A New Base Class: The Cardcaptor

[AuraTwilight]

It's interesting, I suppose, but it doesn't seem like there's anything here that'll assist in capturing the intent of the Cardcaptor class. It doesn't really function like the Harrower in any majorly significant way.

[Getsugaru]

Bring the thread back from the Abyss of Death...
[10 minutes later]
...Raise Thread!!!

I bring this back to life. I have added a description for every card, and am working on data for the stat blocks for each and every one. As I complete it on my Notepad file (keeps the code from switching to <br />; they need to fix that...), I'll update it here. I'm sorry I took so long to return; I've been very busy with school for the last couple months, which has really bothered me. I'm back now, however, and I'll be updating a lot more often from now on.

P.S. Long live the Thread Necromancer Prestige Class!!!!!

[Getsugaru]

PS: please clean up the class post. spaces... paragraph breaks... im dying!!!

What do you mean by "clean it up"? Are you saying I should double-space after each paragraph?

[AuraTwilight]

Hurray, one of my favorite projects is back!

Of course, the descriptions are technically nothing new, but I can't wait for those juicy, juicy stat blocks and powers!

[Getsugaru]

Hurray, one of my favorite projects is back!

Of course, the descriptions are technically nothing new, but I can't wait for those juicy, juicy stat blocks and powers!

Again, sorry I took so long. Also, it may not be much, but it is coming along...

Also, would it be too powerful to have the Windy, Watery, Firey, and Earthy count as large Elementals of their respective elements as a Clow power?

[jamieth]

OK, first of all: congratulations! I am totally into making Cardcaptor in a PF class (granyed, I'm into pretty much any project aiming to increase the presence of Magical Girls in RPGs), and the amount of work alone that went into making this is impressive (I haven't read through the crunch yet, so can't comment on balance and stuff). So, I'm definitely cheering for you.

That said, I hope a bit of critique would be met with understanding.

One thing I personally don't like about this design, is that it isn't really reads as much as a Cardcaptor class, as a Sakura Kinomoto base class. (A requirement for a flower-related name? Seriously? Also, the requirents as to which order cards must be taken in; why exactly is Fiery 5th or 6th level only? In the same vein, Trial of Destiny is a campaign material... not something you build into a class mesh.)

All in all, I think this class sacrifices too much flexibility in trying to stay true to the source material.

(If the above sounds a bit harsh, please understand that was probably caused by English not being my native language. Therefore, I do tend to be somewhat blunt when writing it.)

Oh, and Tomoyo is most definitely a Commoner/Expert with the Eldritch Heritage feat (PF Ultimate Magic.)

[AuraTwilight]

Also, would it be too powerful to have the Windy, Watery, Firey, and Earthy count as large Elementals of their respective elements as a Clow power?

No, that sounds about appropriate, actually. The four of them are meant to be some of the most powerful cards, and Firey in particular can burn down entire forests in minutes.

One thing I personally don't like about this design, is that it isn't really reads as much as a Cardcaptor class, as a Sakura Kinomoto base class. (A requirement for a flower-related name? Seriously? Also, the requirents as to which order cards must be taken in; why exactly is Fiery 5th or 6th level only? In the same vein, Trial of Destiny is a campaign material... not something you build into a class mesh.)

All in all, I think this class sacrifices too much flexibility in trying to stay true to the source material.

You know, I wasn't paying as much attention to things outside of the cards and class features, but now that I look at it...yea, you're kind of right.

I would still include Trial of Destiny as part of the class, atleast for the time being.

Oh, and Tomoyo is most definitely a Commoner/Expert with the Eldritch Heritage feat (PF Ultimate Magic.)

I think the intent for this class is 3.5, but I otherwise agree.

[Getsugaru]

...A requirement for a flower-related name? Seriously?

That actually isn't a requirement. What it says is that Cardcaptors' names are often that of a type of flower, not that it is required.

Also, on the Trials, what if I changed it to be a ritual that can be performed at the listed level instead of forcing you to do it right at obtaining the level? I mean, the only reason I require it is because the class is supposed to be based on the canon, by which I mean:

• There can only be one master of the Clow Cards
• The Clow Cards require their master/mistress's magic to survive
• etc, etc, etc.

The critique you gave wasn't mean or harsh in the slightest. I do admit that I'm trying to keep it based off the original story, but I do understand that some things can't be kept exact. Also, this class is for 3.5, but once this version is done, I might end up posting skills for Pathfinder. I'm going to focus on 3.5 for now though...

[jamieth]

Also, on the Trials, what if I changed it to be a ritual that can be performed at the listed level instead of forcing you to do it right at obtaining the level? I mean, the only reason I require it is because the class is supposed to be based on the canon, by which I mean:

• There can only be one master of the Clow Cards
• The Clow Cards require their master/mistress's magic to survive
• etc, etc, etc.

But even in canon, you don't actually have to be a Clow Reed's Chosen to wield His cards; Shaoran managed to both capture and use them just fine, after all, and he, in my opinion, is a Magus (or, whatever this class was called in 3.5... Duskblade? Spellblade? Don't have the books on me atm... the CCS version, of course. The T:RC Shaoran is probably a Monk.)

[AuraTwilight]

Shaolin was essentially using the cards as Wondrous Items or Magical Artifacts, though. Sakura is actually demonstrated as having powers beyond that; she's the only one who can actually SEAL the cards regardless of who receives them, she can use them for tarot, she can change their natures...

[jamieth]

Fair enough, considering that Sakura's very existence is a result of a millennia-spanning magenetic project, and she was explicitely stated to be potentially the most powerful magic-user of all time-space, had she not sacrificed her power to the immortal witch as a payment for fulfilling a wish of someone she never even really met; than again, that, too, was "just as planned". Or, to put it in Yuuko's words, "not a coincidence, but a necessity".
/shutting up before the thread gets derailed into a discussion of CLAMPverse's metaplot.

[Getsugaru]

Fair enough, considering that Sakura's very existence is a result of a millennia-spanning magenetic project, and she was explicitely stated to be potentially the most powerful magic-user of all time-space, had she not sacrificed her power to the immortal witch as a payment for fulfilling a wish of someone she never even really met; than again, that, too, was "just as planned". Or, to put it in Yuuko's words, "not a coincidence, but a necessity".
/shutting up before the thread gets derailed into a discussion of CLAMPverse's metaplot.

A note on that: I'm following specifically the canon of Cardcaptor Sakura (the japanese version), not the CLAMPverse in general. Also, I've finished The Sword, but GitP won't let me update the main post right now, so I'll do that later, when the server's less busy/problematic.

I'm also going to keep you guys in the loop (no not by the card) from now on by posting what I call the "Next 5 Cards", which will tell you what I'm doing and whether I need help with a specific card.

Next 5 cards:

1. The Windy
2. The Watery
3. The Firey
4. The Earthy
5. The Shield

I'll let you guys know how it goes.

[Getsugaru]

Sorry I haven't posted here in a while. My computer has been having issues for the last month (blue-screening a lot ) and so I haven't been able to work on the Cards for a while. Hopefully, the problem will be solved soon, and I'll be able to resume work on this build. I PROMISE TO SEE THIS THROUGH TO THE END!!!

[Razanir]

I know it's based on an anime and all, but there are a few things that don't quite work in D&D. Mainly the rule that there can only be 1 cardcaptor of level 11+. There haven't been rules like that since AD&D (maybe 2e, but I've never played 2e). Also, what about more masculine costumes? You know, for the guys that take this class

EDIT: Oh, and you should mention in the OP that Clow is pronounced "crow." I didn't know until I saw the other version of this that was linked to

[AuraTwilight]

Yea, I totally upvote making the class properly unisex, and really dumping all the stuff that requires the player to be Sakura Kinomoto.

I don't really mind the whole Trial of the Cards thing. Given that there's only a finite number of cards to go around, you really can't have 2 or more fully leveled Cardcaptors anyway.

[Razanir]

Yea, I totally upvote making the class properly unisex, and really dumping all the stuff that requires the player to be Sakura Kinomoto.

I don't really mind the whole Trial of the Cards thing. Given that there's only a finite number of cards to go around, you really can't have 2 or more fully leveled Cardcaptors anyway.

I get the point that in the anime there were a finite number of cards. The thing is, I, at least, wouldn't want to take levels in the class unless the DM completely reassured me I'd be able to advance above level 10. And even worse– what if two people in the same party wanted to be cardcaptors?

One thing I noticed though– How can the one NPC from the 3rd post be level 20? Wouldn't that mean that by default PCs can only go to level 10 if you use her with the class?

Also, there's a mistake in level 19. You have more cards converted than you have cards

[AuraTwilight]

Time travel is a thing that Sakura Kinomoto could canonically do, just sayin'.

And yea, the party dynamics thing could be iffy, but like all class choices and set ups, you really should talk to the Gamemaster beforehand anyway. It's not like it'd be difficult to refluff things accordingly; Perhaps two people in the party could both advance to full level and share the deck between themselves, cue romantic or platonic soulmate plot seeds etcetera, or they both equally qualified in the relevant Trial in a way Yue couldn't account for?

IDK. A gamemaster has options. I'd rather focus on getting the crunch on things like the Cards and class features done before worrying about campaign implementation.

[jamieth]

Time travel is a thing that Sakura Kinomoto could canonically do, just sayin'.

Only as a plot device, though, if memory serves me. Though then again, ANY kind of time traveling should only be done as a plot device, if you desire your game to retain any semblance of making sense. Otherwise, you risk ending up with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles ending...

Anyway, my stance on this is still, "don't try to fit as many of the CCS plot elements as you can into the class". Not only Trial of Cards, but I also vote for Dress for Success being unneeded. They (costumes), explicitely, are not the part of being a Cardcaptor; if you really want them, go and take Leadership and take a Noble/Expert with craft(tailor) as your cohort :-) (that was the way Sakura gained them, after all)

[AuraTwilight]

Only as a plot device, though, if memory serves me. Though then again, ANY kind of time traveling should only be done as a plot device, if you desire your game to retain any semblance of making sense. Otherwise, you risk ending up with Tsubasa: Reservoir Chronicles ending...

By the end of the series Sakura's stronger than Clow Reed and can effectively do anything. Luckily this isn't part of being a Cardcaptor. D:

Anyway, my stance on this is still, "don't try to fit as many of the CCS plot elements as you can into the class". Not only Trial of Cards, but I also vote for Dress for Success being unneeded. They (costumes), explicitely, are not the part of being a Cardcaptor; if you really want them, go and take Leadership and take a Noble/Expert with craft(tailor) as your cohort :-) (that was the way Sakura gained them, after all)

I agree, actually. If someone wants to go ahead and stat out the costumes anyway, go ahead, but it's pretty much a bottom priority for me.

[Getsugaru]

Sorry I've been gone for so long. My computer broke and I had to get it fixed. Luckily, they were able to retrieve the info on it, so I should be able to start this back up. And I promise, this will be finished.

I know it's based on an anime and all, but there are a few things that don't quite work in D&D. Mainly the rule that there can only be 1 cardcaptor of level 11+. There haven't been rules like that since AD&D (maybe 2e, but I've never played 2e). Also, what about more masculine costumes? You know, for the guys that take this class

I don't really mind the whole Trial of the Cards thing. Given that there's only a finite number of cards to go around, you really can't have 2 or more fully leveled Cardcaptors anyway.

I get the point that in the anime there were a finite number of cards. The thing is, I, at least, wouldn't want to take levels in the class unless the DM completely reassured me I'd be able to advance above level 10. And even worse– what if two people in the same party wanted to be cardcaptors?

On the whole "only one of level 11+" thing, that's mostly due to the fact that the Clow Cards are effectively minor artifacts, and that there is only one copy of each card. If your campaign has, for example, two pc's wanting to take more than 10 levels in the class, then you can do it, but it'll probably have to either be a "master and apprentice" sort of thing, or sharing them between the two like AuraTwilight said.

EDIT: Oh, and you should mention in the OP that Clow is pronounced "crow." I didn't know until I saw the other version of this that was linked to

I'll be sure to do that. Thanks.

Yea, I totally upvote making the class properly unisex, and really dumping all the stuff that requires the player to be Sakura Kinomoto.

I'm currently focused on making the main feature of the class usable: the Clow Cards. Once that's done, I'll go back and make changes like those.

One thing I noticed though– How can the one NPC from the 3rd post be level 20? Wouldn't that mean that by default PCs can only go to level 10 if you use her with the class?

Sakura is there just as an example, in the case of a DM wanting to show their party the Cardcaptor system. Also, most classes in D&D have an example of someone with the class; can't remember why, but they do. Finally, Sakura can fulfill the role of the mentor, like Clow Reed was for her. In your campaign, you could hae it be that Sakura passes them on to you, etc. Most important of all, by the time Clow Reed had gained this level, he basically could do everything the class could do without the cards. Same thing for Sakura, basically...

Also, there's a mistake in level 19. You have more cards converted than you have cards

Not exactly. If you'd read the class feature of level 19, you end up making your own card, "the nameless," which was never a Clow card to begin with. Therefore, it's less "cards converted" at that level and more "cards that are your own (whether converted or created)." That's also how The Hope works (was the Clow Card "the Nothing," fused with the Nameless and converted to become "The Hope").

Anyway, my stance on this is still, "don't try to fit as many of the CCS plot elements as you can into the class". Not only Trial of Cards, but I also vote for Dress for Success being unneeded. They (costumes), explicitely, are not the part of being a Cardcaptor; if you really want them, go and take Leadership and take a Noble/Expert with craft(tailor) as your cohort :-) (that was the way Sakura gained them, after all)

Dress for Success was me trying to take advantage of Sakura's many kawaii outfits, combined with my trying to get around the whole "casters can't wear armor" thing. Also, Leadership is dangerously cheesy, and forbidden at most tables, including my own. In fact, I've only seen Leadership allowed once, and that went out-of-control overpowered fast (Leadership+Ring Gates+lots and lots of Wands of Magic Missiles).
I thought the outfits would be a fun addition, partially for game purposes, partly for story purposes, and partially for pointing fingers at the many weird things adventurers wear in a campaign (third arms, robes of eyes, mage hands, astral constructs[ACMA & ACME], etc.). That, and my younger cousins, neighbor's kids, etc. are proof enough that kids like to dress up, not to mention fans at events like ComiCon, etc.
As for the Trials, those were (from a game perspective) inspired by the Weapons of Legacy feats; to get those feats, a ritual has to be performed first. If it bothers you guys so much, however, then I guess I can change it to be more like the Jade Phoenix Mage's 6th level ability.

I'm sorry I've been gone for so long; I openly admit that I really dropped the ball, and I humbly ask for your forgiveness. :bow:

[AuraTwilight]

Well I'm really excited to hear you back. This thread is in my top bookmarks, so as usual, lemme know if you need help on anything!

[Getsugaru]

Well I'm really excited to hear you back. This thread is in my top bookmarks, so as usual, lemme know if you need help on anything!

Glad to know that my absence hasn't lead to hatred.

Also, Sword is up.

[Getsugaru]

Windy, Earthy, Firey, and Watery's Clow card abilities and stat blocks are up.

[Getsugaru]

Anyone know how to stick two tables side-by-side?

[Debihuman]

i'd say don't bother. It would take up too much room. Just make 2 separate tables.

Also you need to have some lines in between your paragraphs. It's one big wall of text.

Debby

[Getsugaru]

i'd say don't bother. It would take up too much room. Just make 2 separate tables.

Also you need to have some lines in between your paragraphs. It's one big wall of text.

Debby

That better?

[Getsugaru]

Sorry that I keep promising to update more frequently, only to disappear for months on end. To rectify this, I'm going to do my best to finish up the Clow Cards, and request assistance with creating the technical effects of certain cards.

Now, with the apology finished, I am proud to announce that I've completed the effect for the Illusion. I've also fixed The Shadow's Clow Card image so that it fits properly. I do need help with the technical side of the Shadow's abilities, and request your help.

Again, sorry for being gone for so long, but this time, I hope to do better.

EDIT: Also just finished the Flower. Would love a second opinion...

EDIT#2: Problem. The Clow Cards are too many characters long. Because of this, and because I need more space anyway, I'm going to make a second thread to store the information, and convert this into a discussion thread. Only idea I had, so unless anyone else has another idea, I'm going to do that in 24 hours unless I hear a better idea.

[AuraTwilight]

Great to hear from you!

I do need help with the technical side of the Shadow's abilities, and request your help.

It can steal and control shadows, so perhaps it can take someone's shadow and control it ala an Unseen Servant (except totally visible if you've got a light source). I'm sure the Shadowcaster or one of it's homebrew fixes has some a similar idea. Alternatively, they could be (comparatively extremely weak?) Shadow Elementals.

In any case, Shadow is explicitly stated to be Incorporeal. I've no ideas for Sakura powers yet, but it'd probably be best to get all the Clow powers down first anyway.

Illusion looks fine.

EDIT: Also just finished the Flower. Would love a second opinion...

EDIT#2: Problem. The Clow Cards are too many characters long. Because of this, and because I need more space anyway, I'm going to make a second thread to store the information, and convert this into a discussion thread. Only idea I had, so unless anyone else has another idea, I'm going to do that in 24 hours unless I hear a better idea.

I'm fine with that. So did you not post your data for the Flower card? Still looks incomplete where I'm sitting, so I can't review it yet.

[Getsugaru]

I'm fine with that. So did you not post your data for the Flower card? Still looks incomplete where I'm sitting, so I can't review it yet.

I can't post it. I'm over the character limit by 938 characters, so I can't even post it. I can, however, post just the Flower here right now. The main thing is this: There are two "Plant-Based" cards; the Flower and the Wood. Because of this, I did my best to have the Flower have abilities related to flowers, vines, and other small plants. The Wood, on the other hand, will have more tree-related abilities, and probably will also be an Elemental, like Watery, Windy, etc.

And now, without further adieu, The Flower:

Spoiler

Show

{table]|

The Flower[br]Card Type: [br]Personality:[br]Stat Block: [br]Description: Flower's visible form is a young lady wearing a long, poofy pink dress that resembles layered blossoms, white hair with corkscrew pigtails, pink flower bracelets, pink flower earrings and a flower pattern on her forehead and her chest. She wears pink loose pants tied at the ankle and decorated with a flower blossom, and her shoes have flowers on the toes.[br]Clow Powers: Upon calling the Flower, Flower appears and performs a dance. Depending on which dance she performs, one of two effects occur: Her first dance causes flowers to bloom and grow at an exponential rate, as if under a Plant Growth spell. While beautiful, this can cause plants to grow so quickly that they inhibit movement, as the Entangle spell. Her second dance summons plants from nowhere, usually causing them to fall from the sky. This dance is also beautiful, but poses its own risk; by spawning so many flowers from nowhere, visibility is reduced, as if under the effect of a Fog Cloud spell. For both effects, caster level is equal to class level.[br]Sakura Powers: In addition to the Clow Card effects, the Flower can perform a third dance: upon performing this dance, plants all around Flower begin to move and follow the user's commands. This effect takes the form of both an Animate Plants spell and a Control Plants spell. Caster level equal to class level.[br]Card Under: The Earthy[br]DM Notes:

|[/table]

[AuraTwilight]

I approve completely.