Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Infinitive 02-26-07, 06:38 PM	The Earthen Brawler (A.K.A. the Hibiki-style fighter, as requested by Mato_Hibiki (hey, I had a spare hour on my hands and just went for it) I also tried to make it generic enough to work in any D&D campaign. Some monks value powerful, decisive blows with the power to make the very earth tremble over the speed and maneuverability their brethren espouse. Many of these take up the path of the Earthen Brawler. They suffer enormously in order to toughen their bodies and strengthen their blows, and learn how to instinctively turn anything into a weapon. These are not the formally-trained monks that practice the martial arts as a path to inner tranquility; these are young men and women who dedicate their lives to combat for its own sake. Requirements: B.A.B.: +4 Saving Throws: Fortitude +5 Skills: Balance 8 ranks, Concentration 8 ranks. Feats: Toughness, Stunning Fist, Power Attack Special: Must take the Decisive Blow class feature (PhB2) instead of the Flurry of Blows class feature. Class Features: Level___BAB__Fort__Ref__Wil__Special 1______+0____+2+__+2___+0__Monk Abilities, Improvised Weaponry 2______+1____+3+__+3___+0__DR 1/-, Throw Anything 3______+2____+3+__+3___+1__Bakusai Tenketsu, 10ft. 4______+3____+4+__+4___+1__DR2/-, Improved Improvised Weaponry 5______+3____+4+__+4___+1__Bakusai Tenketsu, 15ft. 6______+4____+5+__+5___+2__DR3/-, Power Throw 7______+5____+5+__+5___+2__Bakusai Tenketsu, 20ft. 8______+6____+6+__+6___+2__DR4/-, Ranged Sunder 9______+6____+6+__+6___+3__Bakusai Tenketsu, 25ft. 10_____+7____+7+__+7___+3__DR5/-, Tenketsu Master Monk Abilities: An Earthen Brawler’s levels stack with his monk class levels to determine his unarmed damage, Decisive Blow, and bonus Armor Class. An Earthen Brawler may freely multiclass between monk and Earthen Brawler. Improvised Weaponry: An Earthen Master may treat any item he wields as a simple monk weapon that adds 1d4 to his unarmed damage. On an attack roll that results in a natural 1, the item shatters and becomes useless. (Identical to the Drunken Master class feature of the same name.) Damage Reduction: At second level and every even-numbered class level after, the Earthen master’s Damage reduction improves by 1. This represents the grueling physical punishment he must endure to learn and improve the Bakusai Tenketsu. Throw Anything: The Earthen Brawler gains the Throw Anything feat as a bonus feat at second level. Bakusai Tenketsu: As a standard action, the Earthen Brawler may initiate the Bakusai Tenketsu. First, he must choose a square that he threatens with his unarmed attack. By touching the earth or stone in that square, he can cause it to explode, dealing double his unarmed physical attack damage to all other units within the blast radius (friend and foe alike), though the Earthen Master himself is immune. This damage is Slashing and Bludgeoning. After the blast, the affected terrain is considered difficult terrain for all purposes. The radius of this ability increases with the Earthen Brawler’s level. Improved Improvised Weaponry: As the Drunken Master class feature, except that the Earthen brawler may also throw any small pieces of cloth on his person as ranged projectiles with the Throw Anything feat. Those projectiles deal the Earthen brawler’s unarmed damage + 1d4 if they hit, and count as Slashing weapons. Power Throw: The Earthen Brawler gains the Power throw feat as a bonus feat at 6th level. Ranged Sunder: The Earthen brawler gains the Ranged Sunder feat as a bonus feat, but it can only be used in conjunction with the special throw feature of his Improved Improvised Weaponry class feature. Tenketsu Master: The Earthen Brawler has reached the pinnacle of his mastery over the Bakusai Tenketsu. Whenever he uses the Bakusai Tenketsu class feature, he may instead fire it as a 50 foot line, a 30-foot cone, or use it as normal, but exclude one other person from the effects of the blast.
Krusk 02-26-07, 07:19 PM	whats the radius on the Bakusai Tenketsu? Class looks cool, not overpowered at all. I like it, and always wanted to play a big unarmed character. Perhapse you could open it to non monks? just let their levels in this class equal their monk level. And add in a prerequsite, Must not be able to use the flurry of blows ability? I like prestige classes to be versitile but maybe thats just me. for ranged sunder, why not just let it be like normal? now people who actually want it still have to take the feat, and people who don't are going to be cheated out of an ability by gaining a pretty weakened version of a feat.
mato_hibiki 02-26-07, 10:02 PM	Oh. My. God. :D Sweeeeet! Sugoi! Awesome! Glee even! Quick note; um, Krusk? You're pretty much getting unlimited throwing darts, why are you complaining? Now, on to the class! I had a couple of things to suggest, from my own experimentation... And, uh, other things... (I think the link in my sig has some)... But this thing is so well made, I just can't bear to suggest them. Ok, thhbth, I just thought of one. But it's past the point of the usual Bakusai Tenketsu. Instead, I'm gonna hunt down shape earth I think the spell is called, and see what I can do about getting that. Maybe as a use per day item... Why? Because making a pillar of earth thirty feet high, and then blasting it, is just the best way to deal with pesky flying creatures. Dammit, I'm gonna have to make something in my sig for badass classes now. Great job. Seriously, you get a thumbs up- *Gives a thumbs up.* and my own personal 'Kudos!' as well.
Infinitive 02-26-07, 10:30 PM	Couple of things: Krusk, the radius on Bakusai Tenketsu is variable, depending on level. Check at the base attack bonus progression to see the diameter (I think the progression is 10 feet at level 2 and 5 extra feet per 2 levels). Also (here's the fun part) one of the easiest ways to get into this class is actually monk 1/duskblade 5 (it even gets you in one level earlier than a pure monk build, I think). The advantage to running a straight monk (or one that's used a level or two of another Monk PrC) is that this class is designed to stack exceptionally well with the monk's BAB progression. Here's the catch: Decisive Blow is an alternate class feature that replaces Flurry of Blows. You take the same penalty to hit, but if you do, it's automatically double damage (more if you crit). However, you can never use more than one Decisive Blow on a target at a time, so I personally feel it's somewhat weaker than Flurry. However, it fits the feel of this class very well, so I went with it. And on ranged Sunder, guys, have a second look: the projectiles you throw deal 1d4 plus your normal unarmed damage, which at that point should be substantial. The catch IS that it's slashing damage, which increases the difficulty of a sunder. Still, a level 20 character that has that class feature is going to be making Sunder attempts for 1/2 of 2d10+1d4+strength, and with multiple Sunder attempts per round, you should be fine. (Plus, don't you deal full damage against wooden weapons with a Slashing sunder?) Mato: I'm glad you like it; I just threw this together offhandedly. There IS one catch to your strategy, though. The Bakusai Tenketsu ability for this class doesn't quite work like I think you're thinking; though the earth explosion DOES deal damage, it shouldn't have more vertical range than it does horizontal, and (this is important) it doesn't actually change any elevations. I know Ryouga uses it to mine in the manga, but that seemed way too powerful for D&D functionality (I got a mental image of an army catapulting Earthen Brawler monks into some castle they're sieging so that the walls could be breached; with Slow Fall, it'd work).
mato_hibiki 02-26-07, 10:45 PM	Heh, actually, a radius goes from the center out, awesomely this means up as well as down. The only thing I would need to peg something way up above me, is to form a pillar of earth up there. Hence the shape earth, or move earth, whatever it is, spell. Standing on top of this pillar, and provided the target is close to said top of said pillar, it's perfect. "Yes, that's right stupid dragon, swoop down on me, and my readied action." KABAM! :D And I'm pretty sure I noticed the 1d4 plus monk damage, but I know I didn't bring it up, whoops. As for breaking down walls, all you need to do is use it next to the wall, as the wall would be in range of the blast itself. It doesn't instantly kill the wall, but a high enough damage roll should do it in a couple of shots.
Infinitive 02-26-07, 11:20 PM	Meh. You're better off Sundering the wall at that point; since Bakusai is a Standard action, it's a 1/turn thing. At least if you just try to beat the hell outta the rock you get several swings per turn.
Krusk 02-26-07, 11:30 PM	Couple of things: Krusk, the radius on Bakusai Tenketsu is variable, depending on level. Check at the base attack bonus progression to see the diameter (I think the progression is 10 feet at level 2 and 5 extra feet per 2 levels). Also (here's the fun part) one of the easiest ways to get into this class is actually monk 1/duskblade 5 (it even gets you in one level earlier than a pure monk build, I think). The advantage to running a straight monk (or one that's used a level or two of another Monk PrC) is that this class is designed to stack exceptionally well with the monk's BAB progression. Here's the catch: Decisive Blow is an alternate class feature that replaces Flurry of Blows. You take the same penalty to hit, but if you do, it's automatically double damage (more if you crit). However, you can never use more than one Decisive Blow on a target at a time, so I personally feel it's somewhat weaker than Flurry. However, it fits the feel of this class very well, so I went with it. And on ranged Sunder, guys, have a second look: the projectiles you throw deal 1d4 plus your normal unarmed damage, which at that point should be substantial. The catch IS that it's slashing damage, which increases the difficulty of a sunder. Still, a level 20 character that has that class feature is going to be making Sunder attempts for 1/2 of 2d10+1d4+strength, and with multiple Sunder attempts per round, you should be fine. (Plus, don't you deal full damage against wooden weapons with a Slashing sunder?) Mato: I'm glad you like it; I just threw this together offhandedly. There IS one catch to your strategy, though. The Bakusai Tenketsu ability for this class doesn't quite work like I think you're thinking; though the earth explosion DOES deal damage, it shouldn't have more vertical range than it does horizontal, and (this is important) it doesn't actually change any elevations. I know Ryouga uses it to mine in the manga, but that seemed way too powerful for D&D functionality (I got a mental image of an army catapulting Earthen Brawler monks into some castle they're sieging so that the walls could be breached; with Slow Fall, it'd work). 1-crap, found the radius. looks good then 2-I have a thing against multi classing. If i have the option to take straight 20 or 10.10 split of classes. Or class prestige prestige i would much rather do that than, 1 monk duskblade 5 class X. 3 for ranged sunder, i see that its easy to do. But personally id much rather give the bonus feat ranged sunder, instead of ranged sunder some of the time but with a bonus on it.
mato_hibiki 02-26-07, 11:52 PM	Infinitive, the advantage over pummeling the wall, is that you get a much bigger hole in the end... All the better to drive your seige engines through to lay waste to the kingdom! MWAHAHAHAHA- :eek: Er, disregard? :P Krusk, unless you're naked, you're always going to be able to use ranged sunder. So, as for other things... Is it possible to whip up a couple of feats to give this class a little expanded ability? Depending on the player, you might want a more ranged character, and prefer more range on the Bakusai Tenketsu line option. Or you may want to do more damage to objects, and be the ultimate door buster. I could see having a feat to use the Bakusai Tenketsu in place of a strength check. I know there are some feats, like eagles claw, that buffs damage to objects, but I don't think they stack with anything but unarmed attacks RAW, and thus are a little less than perfect. :confused: Could there be a way to use the Bakusai Tenketsu in conjunction with feats like this? Would it require a simple tweak, or a feat of it's own, or is it just impossible without being broken? I should mention this now, I reread the class and thought about it. Doesn't the drunken master use a table depending on the size of the improvised weapon for it's damage? I really like the option, but I think I'm right about the table thing. Also, I recall Ryoga using a telephone pole as a weapon when fighting against Ranma. :D I'd like to emulate that at one point, and that's what brought the thought to mine. Plus the recent use of the same tactic in Mistaken Identity. I'm gonna think about using a tattooed monk build with this PrC, I think it would add a little extra 'oomph' to the all around effectiveness of such a class.
Infinitive 02-27-07, 12:35 AM	Mato: You're thinking of Greater and Superior Improvised Weaponry, which remain Drunken Master-only abilities (they give very substantial damage buffs). Improved Improvised Weaponry allows you to use items like a ladder, for reach, and items with many protrusions, like a chair, for a +2 bonus on disarms. Tables and the like CAN be used, but as improvised Tower Shields and nothing more. Though it's theoretically possible for me to incorporate more feat options into Bakusai Tenketsu, the Complete books tend to leave feats and class features as distinct and separate entities; there are some feats which can apply, but the vast majority don't, and those that do do by virtue of their descriptor. Bakusai Tenketsu is intended here to server 2 purposes: 1.) to give the monk a strong, reusable AOE option, and 2.) to allow the monk to be a more tactically adaptable foe (all that bonus movement speed is finally useful in lots of Difficult terrain). And the good news is that I previously misquoted Ranged Sunder (I wrote this while away from my D&D books): Ranged Sunder allows Bludgeoning and Slashing ranged weapons to do their full damage in a Sunder attempt, as long as you're withing 30 feet (which is the max range of Throw Anything). So yeah, throw out what I HAD said; you now have 2d10+1d4+Str for ranged Sunders. I don't believe that thre's any weapon in the game that can match that at range. Have fun. Edit: On second thought, I might have to rein that ability in again... I dunno, I'll sleep on it.
mato_hibiki 02-27-07, 01:09 AM	Well, I bring up the feats because, well, look at all the junk you can do with psionics and magic. Feats out the yin-yang. The soulknife gets feats for their blades, all the casters get feats for magic, monks use stunning attempts for different things, paladins and turn undead... Well, you get the picture. I'm just saying it's not without precedent. But hey, don't feel like you have to, the class itself is more than I ever hoped for. n.n In my opinion, don't worry about the sunder. It'll either be abused to death, and nerfed by the DM, or it won't. Oh, I didn't realize the thing with improvised weapons and drunken master. Heh, maybe I should actually do more than glance at the class, ne? Oh! What about a feat to burn stunning attempts to do extra damage to objects? More breaking of stuff, but avoids sunder-misuse, and the stunning blows used up kinda balances it out. I'm just throwing ideas out there, I never know what could spark inspiration. I will say this, I think you'll agree with me on this one too. It's a big no-no to allow Bakusai Tenketsu attempts through thrown objects. Oh, one more thing, thank goodness for PHB2, and the ki orb feat. That makes it all the easier to Shi Shi Hoku Dan. n.n Yay.
Infinitive 02-27-07, 10:23 AM	Yeah. I think that there are complementary feats that that we could design to go with this class, but they're outside the realm of the PrC forum.
Tectorman 02-27-07, 03:08 PM	Why didn't anyone tell me this class was here?! And you threw it up so quick too. (Obscure seldom known reference warning!) As Seraphimon says in the Digimon Rumble Arena game for the PS1, "I am humbled!" Now, for the improvised weapons. 1. When you refer to the class feature for the Drunken Master, is that just a description of how the weapons break on a natural 1 or the entire thing? Because (I should really start carrying my D&D books with me when I write these) off the top of my head, I wasn't aware Drunken Masters treated improvised weapons as special monk weapons. 2. What about their crit range and multiplier? Same thing with the small pieces of cloth. Same thing with the bakusai tenketsu: is its crit range and multiplier the same as the Earthen Brawler's unarmed strike (20/x2) or what. Also, it looks like an area attack, so I'd add a Reflex save DC to halve or negate (Ranma managed to parry every single rock hurled his way). Or are you going to create a Kachu Tenshin Amaguriken PrC next? (AUGH!! So many ideas!! My head is going to explode!!)
Infinitive 02-27-07, 04:54 PM	One might say that the Amagiruken might be covered by the core Flurry of Blows ability... ^_~ In terms of the Improvised Weapons ability, here's the rundown: The use of improvised weaponry by monks with the appropriate class feature adds 1d4 damage to their unarmed attack. (Paraphrased from CW) Higher levels of improvement on this class feature either increase the damage dealt or increase the number of options that one can use with this class feature. The improvised weapons are usually Bludgeoning, but sometimes (in the case of a broken bottle), it could be Slashing or Piercing as well (DM's Call, example again lifted from CW). In the case of this specific class, you only get the smallest unarmed damage bump from Improvised Weaponry (because the class levels for this class stack with your unarmed damage). However, you get more options in terms of what you can do with that class feature. Here's a complete list: With a ladder or other long object, you can give yourself reach. With a chair or other knobbly object, you can give yourself a +2 to Disarm (I would houserule trip as well, but that's just for me. There's probably a good power level reason why Wizards restricted it to disarm.) With a piece of cloth (as denoted specifically in this class), you can grant yourself a range increment of 10 feet. Feats (such as Point Blank Shot, Precise Shot, and Far Shot) can enhance this ability. Aside from these special uses, the monk's crit range and crit multiplier is always the same as his normal unarmed attack.
Tectorman 02-27-07, 05:42 PM	One might say that the Amagiruken might be covered by the core Flurry of Blows ability... ^_~ True, but there's also the Chaos Monk alternative (featured in one of the Dragon magazines). There, instead of the flurry of blows, you get the flailing strikes ability which allows you to roll a dice (different sized at different levels) to determine how many extra attacks you get for a specific round. Basically, between 1 and 4 attacks at level one all the way to between 4 and 9 attacks at level twenty. (I'll post my version of the Chaos Monk class if asked.) But that seems more like the Amaguriken to me.
Mirian 03-06-07, 01:00 AM	I like the idea. I was convinced to run a martial arts campaign and now have to design a million prestige classes. This will lighten my load a little if you don't mind me stealing it. I was a little unsure as how to handle the damage for the Bakusai Tenketsu but this will help me clear things up. Unfortuately, I still have to seperated the abilities as Ryoga's abilities weren't all tied to the Bakesui training. Thanks for the ideas though.
mato_hibiki 03-06-07, 08:47 AM	Uh, you do realize that his resistance to damage mainly comes from his Bakusai Tenketsu training, right? All his needs is, was it throw ki orb? And a fairly high strength, and this is pretty much dead smack on exactly Ryoga. Unless you can come up with an explanation for your opinion? I'm willing to listen, but I don't think you'll sway me with opinion.
Infinitive 03-08-07, 12:50 AM	You're thinking of Ki Blast, from PHB2. Somewhat subpar, considering the capabilities you have at that point just from being a monk with +8 BAB. It's especially mediocre at higher levels. Still, it fills the description gap. I'd make a houserule feat to buff it at later levels, though. And anyone can feel free to use anything I post around here. If nobody uses it, it's been a big waste of time.
mato_hibiki 03-08-07, 09:34 AM	I whipped up something similar for an unrelated matter I won't bring up here. ... Hah, you know, I think I'll make it a feat, and throw it into the skills and feats section. Improved ki orb, or charged ki orb, which sounds better?
Infinitive 03-08-07, 11:53 AM	Improved Ki Blast; it follows the naming conventions that Wizards uses for their feats.
FreAkOuTRG 03-08-07, 12:24 PM	A few things. First off, I hate it when feats get incorporated into classes. I think of them as fillers, for the most part. And why does he have throwing feats? It seems like it should be a melee specialist to me (come on, it's called the earthen brawler). A few ideas for abilities: Adding your Constitution modifier to AC as Natural armor, the ability to exclude a number of people from your Bakusai Tenketsu (possibly based on Wisdom?), overcoming DR as adamantine weapons when you use unarmed strike or Bakusai Tenketsu, the ability to "swim" through the earth, knocking enemies prone (or dizzy, or sickened, etc) when you use decisive strikes (I notice that, despite decisive blows being a prerequisite, and you thinking it underpowered, you don't give any bonuses to using it. Possible solution: Bakusai Tenketsu only works on decisive strikes). Crap, forgot what else I was going to say.
mato_hibiki 03-08-07, 01:10 PM	Well crud, I went ahead and called it 'charged whatever' wish I had read your post before I did that. FreAKIuTRG a lot of the stuff you suggest isn't in there because it's made after an existing source. In this case, a character from the Ranma 1/2 series. That's why it's got what is has.
FreAkOuTRG 03-08-07, 01:18 PM	I see. Never watched that show before, so I wouldn't know how to make it true to form.
Tectorman 03-08-07, 01:28 PM	Well, the manga was better, anyway (except for Nihao My Concubine, which was enjoyable in its own way:D ). Also, free advertisement. My new PrC, the Cat Fu Fighter, is up and uncommented on. One of the links in my sig should take you there (Please?).
asteroth16 07-02-07, 11:01 PM	what book is power throw from?