HEROizing "The Complete Warrior"

[Michael Hopcroft]

I recently picked up the new Complete Warrior splatbook for D&D and, while it;'s unleikly I will ever use it to play D&D, it did give me some general fantasy ideas for character arechetypes. I don't know if I liked their take on the Samurai (removing samurai from their cultural context is an iffy proposition IMHO), but the hexblade is an especially intribuging character concept. And face it -- doesn't Hexblade sound like an anime title to you? It does to me!

 

I got this idea for a series that centers around a Hexblade who find that in his quest for wealth and power he finds himself quite unintentionally assembling a cadre of friends and changing the world -- for the better, which is a surprise because he sees himself as selfish at best and evil at worst.

 

What is the most efficient way to model D&D characters with special and spell-like abilities and turn their classes into HERo templates that are not unbalancing yet still allow for both effective and cinematic Fantasy HERO play?

[WilyQuixote]

Re: HEROizing "The Complete Warrior"

 

Originally posted by Michael Hopcroft

I recently picked up the new Complete Warrior splatbook for D&D and, while it;'s unleikly I will ever use it to play D&D, it did give me some general fantasy ideas for character arechetypes. I don't know if I liked their take on the Samurai (removing samurai from their cultural context is an iffy proposition IMHO), but the hexblade is an especially intribuging character concept. And face it -- doesn't Hexblade sound like an anime title to you? It does to me!

 

I got this idea for a series that centers around a Hexblade who find that in his quest for wealth and power he finds himself quite unintentionally assembling a cadre of friends and changing the world -- for the better, which is a surprise because he sees himself as selfish at best and evil at worst.

 

What is the most efficient way to model D&D characters with special and spell-like abilities and turn their classes into HERo templates that are not unbalancing yet still allow for both effective and cinematic Fantasy HERO play?

Check out http://www.killershrike.com

 

Killer Shrike is my GM, Ive played in one of his AD&D 2e campaign for about 4 months, several Fantasy HERO campaigns set in Greyhawk (many years RL), and I also played in one of his D&D 3e campaigns (over a year long RL). We just started a new Fantasy HERO Campaign using some of the stuff on his web site.

 

Its fun stuff, and worth checking out -- its all made to be added in pieces to any Fantasy HERO Campaign toolbox style.

 

Also, about the Complete Warrior book -- some of the stuff in there I think they took from Shrike. Like the Fighting Style feat concept and some of the package deals. Shrike did all that stuff back when 3e first came out, and posted it on some of the 3e boards. Now you find a lot of the same ideas in an official book.....

[Killer Shrike]

Re: HEROizing "The Complete Warrior"

 

Originally posted by Michael Hopcroft

I recently picked up the new Complete Warrior splatbook for D&D and, while it;'s unleikly I will ever use it to play D&D, it did give me some general fantasy ideas for character arechetypes. I don't know if I liked their take on the Samurai (removing samurai from their cultural context is an iffy proposition IMHO), but the hexblade is an especially intribuging character concept. And face it -- doesn't Hexblade sound like an anime title to you? It does to me!

 

Its actually really straight forward to map out a prestige class to the HERO System; the main decision point is to determine whether you as the GM want players to follow the progression laid out in the source material and enforce a progression as a campaign ground rule, or whether the players can buy the abilities they want in any order, or tweak the abilities to suit their tastes.

[Killer Shrike]

As an example, here is a 3e Prestige Class I wrote up for Vrylakos's Shards setting a few years ago.

 

The following materials background is derived from the works of Vrylakos on

Eric Noah’s Unofficial 3e News Board

All else is the work of Ed Hastings, aka the Killer Shrike

 

Vezanti Death Spiral Blademaster Prestige Class

 

Now known as the Lost City, the City of Devils, and even the Spires of Doom when it is spoken of at all, Vezanti was once the greatest of the Ten Cities. Their culture was unmatched, their accomplishments unequaled, their nobility unquestioned. Their downfall was therefore inevitable. The rulers of the other cities could never countenance such obvious superiority, even the Learned Sages of Veshanda and the Matriarch Mariner of Giulme, usually bastions of wisdom and acceptance respectively turned upon the city at the last. Set upon by their enemies and harrowed in their own halls, the royals of Vezanti unleashed a terrible blight upon the world which had so cruelly treated them for no crime greater than excellence. A dark pact was reached with powers infernal, opening a gate into the material plane, the duration indefinite so long as one of the line royale survives. The devils still make once-fair Vezanti, with its tall narrow spires their lair, so surely one of the line must abide still.

 

In times more fair the Vezanti supremacy extended to swordplay as in most else. The infamous Death Spiral style was feared and respected among students of the Steel Art across the Shard and its culminating maneuver, the Unstoppable Spiral Thrust the stuff of legends. Some students of the style survived, hiding in other cities, but in the days of Vezanti nihilism they hid their skill. It has since become a hidden art. Thought lost by the populace of the Shards, its practitioners long since hounded down in retribution for the infernal influence unleashed upon the Shards by the Vezanti ruling elite.

 

The style was popular amongst the elite of the Vezanti, professional duelists, and officers of the once mighty Vezanti naval forces; in short professional and highly trained Fighters of varying sort. It was known to be an extremely difficult style to learn and master, requiring years of dedication spent developing the basics of the style before even the first maneuver would be taught. It’s most basic maneuvers were imitated by other fencing schools, but it’s most difficult techniques defied such aping.

 

Prerequisites

Base Attack Bonus +6

Feats: Combat Reflexes, Death Blow, Dodge, Expertise, Improved Critical: Rapier, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus: Rapier

Abilities: Dex 13+

 

Level Attack Fortitude Reflex Will Abilities

1 +1 +0 +2 +0 Spiral Step

2 +2 +0 +3 +0 Spiral Disarm

3 +3 +1 +3 +1 Spiral Disengage

4 +4 +1 +4 +1 Spiral Dance

5 +5 +1 +4 +1 Spiral Thrust

 

Hit Die D8

Skill Points Int Bonus + 2 / level

Skill List: Balance, Bluff, Heal, Jump, Search, Sense Motive, Spot, Tumble

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Class Abilities

Weapon and Armor Proficiencies: This prestige class grants no additional weapon or armor proficiencies. The practitioner may use any of the below abilities with a Rapier wielded in the practitioners primary hand.

 

Spiral Step: At 1st level the Death Spiral Blademaster has learned to whirl about in combat, diminishing the ability of flankers to catch him off guard. The practitioner gains Defensive Manueverings as a virtual Feat (listed below) when fighting with a Rapier in his primary hand.

 

Defensive Maneuverings [General]

You are skilled at protecting your flanks in melee.

Prerequisite: Dodge, Combat Reflexes

Benefit: You gain a +1 Dodge bonus versus all opponents flanking you unless caught flat-footed. Note that Dodge bonuses stack.

 

Spiral Disarm: At 2nd level the Death Spiral Blademaster has learned a difficult disarm maneuver that allows him to spin opponents weapons out their hands and toss them away with a sickening ease. The practitioner gains Masterful Disarm as a virtual Feat (listed below) when fighting with a Rapier in his primary hand.

 

Masterful Disarm [General]

You are greatly skilled at divesting others of their weapons.

Prerequisites: Expertise, Improved Disarm

Benefit: The user gains a +4 competence bonus on any attempt to Disarm a foe. If the Disarm is successful the opponents weapon does not land at her feet, but instead is knocked to the floor up to 15 feet away in the direction of your choice, as permitted by terrain and obstacles.

 

Spiral Disengage: At 3rd level the Death Spiral Blademaster has learned to protect their own blade, as without it they are not nearly so deadly. The practitioner gains Deflect and Disengage as a virtual Feat (listed below) when fighting with a Rapier in his primary hand.

 

Deflect and Disengage [Fighting Style]

You are greatly skilled at protecting your weapon in melee.

Prerequisites: Improved Disarm

Benefit: The practitioner gains a +4 bonus to opposed attack rolls when opponents attempt to Sunder or Strike his weapon, and vs. Disarm attempts.

 

Spiral Dance: At 4th level the Death Spiral Blademaster has mastered the art of turning multiple opponents against themselves. The practitioner gains Melee Mastery as a virtual Feat (listed below) when fighting with a Rapier in his primary hand.

 

Melee Mastery [General]

You are skilled at using multiple melee opponents against themselves.

Prerequisites: Dodge, Combat Reflexes, Defensive Maneuverings, Improved Initiative, Base Attack 10+

Benefit: If you are in melee with more than one opponent, then on your initiative you may choose to maneuver so as to cause your opponents to work against themselves as a full round action. While doing this you gain a +1 Dodge bonus to your AC for each opponent you are currently in melee with. If the number of foes decreases or increases, so does the AC bonus. Note that Dodge bonuses stack.

Example: Ularo Santeos is waylaid by 5 attackers while traversing an alley. Ularo spots them and is not surprised; he wins initiative. Unsure of his attackers capabilities, Ularo decides to play it safe and engages his Melee Mastery feat rather than attacking. All 5 of the attackers charge him in initiative order and Ularo moves into action ducking, rolling, and skillfully nudging his opponents into each others way; Ularo gains a +1 Dodge bonus versus the first, a +2 versus the second, and so on up to a +5 versus the fifth and final attacker. In the following round, Ularo decides to continue to use his Melee Mastery rather than attack; the first 2 opponents press their attack and Ularo gains a +5 Dodge bonus versus each of them, but the 3rd opponent has had enough and moves away. When the 4th and 5th opponents attack him Ularo gains a +4 Dodge bonus because he is now only engaged with 4 melee opponents.

 

Spiral Thrust: At 5th level the Death Spiral Blademaster has mastered the culminating element of his style, the feared ‘Unstoppable’ Spiral Thrust. The purpose of this attack is to end a foes’ existence with one looping spiral cut through the heart. As a melee full attack action, the practitioner announces his intention to initiate a Spiral Thrust prior to rolling to hit. If the attack hits successfully, it is a Death Attack and the opponent must make a Reflex save versus DC 15 + the practitioner’s Intelligence bonus or die instantly; should the opponent make the save the attack still hits and normal damage for the hit is inflicted. The practitioner may use this ability as often as they wish per day. Note that some creatures are immune to Death Attacks such as Undead and Constructs. Additionally, this attack is ineffective versus opponents that lack a heart and versus opponents wearing medium and heavy armors unless a Brilliant Energy or similar weapon is used; the DM is the final arbiter of creatures that are not affected by the attack.

[Killer Shrike]

Recently Vrylakos was considering switching to the HERO System and contacted me to ask if I could convert some of the pClasses I did for him (about 20 odd IIRC) to the HERO System to give him a comparison point. He asked for the Vezanti Deathspiral pCall 1st as it was basically the most deadly of all the ones I did for him.

 

Here was my response, formulated in about 10 minutes of eyeballing the pClass:

Vezanti Deathspiral

 

Hmm....this class is toploaded pretty heavily. Required feats: Combat Reflexes, Death Blow, Dodge, Expertise, Improved Critical: Rapier, Improved Disarm, Improved Initiative, Weapon Focus: Rapier

 

Combat Reflexes -- no direct parrallel in the HERO System. Lets call it +1 SPD; 10 points

Deathblow -- no direct parrallel in the HERO System. Lets call it Deadly Blow +1D6 KA, Rapier, Only if Opponent is at 1 Or Less Body; 4 points

Dodge -- +1 DCV; 5 points

Expertise -- +5 HtH; 25 points

Improved Critical -- no direct parrallel. Lets call it Deadly Blow +1d6 KA Rapier, Activation 11-; 4 points

Improved Disarm: Martial Disarm, Sacrifice Disarm, Passing Disarm; 13 Points (Weapon Element: Rapier)

Weapon Focus -- Basic Strike +1 OCV, +2 DC; 3 Points (Weapon Element: Rapier)

 

 

Basic Vezanti Package

10 +1 Speed

4 Deadly Blow +1D6 KA, Rapier, Only if Opponent is at 1 Or Less Body

4 Deadly Blow +1d6 KA Rapier, Activation 11-

5 +1 DCV

25 +5 HtH

13 Martial Disarm, Sacrifice Disarm, Passing Disarm (Weapon Element: Rapier)

3 Basic Strike +1 OCV, +2 DC_ (Weapon Element: Rapier)

 

64 Total Package Cost

 

Class Features

10 Spiral Step -- Defense Manuever IV

10 Spiral Disarm -- +5 OCV with Disarm

10 Spiral Disengage -- +6 DCV vs Strike/Grab Weapon Only (-2)

10 Spiral Dance -- +6 DCV only up to current number of HtH Opponents (-2)

19 Spiral Thrust -- Deadly Blow +4d6 KA, OIF: Weapons of Opportunity (-1/2), Rapier Only (-3/4), Only vs Living Opponents With Normal Humanoid Anatomy In Light Or No Armor (-1 1/4)_ (Real Cost: 17) plus +1 OCV w/ Rapier (Real Cost: 2)

 

59 Total Class Features Cost

 

Complementary Options:

3 KS: Vezanti Style

3 CuK: Lost Vezanti Lore

3 Acrobatics

3 Breakfall

5 Rapid Attack: HtH

1 Weapon Element: Barehanded

4 per Extra Martial Arts Damage Classes

var Lightning Reflexes

var Find Weakness