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<blockquote data-quote="Gaiden" data-source="post: 231111" data-attributes="member: 103"><p>I am currently setting up a campaign to be run in Rokugan (spawned off of a game I already had going) and I must say Rokugan is absolutely incredible. The story that is inherent and the roleplaying potential on Rokugan is in short: like nothing I have ever seen before.</p><p></p><p>About low AC's, I must say that some of the higher level characters I have been designing as NPCs are certainly in no way lacking in power or defense. Because Rokugan has so many new feats and skills I would imagine that it will take time for players to become as accustomed to the system as they are for standard Greyhawk D&D. But after thoroughly going through the rules I must argue that most characters need not at all concern themselves with a low AC.</p><p></p><p>First off, because societal rank plays such a strong roll in Rokugan it would be literally unheard of for anyone of lower rank than a samuraii to ever even wield a weapon (never mind have armor). With out too much analysis, the point of the above comment is that at least with regard to other characters and NPC's (not monsters) most characters ought not be getting into too much combat so AC is kind of a moot point. Combat is only particularly important to samuraii or those guarding the border to the shadowlands.</p><p></p><p>Second point is that their are actually a number of ways to improve AC outside of armor for characters in Rokugan. The Ninja for example gains the equivalent of stackable dodge feats every 4th or 5th level (I forget which - don't have books). Next look at some of the feats like Hida's technique or Armor focus. These increase your AC. Finally, I can't imagine many characters who would not have the feat Void Use, in Rokugan (who are martially oriented anyway). Void Use and its derivative clan feats can make your AC higher than any armor could.</p><p></p><p>Case and point - phoenix Samurai with PrC from way of the samuraii that causes max void point to be an automatic permanent bonus to AC. With a few depths of the void this guys AC while flat footed exceeds 25. Combining this with the kiho feat enabling the character to spend a void point to add his max void point to AC as an armor bonus (as opposed to void bonus) gives him a normal AC above 40 for several minutes.</p><p></p><p>I also have a high level crab Samurai with a PrC from Way of the Samuraii that has an unarmored AC over 30. (Took Hida's Technique 6x with the PrC ability tripling the natural armor bonus from Hida's Technique).</p><p></p><p>For non-Samuraii you have several cases - monks (who don't wear armor anyway), inkyo who can do the same thing as my phoenix above to even greater effect as they will most likely have a higher number of void points, rogues, and other fighter types. As rogues/ninjas will most likely be considered dishonorable due to their technique of fighting - hit and run/surprise/flank/etc. They are not likely to need armor especially with the amplified social consequences of fighting.</p><p></p><p>Other Fighter types are really the only ones that are important. And if you look at the clans most of those other fighter types (nonsamurai) are going to originate in the Crab clan fighting the shadowlands. In these cases they are going to want the really heavy armor as is (and they have access to Way of the Crab, if they want to focus on mobile fighting as opposed to tank fighting).</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Gaiden, post: 231111, member: 103"] I am currently setting up a campaign to be run in Rokugan (spawned off of a game I already had going) and I must say Rokugan is absolutely incredible. The story that is inherent and the roleplaying potential on Rokugan is in short: like nothing I have ever seen before. About low AC's, I must say that some of the higher level characters I have been designing as NPCs are certainly in no way lacking in power or defense. Because Rokugan has so many new feats and skills I would imagine that it will take time for players to become as accustomed to the system as they are for standard Greyhawk D&D. But after thoroughly going through the rules I must argue that most characters need not at all concern themselves with a low AC. First off, because societal rank plays such a strong roll in Rokugan it would be literally unheard of for anyone of lower rank than a samuraii to ever even wield a weapon (never mind have armor). With out too much analysis, the point of the above comment is that at least with regard to other characters and NPC's (not monsters) most characters ought not be getting into too much combat so AC is kind of a moot point. Combat is only particularly important to samuraii or those guarding the border to the shadowlands. Second point is that their are actually a number of ways to improve AC outside of armor for characters in Rokugan. The Ninja for example gains the equivalent of stackable dodge feats every 4th or 5th level (I forget which - don't have books). Next look at some of the feats like Hida's technique or Armor focus. These increase your AC. Finally, I can't imagine many characters who would not have the feat Void Use, in Rokugan (who are martially oriented anyway). Void Use and its derivative clan feats can make your AC higher than any armor could. Case and point - phoenix Samurai with PrC from way of the samuraii that causes max void point to be an automatic permanent bonus to AC. With a few depths of the void this guys AC while flat footed exceeds 25. Combining this with the kiho feat enabling the character to spend a void point to add his max void point to AC as an armor bonus (as opposed to void bonus) gives him a normal AC above 40 for several minutes. I also have a high level crab Samurai with a PrC from Way of the Samuraii that has an unarmored AC over 30. (Took Hida's Technique 6x with the PrC ability tripling the natural armor bonus from Hida's Technique). For non-Samuraii you have several cases - monks (who don't wear armor anyway), inkyo who can do the same thing as my phoenix above to even greater effect as they will most likely have a higher number of void points, rogues, and other fighter types. As rogues/ninjas will most likely be considered dishonorable due to their technique of fighting - hit and run/surprise/flank/etc. They are not likely to need armor especially with the amplified social consequences of fighting. Other Fighter types are really the only ones that are important. And if you look at the clans most of those other fighter types (nonsamurai) are going to originate in the Crab clan fighting the shadowlands. In these cases they are going to want the really heavy armor as is (and they have access to Way of the Crab, if they want to focus on mobile fighting as opposed to tank fighting). [/QUOTE]
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