Ki and Elemental - Whatever

[Sadrik]

Now try that without sarcasm.

Explain to me some of the potential powers that you think would make sense that don't make Ki classes potentially more powerful than a fighter or more utilitarian than any other class.

I think they have a very difficult task ahead of themselves.
Shattering bones
jump flying
ki fireballs
balance on bamboo

The above have all been examples of what people thought the class should do. I'm afraid the ki classes are going to be the book of nine swords of 4th edition (pretty cool, but way over shot the power scale 1300 damage in a round, 2-400 damage per round). In addition, all of the utility powers of the Bo9S makes they extremely powerful teleports, fireblasts, weapon on fire, boosts, etc. They pretty much touch on every class and take a little something. What is the clear niche of the ki power source? I don't see one.

Another major concern- I don't want this to be the "oriental" power source, they should really develop away from that concept. For instance, A Samurai is vastly more interesting being simply a fighter or a warlord and a ninja is vastly more interesting as a rogue or some shadow power source class (assassin maybe), shugenja as an elemental power source. If this is simply their excuse for putting the above classes under one banner and calling them "asian" influenced it will instantly get bounced from my game. I want classes that naturally fit into any setting (including oriental) and not one that is shoe horned into a specific setting and then presented to play in all of them. Bad design, bad implementation, and likely low sales.