Rikishi [Archive] - Wizards Community - Pages Merged by Solauren

Rikishi [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Sidar Jabari
07-04-07, 08:47 AM I made this up years ago and just found it recently. I wondered what people thought of it. I haven't read all the supplements, but the optional grapple rules and feats would benefit this guy.

Rikishi or Sumo Fighter
This is a practitioner of a rare, ritualized fighting art. Rikishi develop their bodies into living mountains, and specialize in unarmed combat and grappling. Part of their tradition is to focus on the spiritual aspect of fighting, granting them some of the abilities typically held by clerics. Rikishi belong to a strict meritocratic order and the only way to advance is through victories in battle and against each other.
Adventures: Rikishi society is strict and the only way to advance in standing among their peers is gaining honor through victories in fights. Sumo wrestling is a popular form of entertainment, but it doesn’t always pay very well. Some make extra money acting as bouncers and muscle-for-hire. Alternately, some sumo fighters quest like clerics and paladins to fight evil.
Characteristics: Size and strength are the signatures of sumo. Where barbarians specialize in ferocity and fighters rely on tactics, rikishi fight using brute strength and size. Their signature fighting style is the grapple. They also learn some divine powers to banish evil.
Religion: Sumo is its own religious order.
Background: This art exists only in “Oriental” settings with strong religious cultures.
Races: I had imagined this being a human class, but any race could be a sumo fighter.
Other Classes: Learning the sumo fighting style is a religious devotion to reshape their bodies, so Rikishi have the most in common with monks and clerics. They make good muscle for a party with spellcasters and rogues. They are extremely competitive against each other so a party with more than one rikishi isn’t unheard of but would be full of showy one-upsmanship and infighting.

Abilities: Strength is all-important to the sumo fighter, it starts high and just gets higher. Constitution is important for the added hit points as well. Wisdom is necessary for their protection spells.
Alignment: any Lawful. Honor is highly important to rikishi.
Hit Die: d12
BAB: Level x .75, as Cleric
Good Save Fort

Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Perform, Profession.

Class Features:
Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sumo fighters are proficient with simple weapons and one monk weapon. They are not proficient with any armor or shields. Most of their specific class abilities are precluded by any armor.
Improved Unarmed Strike: Unarmed attacks do not provoke attacks of opportunity and they may deal real damage instead of subdual.
Wrestle/ Improved Grapple: This is key to the sumo main attack. Sumo fighters may make touch attacks to grapple without provoking an attack of opportunity. (Alternate rule: for grapple attempts, Rikishi may use the Monks' Flurry of Blows).
Special Abilities I never got around to deciding where the supernatural and spell-like abilities go on the level chart.
Size: Sumo fighters start off at first level as normal sized (albeit unusually large) individuals of their race. As they increase in level they get larger. At 4th level they weigh double what other typical members of their race do. At 8th level they weigh triple and now count as one size class larger (with the accompanying penalties to AC and hit rolls, and bonuses to grapples). At 16th level they weigh quadruple. (This weight gain is a continuum; they don’t suddenly get bigger as a result of gaining levels.)
Improving the body: Sumos develop their bodies faster than other classes. At every level divisible by 3 or 4, the sumo fighter can improve an ability score. Those bonus levels at 3, 6, 9, 15, 18, you may only increase physical attributes, Strength, Dexterity or Constitution. On levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, you may increase any attribute.
Thick skin: As they get larger, rikishi gain natural armor bonuses and resistance to elements, including total immunity to cold at high levels.
Salt Circle: By spreading salt on the ground, the Sumo fighter can ward an area against evil. Treat this as Magic Circle against Evil spell. As with any spell, casting provokes attacks of opportunity.
Move the earth: Stamping his feet, the rikishi can cause a localized earthquake. Roll a Strength check to make a trip attack against all creatures in an adjacent 5’ square. If it fails, the target does not get an opportunity to trip the rikishi back.
Improved Salt Circle: This barrier provides the same benefits as the Salt Circle, but if an evil creature crosses the barrier they incur the same effects of a Holy Smite (1d8 damage per 2 rikishi levels, blinds for one round, Fortitude save for ½ damage and negate the blinding). A smart sumo fighter will grapple and throw their enemy across the barrier repeatedly.
Immobility: By focusing his will (initiate with a Concentration check), the sumo fighter can make himself completely immobile. This means any attempt to Bull Rush, Swallow Whole or anything else that involves grabbing and moving him automatically fails. In addition, all weapons wielded by the rikishi when immobile, including unarmed strikes, are considered set against a charge. The effect lasts until the rikishi fails a Concentration check or moves (even a 5’ step ends the effect).
Sidar Jabari
07-04-07, 09:10 AM http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=650090

This guy has great ideas.
Kyuketsukiouji
07-11-07, 09:21 PM What's the DC on Immobility?
What's the AC bonus/Resistance for thick skin?
Why do they get a weapon proficiency?

Quadruple body weight is pretty extreme. Good sumo wrestlers aren't all massively heavy.

And -5- bonus stat points? That's far too much.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Sidar Jabari 07-04-07, 08:47 AM	I made this up years ago and just found it recently. I wondered what people thought of it. I haven't read all the supplements, but the optional grapple rules and feats would benefit this guy. Rikishi or Sumo Fighter This is a practitioner of a rare, ritualized fighting art. Rikishi develop their bodies into living mountains, and specialize in unarmed combat and grappling. Part of their tradition is to focus on the spiritual aspect of fighting, granting them some of the abilities typically held by clerics. Rikishi belong to a strict meritocratic order and the only way to advance is through victories in battle and against each other. Adventures: Rikishi society is strict and the only way to advance in standing among their peers is gaining honor through victories in fights. Sumo wrestling is a popular form of entertainment, but it doesn’t always pay very well. Some make extra money acting as bouncers and muscle-for-hire. Alternately, some sumo fighters quest like clerics and paladins to fight evil. Characteristics: Size and strength are the signatures of sumo. Where barbarians specialize in ferocity and fighters rely on tactics, rikishi fight using brute strength and size. Their signature fighting style is the grapple. They also learn some divine powers to banish evil. Religion: Sumo is its own religious order. Background: This art exists only in “Oriental” settings with strong religious cultures. Races: I had imagined this being a human class, but any race could be a sumo fighter. Other Classes: Learning the sumo fighting style is a religious devotion to reshape their bodies, so Rikishi have the most in common with monks and clerics. They make good muscle for a party with spellcasters and rogues. They are extremely competitive against each other so a party with more than one rikishi isn’t unheard of but would be full of showy one-upsmanship and infighting. Abilities: Strength is all-important to the sumo fighter, it starts high and just gets higher. Constitution is important for the added hit points as well. Wisdom is necessary for their protection spells. Alignment: any Lawful. Honor is highly important to rikishi. Hit Die: d12 BAB: Level x .75, as Cleric Good Save Fort Class Skills: Balance, Bluff, Concentration, Craft, Escape Artist, Heal, Intimidate, Knowledge (religion), Perform, Profession. Class Features: Weapon and Armor Proficiency: Sumo fighters are proficient with simple weapons and one monk weapon. They are not proficient with any armor or shields. Most of their specific class abilities are precluded by any armor. Improved Unarmed Strike: Unarmed attacks do not provoke attacks of opportunity and they may deal real damage instead of subdual. Wrestle/ Improved Grapple: This is key to the sumo main attack. Sumo fighters may make touch attacks to grapple without provoking an attack of opportunity. (Alternate rule: for grapple attempts, Rikishi may use the Monks' Flurry of Blows). Special Abilities I never got around to deciding where the supernatural and spell-like abilities go on the level chart. Size: Sumo fighters start off at first level as normal sized (albeit unusually large) individuals of their race. As they increase in level they get larger. At 4th level they weigh double what other typical members of their race do. At 8th level they weigh triple and now count as one size class larger (with the accompanying penalties to AC and hit rolls, and bonuses to grapples). At 16th level they weigh quadruple. (This weight gain is a continuum; they don’t suddenly get bigger as a result of gaining levels.) Improving the body: Sumos develop their bodies faster than other classes. At every level divisible by 3 or 4, the sumo fighter can improve an ability score. Those bonus levels at 3, 6, 9, 15, 18, you may only increase physical attributes, Strength, Dexterity or Constitution. On levels 4, 8, 12, 16, 20, you may increase any attribute. Thick skin: As they get larger, rikishi gain natural armor bonuses and resistance to elements, including total immunity to cold at high levels. Salt Circle: By spreading salt on the ground, the Sumo fighter can ward an area against evil. Treat this as Magic Circle against Evil spell. As with any spell, casting provokes attacks of opportunity. Move the earth: Stamping his feet, the rikishi can cause a localized earthquake. Roll a Strength check to make a trip attack against all creatures in an adjacent 5’ square. If it fails, the target does not get an opportunity to trip the rikishi back. Improved Salt Circle: This barrier provides the same benefits as the Salt Circle, but if an evil creature crosses the barrier they incur the same effects of a Holy Smite (1d8 damage per 2 rikishi levels, blinds for one round, Fortitude save for ½ damage and negate the blinding). A smart sumo fighter will grapple and throw their enemy across the barrier repeatedly. Immobility: By focusing his will (initiate with a Concentration check), the sumo fighter can make himself completely immobile. This means any attempt to Bull Rush, Swallow Whole or anything else that involves grabbing and moving him automatically fails. In addition, all weapons wielded by the rikishi when immobile, including unarmed strikes, are considered set against a charge. The effect lasts until the rikishi fails a Concentration check or moves (even a 5’ step ends the effect).
Sidar Jabari 07-04-07, 09:10 AM	http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=650090 This guy has great ideas.
Kyuketsukiouji 07-11-07, 09:21 PM	What's the DC on Immobility? What's the AC bonus/Resistance for thick skin? Why do they get a weapon proficiency? Quadruple body weight is pretty extreme. Good sumo wrestlers aren't all massively heavy. And -5- bonus stat points? That's far too much.