Dragon ball Z prestige class

[Anubis]

I give up. Aparently I can't create soemthing that everyone is satisfied with. You guys go ahead and do it.

Nah, don't give up. Sorry if I was sounding mean, I was only trying to give a meaningful critique.

All you really need to do is research the subject more on web sites, and make the rules more complete. I would still advise making the powers Feat and the like instead of a Prestige Class, though.

Planet Namek had the best material for research, but their web site has been down for months . . .

 

[Ace32]

The biggest problem you are going to have making the conversion from DBZ to D&D, is that most of the stuff that happens in the show/manga had no actual mechanics. I believe the writer (whatever his name was, it slips my mind, like so many other things) stated that things like the advances in power of becoming ssj1+ were almost completely arbitrary.

Not to mention, DBZ, like a number of cartoons, suffered from massive godmode syndrome. Everybody was insanely more powerful than the average person, they were able to increase their power a thousand times over with a little bit of training, and so on.

 

[Zack2216]

Then what do you suggest? Ok, no kaio-ken. But I still think that flight and a super natural energy beam should be made possible. I mean, sorcerers can cast spells that can deal as much and can cast spells that produce the same effects (fly/improved fly, bull's strength, haste, etc.). I just want a dragon ball z flavored set of feats/ prestige class that grants some spell like abilities. However, costs, prerequisites, and affects should be agreed apon by everyone.

Before I should restart, should this be a prestige class or a ton of feats?

 

[Ace32]

Due to the nature of the various different schools and abilities, feats are going to be preferable.

 

[Anubis]

Then what do you suggest? Ok, no kaio-ken. But I still think that flight and a super natural energy beam should be made possible. I mean, sorcerers can cast spells that can deal as much and can cast spells that produce the same effects (fly/improved fly, bull's strength, haste, etc.). I just want a dragon ball z flavored set of feats/ prestige class that grants some spell like abilities. However, costs, prerequisites, and affects should be agreed apon by everyone.

Before I should restart, should this be a prestige class or a ton of feats?

I've given all of this a lot of thought. Honestly, there is NO WAY to convert from Dragonball directly to D&D. As a friend of mine said when I asked "How do you convert Super Saiyans to D&D terms?", "YOU DON'T."

Akira Toriyama, the Dragonball creator, had specific "calculations" through the Frieza Saga, but after that, the calculations were dropped because it just didn't work once the numbers got to the millions. He tried to reintroduce calculations during the Babadi Saga, using smaller overall numbers, but that didn't last long at all. There is NO WAY to calculate the powers in small terms such as in D&D.

I don't accept that, but there is a ground rule that must be followed. To "convert" Dragonball to D&D, you must de-power EVERYTHING in Dragonball. Here is why . . .

Roshi, likely a Level 30 Monk or more (having trained for over a hundred years), had a Fighting Power of (I think) 189 at the beginning of the Saiyan Saga (Dragonball Z's starting point). Goku, far less trained, had a Fighting Power of (I think) 430. By the end of the Saiyan Saga, Goku and Vegeta both broke the 20,000 mark. On scale, that would make them both Level 300. Obviously, that simply doesn't work.

The base point would be the deities, because that is the closest thing in power. Majin Buu was able to kill the Dragonball equivilant to Greater Deities, and his *estimated* Fighting Power would be around 500,000,000. (This comes from the Frieza Saga on. Goku broke over 7,000,000 after going Super Saiyan, and during the Android Saga, Vegeta bypasses him by three times as much power, only to have Gohan become ten times more powerful after going Super Saiyan 2. Goku and Vegeta both leveled out during the World Tournament Saga at a higher Fighting Power than Gohan, which would put them at about 200,000,000. Majin Buu was considerably more powerful at that point, and when Goku went Super Saiyan 3, he STILL didn't have enough power alone to defeat the initial form of Majin Buu.)

Thus, everything must be de-powered, except for Super Saiyan levels, if you put Saiyans in your campaign. Going Super Saiyan 3, which is the highest level in Toriyama's Dragonball work (which ends with Dragonball Z and thus does NOT include Dragonball GT) would give I think the equivilant of Character Level x 3 in Divine Ranks. Super Saiyan 2 would make it Level x 2, and so on and so forth. This is not counting the various mid-levels of Super Saiyan abilities, such as Ultimate Super Saiyan and Mystic Super Saiyan.

The powers would have to be feats, and those are what would be de-powered. Hope this helps.

 

[Zack2216]

So far, the people that have posted think this should be a set of feats. Ok, so we don't need to be able to destroy the world at level 20, but that wasn't the idea. well, now I need some ideas. we need the k. wave, possibly some other energy attacks, like Picons big flamethrower move thing, except really toned down. I was also hoping for greatly increased speed( maybe an 'impoved haste,' or maybe not). Probably some stuff making Ki strike more potent.

Keep on posting, we have a little ways to go.

 

[Anabstercorian]

Ideas:

1) Stunning Attacks use Ki.
2) Monks get Stunning Attacks.
3) Monks use Ki.
4) DBZ techniques use Ki.
5) DBZ techniques should use up Stunning Attack attempts for power.

1) An average monk doesn't get enough feats to learn all the cool crap.
2) Fighters can't take these feats we're going to create.
3) A prestige class would be too limiting.
4) Create a prestige class that does nothing but give you extra feat slots for DBZ feats. This new prestige class can be called the Ki Master.
5) This prestige class should be easy to scale up to extremely high levels.

1) DBZ feats are blazing powerful.
2) Blazing powerful is hard to balance.
3) One useful citable example rule used for powerful, spell-like feats is Potential Feats from Wheel Of Time.
4) Create a new feat called Ki Mastery that does nothing but allow access to the DBZ feats and the Ki Master prestige class.

 

[Zack2216]

Would anything from my 2nd class post (the one with ki points) be useable?

 

[Impeesa]

Would anything from my 2nd class post (the one with ki points) be useable?

Possibly... the more I think about it, the more I like the idea of spending hit points. Perhaps we could make it a large set of feats instead of a prestige class, with the first few in the chain establishing some sort of increased HP gain along with the ability to take further ki feats. Then the others would diverge into more specific abilities. For example, a chain of feats related to flight could start off limited to a total amount of time per day, and cost maybe 1 ki/hp/whatever per round, and the final feat in the chain would be free and essentially unlimited for both silent flight and the faster 'blasting' flight. Several feats in between would gradually decrease the restrictions, increase flight speed, etc.

--Impeesa--

 

[Zack2216]

I like the idea. What should we do about the energy attacks? ... Dude! inspiration hit me. I still need to think about the feats. hmm... An average level 20 character has 6 feats, or 7 if they are human (not including fighters). Well, to gain access to the ki powers, they should be around level nine, that way the powers can't be accessed at lower levels. Perhaps monks should have a class specific feat to raise hp by a certain percent( like Impeesa suggested), and then another feat required to gain access to the other feats( like impeesa said). Or maybe the feats could be reversed, or both can be taken by a level 1 human.

Feat 1:
Ki training (monk lvl 1+)
The monk gains access to the feat chain with the powers and stuff

Feat 2: Prerequisite- Ki training, lvl 1+
Power of the Spirit:
The monk gains +2 to his constitution modifier. This applies to hp, saves, and skills.

This feat can only be taken once.

Feat 3: Prerequisite- Ki training, power of the spirit, lvl 3+
augmented speed
For 1 hp/round, the monk can gain 1 extra attack per round at full attack bonus. This can stack with flurry of blows. This ability can be used once per day.

Feat 3: Prerequisite- ki training, power of the spirit, lvl 3+
Leap
The character can add +1/level to all jump checks.

Feat 3: Prerequisite- ki taining, power of the spirit, lvl 3 +
lesser energy ball
The monk can create a small energy ball. the energy ball will deal 1d4+1, to a max of 2d4+2. the character may choose how much damage the lesser energy ball will deal. DC
this deals force damage. max range of 200 ft. + 20 ft./level. Can be used 1/level times per day.

Feat 4: Prerequisites-ki training, power of the spirit, leap, lvl 6+
levitate
For 1hp/round, the character can float above the ground and move at a base speed of 50 ft.

Feat 4: prerequisites- ki training, power of the spirit, augmented speed, lvl 6+
Greater Augmented speed
As a bonus to using augmented speed, you gain a +4 dodge bonus to your ac. This also adds +1 use per day of the augmented speed ability. When using greater augmented speed it counts as one of your uses per day.

This feat can be taken multiple times.

Feat 4 Prerequisites- ki training, power of the spirit, lesser energy ball, lvl 6+
Energy ball
For 2 hp, you can use an energy ball that deals 1d6. you deal 1d6/2 hp, at a max of 10d6. this deals force damage. it has a max range of 200 ft. plus 20ft./level DC 10 +1/level reflex for half

Feat 5 Prerequisites- ki training, power of the spirit, leap, levitate, lvl 15+
Fly
The character can fly at 100 ft. for every 2 hp she spends, it lasts 5 minutes .

Feat 5 Prerequisites- ki training, power of the spirit, augmented speed, greater augmented speed, lvl 15+
Ki mastery
all abilities in this feat chain can be used without any costs to a certain point. The max amount of rounds you can use augmented and greater augmented speed without any hp cost is 1 round/2 levels. any extra rounds after that use the listed hp cost. This also adds +1 to how many times per day you can use this ability.(ie, you would normally have 3/day if you didn't take augmented speed more than once.)

Feat 5 Prerequisites- ki training, pwer of the spirit, lesser energy ball, energy ball, lvl 15+
Blaze
the character can convert her ki into pure flame. This attack deals 1d8/2hp put into the ability. it deals a max of 10d8. Treat this ability as a line breath weapon with a length of 50 ft. This ability can be used 3 times per day. DC 10 +1/level reflex for half

Feat 6 prerequisites- ki training, power of the spirit, leap, levitate, fly, lvl 18+
Air mastery:
Alll abilities in this feat chain can be used at will, for free.

Feat 6 Prerequisites- ki training, power of the spirit, augmented speed, greater augmented speed, lvl 18+
greater ki strike
the character can add her wisdom bonus to her attacks and damage. Treat all atacks as if they were magic weapons with the listed bonus (ie, 20 wisdom - +5 bonus to attacks and damage, and can penetrate any damage resistance)

Feat 6 prerequisites- ki training, power of the spirit, lesser energy ball, energy ball, blaze, lvl 18+
Energy attack mastery
With this ability, the character can use her energy attacks 1 per day per her constitution modifier for free. ie. the character has 16 constitition- +3, you can use any combination of energy ball or blaze attacks 3/day (ie. 2 blazes and 1 energy ball) This stacks with Power of the spirit.

If any of this needs work please make any suggestions.