Ki and Elemental - Whatever

[RandomCitizenX]

When I think about the Ki being mastery over your own soul I think about about people who are able to make their body do impossible things (Martial artists in fantastic Kung-Fu movies in particular) A Ki class would be able push their bodies to jump higher, run faster, and maybe even throw a Ki blast. I could see them getting the internal body modification which was associated with some of the Psi classes in the past as Psi gets more focused on Mind Control and maybe some TK.

 

[Incenjucar]

Power sources are just themes.

Their only real effect is that they'll be some of the keywords you can tie abilities to.

Spell Focus won't be working on Ki abilities, for instance.

 

[Sadrik]

When I think about the Ki being mastery over your own soul I think about about people who are able to make their body do impossible things (Martial artists in fantastic Kung-Fu movies in particular) A Ki class would be able push their bodies to jump higher, run faster, and maybe even throw a Ki blast. I could see them getting the internal body modification which was associated with some of the Psi classes in the past as Psi gets more focused on Mind Control and maybe some TK.

Even if you want to make an oriental/kung-fu power source it still doesnt make sense. In the movie super ninjas (check it out if you have not seen it, its a classic) they are fighting to become lord of the Martial world not lord of the Soul world (that would be James Brown).

 

[sunrisekid]

Ki is probably the animus, frankly.

I've seen a couple references to "animus" on these boards but what exactly does that have to do with dungeons & dragons? I don't recall seeing references to an animus in any past edition (please correct me if I'm wrong).

It sounds like ki is nothing more than an explanation for how a martial exploit might work. Let's say mediation helps focus your sword swinging but how is that any different from fluff text for a martial exploit?

Ki makes sense in a campaign where everyone is a samurai, ninja, etc because ki is an asian martial arts trope.* But including it into, say, PHB2 doesn't make any sense when the default setting is clearly flavoured after the European dark ages. To that end I'd hope that ki-as-power-source is limited to an Asian theme splatbook, or somehow marked as clearly optional.**

* strictly speaking it's Japanese for the Chinese concept of "chi", which any self-respecting Jedi refers to as the Force.

** "clearly optional" means I don't have to spend much time justifying myself to players who want to play ninjas or psionicists.

 

[WalterKovacs]

Ki is something between Martial and Psionic.
Elemental is something between Arcane and Primal.

EDIT:

Have they confirmed that Primal is connected to the Elemental Chaos? Or was that just an assumption people were making? It seems more like a "Nature" type source. That would likely take the "Material Plane" [or whatever it's called] as the location where the source is.

Arcane includes the Warlock ... and his power sources vary. So Arcane may not have a single "area" source for their power.

Psionic may have the Far Realms as it's location based power source.

 

[Sadrik]

Oh and everybody knows there are 5 elements in the 'Ki' power source gold, wood, fire, earth, and water. :/

 

[Sadrik]

Ki is something between Martial and Psionic.
Elemental is something between Arcane and Primal.

Thank you, Precisely my point!

 

[lutecius]

Power sources are just themes.

Their only real effect is that they'll be some of the keywords you can tie abilities to.

Spell Focus won't be working on Ki abilities, for instance.

Does it work on the warlock's spells (same power source)?

 

[RandomCitizenX]

Ki being something between Martial and Psionic allows Psionic classes to focus on Telepathy and TK without as much of the pseudo science that so many people had a problem with. Now the body modification stuff can be picked up by Ki including new fluff to explain why they are able to do such fantastic things.

 

[Celebrim]

The four elements are still in play, but only one of the four elements is harmful on contact, so you can't build that much around them all.

Earth - Rock to the head. Turn things to Stone. Turn things to dust. Sand in your eyes. Dry things (opposite of water). Make things heavy (opposite of air). Make things immobile/rooted to the earth. Move earth. Shape earth.
Water - Lots of push/slide powers. Drench things. Make things cold (opposite of fire). Rot/dissolve/rust things. Breathe water. Shape water. Cleanse things (good water). Sicken/disease things (bad water).
Air - Lots of push/slide/fling powers. Lightning (as a manifestation of storms). Make things float/light weight (opposite of stone). Steal breath/choke/poison things (bad air). Refresh/strengthen living things (good air). Become gaseous/ethereal. Create sound. Reduce noise.