Please help me, PHB / DMG only !

[Tatsukun]

Hi all, I need some help.

I need to make a PC for a core rule books ONLY game. That is, the PHB and the DMG. Nothing even from the Monster Manual.

I want to make a PC which fits the “Chinese swordsman” style. Think “Green destiny” when you are making your mental picture. Little or no armor, sword as the primary weapon, speed and finesse over brute force.

I like monk, but I really want the sword ( I don’t know why ). Fighter? Cleric? Please help me !

Also, please don’t suggest “get the DM to allow …”, as his resistance to anything non-PHB has become a major cornerstone of his self identity.

6th level, standard DMG cash, 32 point buy.

Thanks so much!

-Tatsu

 

[Thanee]

Hmm... with the low armor you surely do restrict yourself somewhat.

I'd suggest something like a Human Rogue 1 (get some nice skills) / Sorcerer 1 (Mage Armor, Shield) / Fighter 4

Exotic Weapon Proficiency: Bastard Sword, Weapon Focus: Bastard Sword, Weapon Specialization: Bastard Sword, Combat Expertise, Improved Disarm, Improved Trip, and something else.

Str 15+1 Dex 14 Con 14 Int 14 Wis 10 Cha 12

Or instead of Sorcerer just get a 2nd level of Rogue (or even 1 level of Monk) and wear Chain Shirt and a Buckler.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Kae'Yoss]

What Thanee said.

 

[hong]

Monk 3/fighter 3. Can you at least get him to ditch the multiclassing restrictions on monks?

 

[Bearfs]

Chinese swordman?剑客 or 侠客 we called it
hoho
they are good at dueling and rogue skills
and never meet monsters nor get into 1vX combats

so I think a rogue/ftr with impr.fient
or a pure fighter with impr.disarm trip grab etc...are both good

 

[Nifft]

Monk8/Duelist! It's in the DMG, it's a good PrC, and it fits you to a T!

To qualify for Duelist, you'll need 8 levels of Monk, and three Feats (Dodge, Mobility, Weapon Finesse). This leaves a Human with one extra Feat (or some other race with no extra Feats -- Halfling isn't a bad choice here). You'll be adding both Wisdom and Intelligence to your AC, and 8 Monk levels get you an additional +1 AC bonus (10 Monk levels would get you a +2 instead). 8 Monk levels also nets you +6 Base Save (all), Evasion and 3 bonus Feats... one more Monk level and you get Improved Evasion.

Note that Duelist grants all Simple & Martial weapon proficencies, so you don't have to take a level of Fighter/Ranger/Paladin anywhere in there.

Ask your DM if you can go Monk -> Duellist -> back to Monk. I'm not sure you'll want to, but it's nice to have the option.


On the other hand, Rogue8/Duelist is also a great combo, as is Rogue3/Ftr4/Duelist. This class combo would emulate the young girl from CT,HD more than it would emulate Li Mu Bai.


From an RP perspective, your Monk could be a sword saint who's questing for a great and holy sword (which he conveniently finds after taking a Duelist level, so that he can actually use it with proficency).

Alternately, he could be a Chain Shirt wearing guy who leaps about (Rogue/Ftr) and goes on to become one of the most feared swordsmen in all the land (Duellist).


Oh, and convince your DM that a Katana is really a Mithral Bastard Sword that's Finessable.

-- N

 

[Tessarael]

Little or no armor, sword as the primary weapon, speed and finesse over brute force. [..] I like monk, but I really want the sword. [..]
6th level, standard DMG cash, 32 point buy.

Human Monk 2/Fighter 4. Aiming for Duelist at level 8.

Feats:
Human - Combat Expertise
Levels - Dodge, Mobility, Spring Attack
Monk - Improved Grapple, Deflect Arrows (works nicely with Duelist later)
Fighter - Weapon Focus (Rapier), Weapon Specialization (Rapier), Weapon Finesse

I'd seriously consider taking Power Attack soon - it will help you bump up the Rapier damage when you need to. Whirlwind Attack is also a logical choice for your next feat at you meet all the prerequisites.

Abilities:
STR 12, DEX 16 (+1 at 4th = 17), CON 14, INT 14, WIS 14, CHA 8

Disregard your Monk AC bonus until you get some decent AC with Duelist's Canny Defense et al. For now, use a (mithril) chain shirt and (darkwood) heavy shield.

First level in Monk for skill points. Total skills points of: (4+3)*5+(2+3)*4=55. Max out Tumble to rank 9. Perform rank 3 for Duelist. Other skills as you see fit - I'd go for Hide and Move Silently myself and think about levels in Horizon Walker later (you need Knowledge (Geography) 8 ranks to qualify). Long term, I'd aim at Monk 2/Fighter 12 (for Greater Weapon Specialization)/Duelist 7 (for Elaborate Parry)/Horizon Walker 1 (Terrain: Underground for Darkvision 60').

Note: in general little or no armor is a very difficult build to make well in melee. It works ok at high levels in Duelist. You might be better off going the arcane caster route: Fighter 1/Wizard 5/Eldritch Knight in due course. One level in Monk will give you +2 AC to that build, and you're avoiding armor to avoid the arcane spell failure.

 

[Bearfs]

Monk8/Duelist! It's in the DMG, it's a good PrC, and it fits you to a T!



Oh, and convince your DM that a Katana is really a Mithral Bastard Sword that's Finessable.

-- N

He is lv6......and he want to play as a swordman now..

Chinese(no Jap) Swordmen use Qingfengjian(means a sword with azure to dark-green edge) or LongQuanbaojian(a good sword was forged in Longquan) usually
which is weight more than 10 pounds and nearly as long as a longsword
you can find some pictures here:
http://www.yjkk.com/category.asp?subcategoryID=18

 

[MerakSpielman]

It'd be nice if you could trade out certain monk abilities to get proficiency with a longsword with your unarmed attack bonuses. But if you're sticking to core-rules only, that's not going to happen.

I'd just do a Rog1/Ftr5 as it is. You get good feats as a Fighter, and you're going to need them to be viable. The level of Rogue is pretty much for skills and the 1d6 sneak attack. Be human for the extra feat, and work out as high a dex as you can. Strength can be sacrificed (but steer clear of penalties). Intelligence would be nice for the skill points, but with fighter levels you don't get any good skills anyway so don't worry about it. A high Wisdom fits the character concept. A high Constitution is always nice, but not essential (It would help offset the lack of armor, but hopefully your Dex will do that instead). Charisma shouldn't be an issue.

Remember, no matter what levels you take, if the character concept in your head is "sword-wielding monk," that's how you should role-play the character. He won't think of himself as some sort of funky multiclass, but instead as a pure Sword Monk.

Levels in Duelist as you level up couldn't hurt, either.

 

[FireLance]

Some Wuxia abilities can be simulated by taking levels in Sorcerer.

Good spells to simulate Qinggong ("lightness skill"), the martial art that allows one to jump around and defy the laws of gravity, are:
1-Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Jump
2-Levitate
3-Fly

Some particularly fantastic Wuxia stories even have their characters hurl blasts of energy and weaken or paralyze their opponents. The following spells may allow you to simulate this:
0-Acid Splash, Ray of Frost, Touch of Fatigue
1-Chill Touch, Magic Missile, Ray of Enfeeblement, Shocking Grasp
2-Ghoul Touch, Melf's Acid Arrow, Scorching Ray

So, depending on how much fighting skill you want, you can just do up a Ftr x/Sor 6-x and refer to your spells as "ancient martial arts techniques".