[PrC] Juppon Gatana- Sword Hunter

[polaris1110]

This class is based on Cho.

Sword Hunter
“Look at this! What a masterful piece of equipment! Look at the detail; look at how SHINY it is. Imagine the beauty once it is stained with blood. I wonder where the nearest village is.”

A sword hunter is characterized not only by his love and knowledge of rare and exotic swords but also his primal need to use them in battle. The beauty of a sword is only surpassed by its ability to harm others. A sword hunter won’t wait longer than a day to use a new weapon to spill blood. Once a sword hunter hears of an exotic weapon not in his collection, he must go after it. A sword hunter will do this until he has every exotic sword in existence. Swords are his life. He wakes up thinking about them and goes to sleep thinking about them. He often dreams of the day that all swords are in his possession. Losing a sword will often be followed by the sword hunter’s suicide while a sword being stolen will lead to the thief’s death, no matter how long it takes.
The sword hunter’s favorite weapons are his Hakujin and Renbatou as both are very beautiful in their uniqueness and their ability to cause massive amounts of damage to an opponent. The sword hunter despises shields and anyone cowardly enough to use one. Why use a shield when you can use two swords? The sword hunter does not particularly enjoy any other class and will fight constantly (and usually to the death) with other sword hunters and any person that is fond of shields. He is usually found in parties but will leave at the first sign there is a sword to be found (unless he can convince the party to go with him).

Game Rule Information
Hit Die: d10

Requirements
Weapon Proficiency: All martial weapons, Exotic weapon (Hakujin), Exotic weapon (Renbatou)
BAB: +6
Alignment: Any non-good

Class Skills
Skill Points at Each Level: 2 + Int modifier
Class Skills: Climb, Craft, Intimidate, Jump, Swim, Concentration, Perform (Weapon Drill only), and Profession

{table=head]Level|Base Attack<br>Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+1|
+2|
+0|
+0|Weapon Hunter, Ecstacy in Blades, Agony in Shields

2nd|
+2|
+3|
+0|
+0|

3rd|
+3|
+3|
+1|
+1|Side Swipe

4th|
+4|
+4|
+1|
+1|

5th|
+5|
+4|
+1|
+1|

6th|
+6|
+5|
+2|
+2|Tarazu Sen

7th|
+7|
+5|
+2|
+2|

8th|
+8|
+6|
+2|
+2|

9th|
+9|
+6|
+3|
+3|

10th|
+10|
+7|
+3|
+3|Hakujin Tatsumaki[/table]

Class Features
All of the following are features of the Sword Hunter prestige class:

Agony in Shields
The Sword Hunter finds the use of a shield abhorrent. He loses all proficiency with shields, and may no longer even carry one. If he is carrying one he suffers a -3 to all attack rolls, damage rolls, and saving throws.

Weapon Hunter
At 1st level and every level following a Sword Hunter gains proficiency with a new exotic weapon.

Ecstasy in Blades
To carry weapons is to be alive. To carry more weapons is to be even more alive. At 1st level, a Sword Hunter carrying at least 4 swords gains a morale boost equal to ½ his sword hunter level (rounded up) to all attack rolls, damage, and saving throws.

Side Swipe
At 3rd level, a Sword Hunter has become perfect in Hakujin manipulation and can now use it to its fullest ability. As a standard action, he makes an attack that seems to strike from the front but at the last second misses and strikes from the back. The target of this technique suffers a -4 penalty to AC and his dexterity modifier does not count toward his AC. This attack can be used a number of times per day equal to the character’s sword hunter level.

Tarazu Sen
At 6th level, a Sword Hunters manipulation of his Hakujin has surpassed perfection. If an enemy is 5 to 10ft. away the Sword hunter can wrap his sword around the enemy as part of a standard action. Once wrapped, he twists the blade and pulls the blade off of the enemy slashing him. This attack does normal weapon damage +5d6 slashing damage to the opponent. This can be used ½ the sword hunter’s level times per day.

Hakujin Tatsukmaki
At 10th level, a Sword Hunter discovers a way to get around the lack of short reach for his Hakujin. He whips the weapon around his body at incredible speed hitting all opponents in a 5 ft. radius and doing 6d8 slashing damage in addition to normal weapon damage. This attack can be used three times a day.

Renbatou
Cost: 350gp
Two handed exotic weapon.
Damage: 2d6
Critical: x4
Weight: 10lb
Type: Slashing
This is a sword of indescribable beauty. Two blades come from the end of the sword allowing the wounds inflicted by this weapon to be impossible to close. The combination of this sword with an adept swordsman will destroy any opposing force. *This is a Masterwork weapon.

Hakujin
Cost: 100gp
One-handed exotic weapon
Reach Weapon
Damage: 1d8
Critical: 19-20/x2
Weight: 6 lb.
Type: Slashing or Piercing
This is a work that emanates in its creators excellence. A sword whose blade is so thin that it can be manipulated like a whip. This excellent weapon can attack an opponent up to 15 ft. away but cannot attack an opponent 5ft. or closer.

[elliott20]

the side swipe sounds like it's actually a feint to me. Perhaps changing to something of that nature would be more appropriate.

the second special ability also seems a little clunky in mechanics. You're in essence trying to establish a grappling check at range right? So I suggest the following mechanics.

1. first, the character makes a ranged touch attack
2. second, the character makes an opposed grapple check against his opponent, but instead can use his dex modifier instead of strength
3. if the character succeeds, then he has them in a grapple. I feel the damage on ripping the sword free is a tad high though. I personally think it would be better to remove the number of uses per day, and simply allow the character all the grappling options available to him, even though he's at range. This means he can continue to deal damage to his opponent as long as he can maintain the grapple AS WELL as perform trips, disarms, etc. But he does so without the penalty of actually being grappled himself since he's not in it. That's pretty powerful ability.

The last ability can be duplicated with a whirlwind attack.

[Assasinater]

I agree completely to the previous post. And in addition, I think the Ecstasy in Blades may need revision, because once you started carrying 4 swords, which is definitely nothing too hard, you effectively gain a +5 attack and +5 damage to all your attacks and +5 to all three saving throws at level 10. That's really overpowered. I suggest a lower bonus, and effective only on exotic weapons.

And you may also think of an ability which empowers special attacks (for example, +2-4 competence bonus on grapple, feint, disarm, trip etc. checks). I'm just brainstorming here.

Regardless, good one.

[elliott20]

Well, to be BRUTALLY honest, Cho strictly speaking doesn't need a whole new PrC for himself. It could have been handled by simply taking the right feats, giving him a customized weapon, and then just roleplaying him correctly.

but I like this classes flavor.

The ecstacy of the swords thing also seems like it could just be a roleplaying element. I would suggest several more things like say, a rage of some sort that is tied to his lust for swords. Perhaps by possessing a certain number of swords of a certain bonus value, he gains a rage. (Remember, Cho has a second personality that emerges when he fights.)

[kellandros]

Hakujin isn't at least masterwork?!?!?

Ecstasy of Blades should also only be for masterwork or magical blades. Would he lose the bonus if his weapons are destroyed/stolen, so that he no longer has the requisite 4+?

Needs two-weapon fighting feat. Lack of shield usage seems pretty common to about any fighter, wouldn't be too critical.

Also, D20 doesn't give much actual value to just masterwork weapons. Those can be found rather commonly. Balance-wise, should make them magical weapons.

Renbatou: That sounds about literally to be a XXXX of Wounding enchantment on a sword.

==============
As an aside, I still think there needs to be some split between the person and the class. Can there be more than one person using this class? If so, where are they going to get the two very specific swords identified below(standard issue, like Drow and scimitars??).

You could put the sword enhancement bonuses into class-specific feats. Then they choose from a list of ways to improve their fighting with a specific exotic or unique weapon(improved reach, reduce penalties, special damage bonuses, etc). The name given to each attack are then up to the character.

Also, if at first level they have to pick a specific form/category of weapon to focus in. I could easily imagine a Dwarf variant, out to collect the lost legendary weapons of his clan/race.

[polaris1110]

the side swipe sounds like it's actually a feint to me. Perhaps changing to something of that nature would be more appropriate.

the second special ability also seems a little clunky in mechanics. You're in essence trying to establish a grappling check at range right? So I suggest the following mechanics.

1. first, the character makes a ranged touch attack
2. second, the character makes an opposed grapple check against his opponent, but instead can use his dex modifier instead of strength
3. if the character succeeds, then he has them in a grapple. I feel the damage on ripping the sword free is a tad high though. I personally think it would be better to remove the number of uses per day, and simply allow the character all the grappling options available to him, even though he's at range. This means he can continue to deal damage to his opponent as long as he can maintain the grapple AS WELL as perform trips, disarms, etc. But he does so without the penalty of actually being grappled himself since he's not in it. That's pretty powerful ability.

The last ability can be duplicated with a whirlwind attack.

1)I don't think of sideswipe as a feint. It catches the opponent off guard leaving him helpless. Therefore, the opponent acts like a helpless defender.

2)I do like the grappling idea except for 1 thing, Cho is a sword fighter, he doesn't grapple. The thing to remember is that these are based on the characters from the show. So I don't really know what I am going to do about this. For now I am keeping it as is.

3)It's like it but with a really long and thin sword, shooting dangerously close to the users body, doing more damage.

[polaris1110]

I agree completely to the previous post. And in addition, I think the Ecstasy in Blades may need revision, because once you started carrying 4 swords, which is definitely nothing too hard, you effectively gain a +5 attack and +5 damage to all your attacks and +5 to all three saving throws at level 10. That's really overpowered. I suggest a lower bonus, and effective only on exotic weapons.

And you may also think of an ability which empowers special attacks (for example, +2-4 competence bonus on grapple, feint, disarm, trip etc. checks). I'm just brainstorming here.

Regardless, good one.

I like the power that ecstacy of blades has but I do like the idea of it only counting for exotic weapons.

As for the second idea, I really can't see Cho as a grappler. Hes a sword fighter, he doesn't use his hands to grapple, he carries swords so thats how I made him. Thanks for the input though.

[elliott20]

1)I don't think of sideswipe as a feint. It catches the opponent off guard leaving him helpless. Therefore, the opponent acts like a helpless defender.

2)I do like the grappling idea except for 1 thing, Cho is a sword fighter, he doesn't grapple. The thing to remember is that these are based on the characters from the show. So I don't really know what I am going to do about this. For now I am keeping it as is.

3)It's like it but with a really long and thin sword, shooting dangerously close to the users body, doing more damage.

1. well, the feint in effect does exactly that. It makes the foe flat footed, denying them their dex AC. (If the feint succeeds, that is) This power would be killer with the some sneak attack damage.

2. Yeah, I'm fully aware of that. The point I'm trying to make is that the function your performing through the maneuver is really a grappling move, one that does not require him to actually grapple. So it's not him being a grappler like say, a wrestler, but him using his sword to perform the function for him. And it's actually quite a powerful ability when you think about it. He doesn't have to actually give his opponent an attack of opportunity when performing this action, he doesn't need to actually get in dirty with the opponent. And he can do additional damage against his foe automatically, once he's got his blade wrapped around the opponent. (Not to mention the variety of actions you can perform on an opponent who is grappled) So he gets all of the benefits of grappling, but without actually grappling.

The point here is not to make him into some wrestling character, but the move you described, like it or not, performs just that except he's doing it through his sword, not his body. If you want, you can even give Cho a +4 (or a bonus equivalent to the PrC class level) to the opposed grapple check.

Don't forget, we didn't get to see Cho all that much in the show, so we might not have seen all he can do with his swordwhip. With the version of the ability I just described, it gives him a lot more options to work with.

3. Okay, this one I got nothing to add. The only reason I bring it up is because I think the mechanics could work very similarly. The extra damage, however, makes this ability much better than the whirlwind attack. (especially the damage you put down. OUCH!) the trade off of making it a whirlwind attack as opposed to this is that with a whirlwind attack, you can do it as many times per day as you want.

[Assasinater]

I like the power that ecstacy of blades has but I do like the idea of it only counting for exotic weapons.

As for the second idea, I really can't see Cho as a grappler. Hes a sword fighter, he doesn't use his hands to grapple, he carries swords so thats how I made him. Thanks for the input though.

Just to make it clear:

I too can't see Cho as a grappler with his hands. The "grapple" I mentioned came from the idea that elliott has brought up, in which he can grapple with his special sword at range. The bonus on special attacks was an idea of widening the possibilities that he can do with his swords, especially with Hakujin, as making successful trips, disarms, etc. at range would be a really powerful and interesting asset to his powers.

[EvilElitest]

Forgive me for my ignorence, but what is this from? I don't know the anime/book/movie/show this is from. And could you show a pic of the two weapons please?
from,
EE

[Icewalker]

I like it, but I think it could use some Fluff. kind of empty for a PrC. Seems to me it basically has 3 abilities, two of which are barely under the overpowered line, and thats it. I suggest maybe slightly weakening those two (or making them progressive, so they only deal that much damage at 10th level, and a bit less before that) and add in some extra stuff.