doctorbadwolf
Heretic of The Seventh Circle
+ Thread because it’s hard to discuss the class without people crapping all over anything you come up with. Criticism is great, just keep it both civil, on topic, and hopefully helpful.
I think I’ve cracked what I actually want from this class in terms of gameplay. I want to have a simple mix of at-will, build-up/triggered, and resource limited, abilities that make it feel like you are moving and paying attention and thinking on your feet and reacting to what’s going on around you.
Like you do in any 3D Legend of Zelda game I’ve played (Ocarina, Twilight Princess, BoTW, ToTK) or in any iteration of the Soul Caliber fighting games!
Things like a “perfect guard” or “perfect parry” where you time your defense just right and use the attack to make an opening that you then exploit to seriously harm your opponent, or combo-attacks where your first attack sets up a bigger better attack if it lands,
I also think that stuff like higher hit die could be Focus Regimens, as could more advanced tactical moves.
The current setup is close to allowing this, it just needs less oomph at low levels to make room.
Things Missing:
Feels like a class that should get fighting styles. Maybe as Regimens? Being able to change your fighting style with a long rest would be wild.
A telekinetic subclass, with ranged unarmed strikes.
Some social stuff.
Tool proficiencies for stuff like forging documents, disguises, writing,
A Romantic Chevalier with a mount.
Robust stats for offhand weaponry like Main gouche, buckler, knuckle knives, cloak, etc.
Anyone see any glaring omissions?
Got a better name than Kensei or Duelist?
I think I’ve cracked what I actually want from this class in terms of gameplay. I want to have a simple mix of at-will, build-up/triggered, and resource limited, abilities that make it feel like you are moving and paying attention and thinking on your feet and reacting to what’s going on around you.
Like you do in any 3D Legend of Zelda game I’ve played (Ocarina, Twilight Princess, BoTW, ToTK) or in any iteration of the Soul Caliber fighting games!
Things like a “perfect guard” or “perfect parry” where you time your defense just right and use the attack to make an opening that you then exploit to seriously harm your opponent, or combo-attacks where your first attack sets up a bigger better attack if it lands,
I also think that stuff like higher hit die could be Focus Regimens, as could more advanced tactical moves.
The current setup is close to allowing this, it just needs less oomph at low levels to make room.
So some folks may know I’m building an alternate Monk class. Part of the challenge is to allow the existing subclasses to function with the new base class, but I will abandon that if I have to.
The theme and identity of the class is the esoteric or mystical master-of-arms, trained in a tradition that uses mysterious symbology, possibly occultism, certainly Hermetic principles, but which is not overtly magical.
Subclasses called Mysterious Orders or similar. The cultural specific stuff should mostly live in techniques and regimens.
Current Build:
D10 hit die, Focus Dice start at level 1 with 2, and they’re d6. Proficiencies include light and medium armor and shields, all simple weapons, and 2 martial weapons of your choice.
I’ve replaced ki with Focus, combined the points with martial arts dice into Focus Dice, and combined the basic ki features into the base level 1 features.
Patient Defense - Unarmored Defense is folded into this, as is Deflect Attacks. The bonus action focus ability allows you to reduce incoming damage by a number equal to your focus die, which is passive so it stacks with delfect attacks. Delfect attacks is just the at-will part, and works against all weapon attacks. Level 2 gets the riposte, and level 5 gets to deflect spell attacks and make a weapon attack in reply by spending 1 focus.
No Unarmored anything. You can choose to use wisdom in place of Dex when wearing armor, which makes strength builds easier to pull off.
Step of The Wind - Unarmored movement lives here, and I’m considering a choice here between a bonus to jump distance or the ability to ignore difficult terrain. Then the bonus action doubles speed or Disengages, and either triples jump distance or gives a climb speed, chosen when you use it. This way it’s super jump or super parkour. Level 5 gives an at-will charging attack ability and a focus spending upgrade to it, lets you do the charging attack as a reaction when you roll initiative.
Master-of-Arms - Your unarmed attacks deal damage equal to your focus die plus your strength or dexterity modifier, and as a bonus action you can make a single Focused Strike, which is an unarmed attack or a weapon attack, dealing damage equal to your focus die regardless. (No requirements to use the BA attack, you can just do it, regardless of your action that turn)
Flurry of Blows - You can spend 1 focus die when making an attack. Once per turn until the end of your next turn, when you make an attack, you can make 1 additional Focused Strike.
(This is a serious damage upgrade, combined with the other changes. Enough so to make the class pretty scary without overtuning it IMO)
Level 2 you gain Focus Techniques and Regimens. Techniques are special moves, and regimens are something you do during a rest that influences how the class plays until you replace it, basically like the Artificer’s infusions, including how m at you know and how many you can have active.
Most higher level class features become either techniques or regimens.
Stunning Strikes Training - You practice feeling the energy of another creature and disrupting or blocking it with a decisive strike. 1 focus, Save or daze +focus damage, save every turn, second failed save stuns, lasts until they save, or another creature uses an action to help them come to. If they take damage while stunned, they get an extra save, with a +2 bonus for every save made after the first in one round.
Another level 5 regimen option would be Powerful Strikes Training, which allows you to spend focus when you hit to make it an especially deadly attack, basically smiting.
The theme and identity of the class is the esoteric or mystical master-of-arms, trained in a tradition that uses mysterious symbology, possibly occultism, certainly Hermetic principles, but which is not overtly magical.
Subclasses called Mysterious Orders or similar. The cultural specific stuff should mostly live in techniques and regimens.
Current Build:
D10 hit die, Focus Dice start at level 1 with 2, and they’re d6. Proficiencies include light and medium armor and shields, all simple weapons, and 2 martial weapons of your choice.
I’ve replaced ki with Focus, combined the points with martial arts dice into Focus Dice, and combined the basic ki features into the base level 1 features.
Patient Defense - Unarmored Defense is folded into this, as is Deflect Attacks. The bonus action focus ability allows you to reduce incoming damage by a number equal to your focus die, which is passive so it stacks with delfect attacks. Delfect attacks is just the at-will part, and works against all weapon attacks. Level 2 gets the riposte, and level 5 gets to deflect spell attacks and make a weapon attack in reply by spending 1 focus.
No Unarmored anything. You can choose to use wisdom in place of Dex when wearing armor, which makes strength builds easier to pull off.
Step of The Wind - Unarmored movement lives here, and I’m considering a choice here between a bonus to jump distance or the ability to ignore difficult terrain. Then the bonus action doubles speed or Disengages, and either triples jump distance or gives a climb speed, chosen when you use it. This way it’s super jump or super parkour. Level 5 gives an at-will charging attack ability and a focus spending upgrade to it, lets you do the charging attack as a reaction when you roll initiative.
Master-of-Arms - Your unarmed attacks deal damage equal to your focus die plus your strength or dexterity modifier, and as a bonus action you can make a single Focused Strike, which is an unarmed attack or a weapon attack, dealing damage equal to your focus die regardless. (No requirements to use the BA attack, you can just do it, regardless of your action that turn)
Flurry of Blows - You can spend 1 focus die when making an attack. Once per turn until the end of your next turn, when you make an attack, you can make 1 additional Focused Strike.
(This is a serious damage upgrade, combined with the other changes. Enough so to make the class pretty scary without overtuning it IMO)
Level 2 you gain Focus Techniques and Regimens. Techniques are special moves, and regimens are something you do during a rest that influences how the class plays until you replace it, basically like the Artificer’s infusions, including how m at you know and how many you can have active.
Most higher level class features become either techniques or regimens.
Stunning Strikes Training - You practice feeling the energy of another creature and disrupting or blocking it with a decisive strike. 1 focus, Save or daze +focus damage, save every turn, second failed save stuns, lasts until they save, or another creature uses an action to help them come to. If they take damage while stunned, they get an extra save, with a +2 bonus for every save made after the first in one round.
Another level 5 regimen option would be Powerful Strikes Training, which allows you to spend focus when you hit to make it an especially deadly attack, basically smiting.
Things Missing:
Feels like a class that should get fighting styles. Maybe as Regimens? Being able to change your fighting style with a long rest would be wild.
A telekinetic subclass, with ranged unarmed strikes.
Some social stuff.
Tool proficiencies for stuff like forging documents, disguises, writing,
A Romantic Chevalier with a mount.
Robust stats for offhand weaponry like Main gouche, buckler, knuckle knives, cloak, etc.
Anyone see any glaring omissions?
Got a better name than Kensei or Duelist?
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