-esque campaign style, the anime-esque campaigns can be rewarding as well. For my part, have you picked up Tome of Battle yet? Pretty much everything in that book is almost specifically geared towards a wuxia/anime style campaign. To see a Swordsage racing in a circle, trailing fire, only to have the center of the circle burst into a pillar of flame, consuming your enemies...well, that is certainly in character for the style of campaign that you're describing. Just a thought...
Lluks 11-04-06, 07:07 PM	For my group the game is already pretty anime-esque, since we use the most suiting anime screencaps we can find for our PCs and NPCs and then design the descriptive text and clothing around the image. (One of the first PCs was pictured as Sabaku no Gaara from Naruto, for example, and later on the BBEG was Ashram from Record of Lodoss War) Additionally, since we only meet once a week (And even then we're lucky to get over an hour), we generally don't have much time to say what the characters decide to do after a session. So instead we have what basically amounts to an anime storyline, where the story moves along in regular episodic steps each time. This seems to work very well for them, since they aren't particularly avid roleplayers (Which isn't to say they don't do well) and it means that I can plot out a campaign beforehand and have everything ready without having to worry much about drastic alterations to the plot (Building a desert campaign but then the PCs decide to go sailing, for example. It's hard to railroad when the road is the rail, after all ;)) In particular, this new campaign we're starting will be pretty anime-esque, most notably for the descriptions of events the PCs don't have control over (Such as a Naruto's Sasori hired mercenary using a scroll with teleportation circle to summon constructs) and the BBEG, being a Chameleon with a big history and a weapon of weapon shift (Allowing him virtually limitless possibility as a character) and a portrait image composed of a pair of thick blue-frame glasses from Full Metal Alchemist and the wide smile of Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece fame (One of very few customised portraits we have) :b: :r: :g: :w: :u: You bring up a very good point: A lot of times when I have asked the players I know for pictures of their characters, they have given me either anime character print-offs, or drew the character themselves. In the second case, it was usually anime style. I think the unique costumes and overall look of the artwork is awesome in dnd.