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View Full Version : WORK IN PROGRESS: The Doshi (A Daoist undead controlling non-spellcaster) PEACH



katarl
2008-04-17, 02:53 PM
Yes, i'm at the old undead controlling base class thing again. This time my precious creation is a bastardisation of anime and oriental origin, designed around the necromaster archetype who can control a fair number of quite powerful skilled undead, as well as rebuke and command undead better than any other class, but has very weak combat abilities and no or fairly weak spellcasting.

What i'm interested in is thoughts on the class, improvements and help on design. I've got the bare bones down, but much like a zombified invertebrate, it needs a lot of filling.

So, see what you think, and don't forget to leave some comments, even if it's just that you think i'm a fan boy.

The Doshi (Dao-Si)
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/8/83/Tao_jun_anime.jpg

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Abilities: Charisma is the most important attribute for a successful doshi, though if she is going to go into combat, she may need a high dexerity to compensate for her lack of armour, and a high constitution helps compensate for her lack of hit points.
Races: Humans are by far the most numerous doshi, as their usual ubiquity and adaptivity ensures it. Elves might make interesting doshi, though the concept of utterly dominating a creature, even a dead one may chafe with it's sensibilities.
Alignment: Doshi can be of any alignment, though there are few goodly doshi, as their abilities revolve around defiling and controlling the dead.
Hit Die: d6

Skill Points at 1st level: (2+ Int modifier)x4
Skill points at each additional level: 2+ Int modifier

Class Skills:
Bluff (Cha); Concentration (Con); Craft- ofuda (int); Heal (Wis); Knowledge- arcana, religion, history (int); Profession (Wis); Spellcraft (Int); Use Magic Device (Cha)

Starting Gold: As Wizard
Starting Age: As Wizard

Table 1-01
The Doshi
{table=head]Level|Base Attack Bonus|Fort Save|Ref Save|Will Save|Special

1st|
+0|
+0|
+0|
+2|Create Ofuda; Rebuke Undead

2nd|
+1|
+0|
+0|
+3|Jiang-Shi

3rd|
+1|
+1|
+1|
+3|Create Talisman

4th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Ofuda Mastery

5th|
+2|
+1|
+1|
+4|Class Ability

6th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Class Ability

7th|
+3|
+2|
+2|
+5|Class Ability

8th|
+4|
+2|
+2|
+6|Class Ability

9th|
+4|
+3|
+3|
+6|Ofuda Mastery

10th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Class Ability

11th|
+5|
+3|
+3|
+7|Class Ability

12th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Class Ability

13th|
+6/+1|
+4|
+4|
+8|Class Ability

14th|
+7/+2|
+4|
+4|
+9|Ofuda Mastery

15th|
+7/+2|
+5|
+5|
+9|Class Ability

16th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Class Ability

17th|
+8/+3|
+5|
+5|
+10|Class Ability

18th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Class Ability

19th|
+9/+4|
+6|
+6|
+11|Ofuda Mastery

20th|
+10/+5|
+6|
+6|
+12|Capstone [/table]

Class Features

Weapon and Armour Proficiencies: A doshi is proficient with simple weapons and with no armour or shields. Wearing armour does not, however interfere with her class abilities.

Create Ofuda (Ex): A Doshi's most important attribute is the ability to craft Ofuda, small pieces of parchment upon which is written fragments of Daoist lore. A doshi can create up to half her craft(ofuda) skill check in gold pieces a day, and the cost is one sixth the market price. True Ofudas cannot be created by characters without the create ofuda class feature, having the craft skill will only allow such a character to make very convincing fakes.

Rebuke Undead (Su): A central tenet of her Doshi training is learning to command and controlundead beings, through a mixture of daoist ritual and force of will, she is able to bend themto her desire. She can rebuke and command undead as a cleric of her level, and she may do this 3 plus her charisma modifier times a day.

Jiang Shi: A Doshi is very vulnerable in combat, she can use few weapons and can wear little armour, so a prudent doshi surrounds herself with willing allies to protect her. At second level, a doshi gains the services of a 1st level cohort with the Jufu template, who serves the doshi loyally, as they are bound by a special ofuda that the doshi must create.

This special ofuda costs 100 gold pieces and takes 24 hours to make. The jiang-shi is far more powerful than it's more simple cousins, the Jufu, it gains levels as it's master gains levels in doshi, and it possesses a normal charisma score, as it's spirit is suppressed, rather than completely dominated. As the charisma is suppressed, a jiang-shi cannot cast spells, use spell-like abilities or use charisma-based skills, and it cannot talk or in any way vocalise, though it can understand the languages it knows.

The strength check to remove its ofuda is 20 plus the doshi's level, and the ofuda's hit points are calculated as part of the jiang-shi. If it is removed, rather than become inanimate, the jiang-shi will become uncontrolled, and as an intelligent being, will act as it wishes, which usually involves exacting a painful retribution on the doshi that dared make them her guardian. If the Doshi loses her Jiang-Shi, she may make another special ofuda at the same cost.

Create Talisman: A doshi is not just a necromancer, she is a purveyor of spirits, a binder of souls. At third level, she may bind incorporeal undead she has commanded via her rebuke undead ability into specially prepared talismans. These talismans provide the bearer with some kind of special benefit, depending on the type of incorporeal undead bound within them. Once bound, an incorporeal undead does not count towards her hd limit for commanding undead. Creating a talisman requires a craft (ofuda) check, as well as expending gold pieces equal to half it's cost.

A talisman binds a spirit, forcing it to protect the bearer. This protection may come in various forms, depending on the type of spirit bound.

Shadow: Once they preyed on the innocent from the dark places of the world, now they obscure the bearer from view. The bearer of a shadow talisman is harder to pin down, gaining concealment. This ability lasts a minute, requires a move action to activate and can be used a number of times a day equal to the number of shadows bound. A greater shadow bound allows a different benefit, making the user totally concealed for the same duration, once per day per greater shadow. The talisman's cost to make is 400gp.

Wraith: A wraith is famous for its immunity to the slings and stones of ordinary men. When bound, these beings grant their bearer similar invulnerability. The bearer gains damage reduction 5/magic and 50% fortification. This requires a move action to activate, and lasts a minute, and can be used a number of times a day equal to the number of wraiths bound. The talisman's cost to make is 800gp.

Ghost: A ghost can be many things, and when bound it grants these myriad abilities to it's bearer. The bearer gains one feat that the ghost possessed for a minute. They do not need to meet the prerequisite. This requires a move action to activate and can be used once a day per ghost bound possessing that feat. It lasts for a minute. The talisman's cost is 4800gp to make.

Ofuda Mastery (Ex): A doshi of fourth level or greater can command up to twice her turning level in jufu animated by ofuda, rather than just her level's worth. At ninth level, this increases to four times her level, and at fourteenth and nineteenth level to six and eight times her level respectively.

katarl
2008-04-17, 02:54 PM
Ofuda


Level/Market Price
1 300gp
2 600gp
3 900gp
4 1200gp
5 1500gp
6 1800gp
7 2100gp
8 2400gp
9 2700gp
10 3000gp

Ofuda are pieces of small parchment intended to be placed on the forehead of corpses or living beings. When applied to corpses, it animates them as jufu if the ofuda's level equals or exceeds the corpse's hit die (from classes or racial levels).

When placed on a living creature's forehead as a melee touch attack at a -4 penalty, the subject must make a will save of dc 10 + the ofuda's level or become listless as per the stupor spell until the ofuda is removed, which requires a successful grapple attempt followed by a strength check at a dc of 10 plus the ofuda's level. If the save succeeds, the subject acts as he wishes (the first act is usually to remove the silly piece of parchment fixed on the subject's forehead).

When removed from a jufu or a living creature, the ofuda loses its magic. When placed on an illegal target, such as a construct or a corpse with too high hit die, the ofuda does not work but the magic is not expended. Only doshi can create working ofuda. Ofuda cannot be touching anything and so cannot be applied when the subject is wearing a hat, headband or helmet, nor can jufu wear these things after having an ofuda applied. Ofuda can only be created by doshi of twice the level of the ofuda, except for 1st level ofuda, which can be made by 1st level doshi.

Epic Ofuda


Level/Market Price
11 16500gp
12 18000gp
13 19500gp
14 21000gp
15 22500gp
16 24000gp
17 25500gp
18 27000gp
19 28500gp
20 30000gp

Epic Ofuda can only be created by epic doshi, and are not usually for sale.


Jufu Template

Jufu are undead animated by Ofuda (Jufu talismans), intelligent undead completely devoid of will or emotion, serving their master in undeath.

Jufu is an acquired template that can be applied to any well-preserved or otherwise intact corporeal creature.

Type: Changes to undead, but it keeps any subtypes it originally had.
Hit Die: A Jufu's hit die and all future hit die increase to d12s. It also gains bonus hitpoints equal to the ofudas level squared divided by two.
Speed: A jufu's speed is unchanged
Armour Class: A jufu's natural armour is increased by the level of the ofuda attached to it.
Attacks: A jufu has any natural attacks it had in life, as well as a slam.
Damage: Other attacks deal damage normally. A slam attack deals damage as a zombie of the jufu's size.
Special Attacks: A jufu retains any special attack it possessed in life, though it cannot
use any spell-like or spellcasting abilities.
Special Qualities: A jufu retains any special qualities it possessed in life, though it cannot use any spell-like or spellcasting abilities. A jufu also gains the disattach special quality.
Abilities: A jufu gains a bonus to strength and dexerity equal to the level of the ofuda attached to it. A jufu has no constitution score as undead, and possesses no charisma score, being utterly without a will of its own.
Skills: As normal, additionally a jufu gains a racial bonus of +8 to jump checks, and may take 10 on this check even when under stress.
Feats: As normal
Challenge Rating: +1

Disattach (Ex): Removing or destroying a jufu's ofuda destroys it, so doshi have to be very careful when protecting them. Fortunately, an ofuda is very durable when attached to a jufu, possessing a hardness of the ofudas level, and hitpoints equal to the ofuda's level multiplied by four. Removing the ofuda requires a successful grapple attempt, followed by a strength check of dc 15 + the ofuda's level.

Jufu have no will of their own, and when animated by an ofuda, they will just stand doing nothing, even when attacked or moved. They can only move and act when successfully rebuked and subsequently commanded by a cleric or doshi. When commanded this way, they become immune to further turning attempts, until this control is relinquished.

jagadaishio
2008-04-17, 05:47 PM
The leveling mechanics of the Jian Shi are sloppy. I think that it would make more sense for them to have hit dice and abilities and such according to their master's level, in a way akin to the Druid's animal companion. Otherwise, if something happens to the Doshi's experience point total, such a permanent level loss or spending experience point on magic item creation (multiclassed, perhaps), they would end up with an unreasonable powerful minion for their ECL.

Furthermore, this could be exploited by any character who wanted a minion. A Doshi 20 would have just as experienced of a Jian Shi as a Doshi 1/Fighter 19.

I really like the other mechanics of the class, though, and the flavor which it provides. It could be seriously fun to play.

katarl
2008-04-18, 01:45 PM
The leveling mechanics of the Jian Shi are sloppy. I think that it would make more sense for them to have hit dice and abilities and such according to their master's level, in a way akin to the Druid's animal companion. Otherwise, if something happens to the Doshi's experience point total, such a permanent level loss or spending experience point on magic item creation (multiclassed, perhaps), they would end up with an unreasonable powerful minion for their ECL.

Furthermore, this could be exploited by any character who wanted a minion. A Doshi 20 would have just as experienced of a Jian Shi as a Doshi 1/Fighter 19.

Hmm... i do want the jian shi to have class levels, it's more like a cohort than an animal companion, first because jufu get to have them (why should the jian shi be weaker?), but it should definitely be tied to the doshi's level.

I think the ofuda costs are far too minor, considering that you get a fully functional class leveled minion out of it, thoughts on that?

jagadaishio
2008-04-18, 04:38 PM
I would be in favour of increasing the cost of the ofuda, but I'm not sure by how much.

Ghal Marak
2008-04-18, 04:40 PM
Hmm... i do want the jian shi to have class levels, it's more like a cohort than an animal companion, first because jufu get to have them (why should the jian shi be weaker?), but it should definitely be tied to the doshi's level.

I think the ofuda costs are far too minor, considering that you get a fully functional class leveled minion out of it, thoughts on that?

Perhaps the price should be around 400 - 450?

katarl
2008-04-19, 01:48 PM
I agree with that, i think i'll increase it to 300 per level, because it's a factor of 25, the cost for animating normal undead and also of 6, which makes it easier to work out the cost.

What do you think about class features, what can we add to the class?

jagadaishio
2008-04-20, 12:36 AM
The ability to stitch together parts from various bodies, Frankenstein's Monster style. I think that would be a pretty interesting mechanic.

katarl
2008-04-21, 03:01 AM
Yes, that's a really good idea, but we'd need some way to differentiate it from rules that already exist in the game, that is, grafting. It would be quite expensive and should be reasonably powerful, so it might have to be consigned to lvl 10 and higher for those reasons.

Have any idea about what it should do?

jagadaishio
2008-04-21, 08:00 AM
I'm thinking mostly getting new natural attacks, such as by stitching a dragon's claw onto the corpse where it's hand used to be. I think that it would probably involve a second class craft skill, where the raw materials have to be two or more bodies (it ruins all of them in order to create the hybrid) and some special materials for the bonding, giving it a GP cost. The craft DC could be based on either the CRs of the creatures involved, or maybe on the hit dice.

katarl
2008-04-22, 04:22 AM
I like the idea about natural attacks, but i think a heal check would be better, firstly because its canon (anatomical expertise on the part of Jun), and also because it's closer to the graft system. I think i'll write up a list of possible enhancements in a couple of days.

Shades of Gray
2008-04-22, 07:13 AM
The capstone should be controlling multiple Jiang-shi.

I might use this in a campaign, as a surprise. My players like using antimagic fields, considering there "wizard" is a psion, they'll be surprised when the "zombies" don't go "poof"