It’s been ages since the last update, so I’ve decided to post the document that has been getting a small amount of work on it. I’m also calling out for volunteers to help me finish the kung fu styles in the current document – they need powers up to level 9, and mostly have outlines of the type of style they are.

Here’s the document: Di9H – No Classes – v3

I’m still working slowly on the details of the changes I proposed in the last couple of posts. However, I’ve decided to settle on the following list of classes and kung fu styles:

Classes

All the classes are based on an existing D&D class, with the appropriate kung fu class features added and one of their at-will powers replaced with a mandatory, kung fu styled at-will power.

Defenders:

1. Soldier – based on a Fighter
2. Guardian- based on a Paladin
3. Spirit Warden – based on a Warden
4. (Optional) Mystic Warrior – based on a Battlemind
5. (Optional) Sword Saint – based on a Swordmage

Strikers:

1. Champion – based on a Barbarian
2. Knight-Errant – based on a dual-wield Ranger
3. Spy – based on a Rogue
4. (Optional) Warrior Monk – based on a Monk

Leaders:

1. Priest – based on a Cleric
2. Commander – based on a Leader

Controllers:

1. Magician – based on an Invoker
2. (Optional) Bounty Hunter – based on a Seeker

The optional classes are ones that do not appear in the SRD, so could be described here but not in a published game.

Kung Fu Styles

I am providing eight kung fu styles to start with since that should be plenty. There is no restriction on the kung fu style a character can learn, so they almost provide multi-classing if a style that matches a different role is chosen. I’ve included fluff text for the styles where it exists so that the feel of each one is as clear as possible.

Defender styles:

• Golden Temple Bells kung fu:
  Golden Temple Bells kung fu is based on toughness and power. This kung fu style specialises in iron shirt and aims to make practitioners invulnerable to all damage. The main training method is a series of chi gung exercises that focus chi in all areas of the body, one by one. This builds resistance and power, finally resulting in a visible golden aura of chi that encloses the character and is shaped like a temple bell. A side effect of creating this armour of chi is that practitioners of Golden Temple Bells may also use their chi to create shields of force that protect others and to greatly enhance strikes with force damage.
  The origins of this style are disputed, but all sources agree that it was perfected in Buddhist temples. Disputes focus on the styles that were combined into this one, or whether Golden Temple Bells was a unique discovery. The commonly accepted history is that monks combined several styles of iron shirt and chi building exercises together and over generations of training created the current system.
• Taoist Prayer kung fu:
  no finished descriptive text, this style is the softer version of Golden Temple Bells and includes the Silk Guardian class feature. Practitioners use chi to bring opponents to them and also to strike at range. Their defensive abilities include healing and increasing defenses as opposed to the armor (in the form of temporary hit points) that Golden Temple Bells grants.

Striker styles:

• Fire Dragon kung fu:
  Fire Dragon kung fu is an ancient style and may have been one of the very first significant kung fu systems. Legend has it that the Dragon and the Phoenix taught a young man the style and that he used it to conquer a kingdom. Since that time the symbol of the style has been a five clawed dragon’s claw.
  The style is based on chi control and power, specialising in attacking and having little focus on mobility or defence. Practitioners are renowned for standing toe to toe with their opponents and overwhelming them with powerful attacks. In defence they use parries and rotations of the torso rather than footwork, avoiding the. The dragon stances that cause fire to engulf the practitioner are also very distinctive and greatly feared.
• Lightning Fist kung fu:
  no finished descriptive text, but this style is based on speed. It’s attacks deal good damage and often grant movement bonuses. There are several attacks that use lightning chi to enhance damage or add range to attacks.

Leader styles:

• Buddha’s Palm kung fu:
  no finished descriptive text,  this is a powerful attacking style that includes some healing and defensive powers. The primary focus is on dealing good damage and there is a secondary focus on self enhancement and healing others.
• White Jade kung fu:
  no finished descriptive text, this style has stances that create auras to enhance the party. It includes chi healing and self enhancement using chi. It does not have particularly powerful attacks because each of them includes other abilities to support a group.

Controller styles:

• Glorious Lotus kung fu:
  no finished descriptive text, but this style is based around throwing small balls of chi as weapons and filling areas with cyclones of chi balls. It will also include piercing and knockback attacks.
• Heavenly Flame kung fu:
  no finished descriptive text, but this style creates white and blue flames of chi used in blasts, lines and zones. There are also stances that cause the character to burst into flame and knockback or burn attackers.

I’m hoping that I will get all the writeups for the kung fu styles finished soon, so I’ll then publish a new version of the previously posted document.

These defender class features could be made available by kung fu styles and replace existing defender features if a player chooses to take them. Iron Guardian makes sense for the Golden Temple Bells kung fu style. There is no style concept that fits Silk Guardian at the moment.

The same thing could apply to other kung fu styles and striker, leader or controller class features. The problem with this is that none of the class features for these classes are as consistent as the features for Defenders. The decision about which features to replace is much more arbitrary.

Going with the assumption that characters to choose the Golden Temple Bells kung fu style now have access to a new class feature; they may choose Iron Guardian or Silk Guardian.

It would replace the following class features:

• Soldier:  Combat challenge
• Guardian: Divine Challenge
• Spirit Warden: Nature’s Wrath
• Mystic Warrior: Psionic defence
• Sword saint: Swordmage Aegis

The description of the class features follows:

New class feature: Iron Guardian grants the Soul Flare power and either the Iron Shield or Earth Vigor power.

Soul Flare                                                       Kung fu Feature
A burst of chi links you with your enemy, bonding you until they are defeated.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Psionic
Free Action                            Close burst 5
Target: One target in burst
Effect: You mark the target. The target remains marked until you use this power against another target. You may use this power once per turn.

Each iron guardian can choose either the iron shield or the earth vigor power.

Iron Shield                                                     Kung fu Feature
You shield your allies with fields of defensive chi that deflect incoming blows.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Psionic
Immediate Interrupt       Close burst 2
Prerequisite: You must have the Iron Guardian feature
Trigger: A marked enemy attacks an ally within 2 squares
Target: The attacked ally
Effect: The ally gains a +4 power bonus to AC and Reflex defence for the duration of the interrupted attack.

Earth Vigor                                                    Kung fu Feature
You feed on the power of your enemies blows, growing stronger as they strike you.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Psionic
Immediate Reaction         Personal
Prerequisite: You must have the Iron Guardian feature
Trigger: A marked enemy attacks you
Effect: When struck by the marked target, gain temporary hit points equal to your constitution modifier (after the strike). When you gain temporary hit points from an attack that has the invigorating keyword, those hit points stack with any other temporary hit points you already have.

New class feature: Silk Guardian grants the Soul Flare power and either the Iron Shield or Earth Vigor power.

Each silk guardian can choose either the silk bonds or the whirlpool power.

Silk Bonds                                                      Kung fu Feature
You whirl your chi around enemies, drawing then to you and preventing them attacking your allies.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Psionic
Immediate Reaction         Close burst 5
Prerequisite: You must have the Silk Guardian feature
Trigger: A marked enemy attacks an ally within the range of the burst
Target: The marked enemy
Attack: Strength vs Fortitude
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage and the target is pulled to a square adjacent to you. If there are no vacant squares, this attack fails.

Whirlpool                                                       Kung fu Feature
You are a whirlpool of chi, grabbing enemies and preventing them from moving away from you.
At-Will ✦ Martial, Psionic
Immediate Interrupt       Melee weapon
Prerequisite: You must have the Silk Guardian feature
Trigger: A marked enemy attacks an ally or moves away from you
Target: The marked enemy
Attack: Strength vs AC
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage. You grab the target. Grabbed targets are immobilized.

1. What happens with classes that are not defenders? Can they not take the class feature because they do not have the feature that it replaces? That seems to make sense.
2. Most of the classes that can take this class feature are built around the feature that is being replaced. For example, Swordmage powers are altered based on the type of Swordmage Aegis that is chosen. Replacing the class feature will remove some of the advantages of the class.

What do people think of this idea?

http://dragoninninthheaven.files.wordpress.com/2010/07/di9h-no-classes-v1.docx

The key things in this document are:

1. Renamed classes based on the System Reference Document (SRD)
2. Kung Fu class feaures
3. Weapon and armor techniques fully detailed
4. The kung fu styles have not changed from the previous version yet
5. There are some Armor Proficiency feats in note form at the end of the document
6. Each class will need more fluff to adjust the way their powers look. This will be a little tricky since individual power fluff text is not allowed to be re-written (as mentioned in the SRD)

I’m looking forward to feedback! I think this could be a better way for the game to move forward.

I read through the System Reference Document and the usage guidelines for material there are pretty clear:

To remain in compliance with the GSL, you may not reproduce any running text, statistics block, or table from the Core Rulebooks, nor may you define, redefine, or alter the definition of any 4E Reference.
To remain in compliance with the GSL, you may not reproduce any running text, statistics block, or table from the Core Rulebooks, nor may you define, redefine, or alter the definition of any 4E Reference.

While that seems restrictive it’s not too bad – extension of existing Game System License items is allowed, as long as the original definition of the GSL reference is unchanged. So a new class can be created that is essentially identical to an existing one as long as hit has a different name. Here’s the text from the GSL FAQ:

This means you that if you want to use a 4E Reference listed in the GSL SRD (for example, Dragonborn), you must not alter the definition in such a way as to define or redefine, or alter the definition as found in the Player’s Handbook (e.g. “Classes that use Dragonborn get an additional +1 to Strength and +1 in Intimidate). You may, however, extend a definition by adding to the original content. As an example: “…if you want to play a Dragonborn please refer to the Race Chapter of the 4th Edition Player’s Handbook. For a Greatmountian Dragonborn take and additional +1 Strength and +1 in Intimidate.”

So, as encouraged in the GSL and SRD I will propose the following classes that are based on existing classes.

• Champion – an extension of the Barbarian class
• Priest – an extension of the Cleric class
• Soldier – an extension of the Fighter class
• Magician – an extension of the Invoker class
• Guardian – an extension of the Paladin class
• Knight-Errant – an extension of the Ranger class (The Archer Fighting Style is not available for a Knight-Errant)
• Spy – an extension of the Rogue class
• Spirit Warden – an extension of the Warden class
• Commander – an extension of the Warlord class

The following classes are not available in the SRD, so cannot be used in a published product, but would also fit into the genre well:

• Mystic Warrior – an extension of the Battlemind class
• Warrior Monk – an extension of the Monk class
• Bounty Hunter – an extension of the Seeker class
• Sword Saint – an extension of the Swordmage class

This will provide the following number of classes for each role:

• 5 defenders
• 4 strikers
• 2 leaders
• 2 controllers

Which seems like plenty of choice for a game like this.

I plan to add the following class features to each class:

• Kung Fu
• Iron Shirt
• Unarmed Combat

In addition to this there will be a full fluff text description for each new sub-class. No powers will be changed or updated because all the existing ones are fine. The SRD prevents me from re-writing the fluff text for powers, but with enough guidelines on how class powers look overall that can be nicely sidestepped.

Allowing unarmed attacks/defenses for everyone and the choice of a kung fu style that provides powers to swaps out with class abilities could work…

For example, here’s the powers of a 3rd level Battlemind:

Battlemind’s Demand: Minor, Close burst 3, 1 target is marked. Augment 1: 2 targets.
Twisted Eye: +7 vs. AC, Hit: 2d4+4 and target takes penalty to attacks equal to the number of your allies adjacent to it
Blurred Step: Trigger: marked enemy shifts, you shift 1 square to follow them.
Mind Spike: Trigger: marked adjacent enemy attacks an ally and not you. Effect: Target takes damage equal to the damage caused to your ally
Iron Fist: +7 vs. AC, Hit: 2d4+4, Effect: Resist all 3 until end of next turn. Augment 1: gain fire resist 8. Augment 2: +2d4 damage
Bull’s Strength: +7 vs. AC, Hit: 2d4+4 and push target 1 square. Augment 1: Reach increases by 1 for this attack. Augment 2: Close blast 3
Visions of Terror: +7 vs. AC, Hit: 2d4+4 and push target 2 squares. Augment 1: Increase push by 1, and any other pushes until the end of your next turn. Augment 2: After the push, slide any adjacent enemies 1 square.
Battle Resilience: Trigger: an attack hits or misses you. Effect: Gain resist all 6 until the end of your next turn.
Psionic Vigor: Minor, Gain 6 temporary hit points.
Aspect of Elevated Harmony: +7 vs. AC, hit: 4d4+4. Miss: 1/2 damage. Effect: Spend a healing surge. Enter the elevated harmony state.
—-Augment of Elevated Harmony:you gain 8 temp hit points and the target of the at-will takes 3 extra damage.

All of these powers are perfect for a Guardian; they provide all the defensive, mobility and offensive capabilities required and with merely a description change they would easily fit into the setting. I would see characters of this class glowing with shields of defensive chi and lashing out at their foes with hammering fists and bolts of golden chi. Advanced techniques heal wounds and invigorate the character while increasing melee damage.
The same applies to several other classes – monk, avenger, barbarian, swordmage.

Here’s the other attributes of the Battlemind:

HP: 45
AC: 18 Fort: 16 Ref: 13 Will: 17
Init: +1 Speed: 5
Power points: 4
Weapon damage: 2d4 (Glaive)

There is an assumption that they are wearing heavy armor and using a Glaive that deals 2d4 damage. Iron Shirt and Unarmed Combat could cover this easily. A list of Unarmed Combat weapons and the classes that know them at level one should suffice. Something like this:

Then the existing kung fu styles could be applied to the classes, just as I did with the Warlord for the initial version of the game…

All that would remain of the original ideas for the game are the kung fu styles, chi feats, Iron Shirt and Unarmed Combat. Maybe that is enough to capture the feel of the setting without having to go through a potentially difficult class design process.

There are class features that are worthy of keeping (like the Guardian Soul class feature), but they could be included as part of a kung fu style that substitutes the feature for equivalent Defender class features (Psionic Defence for the Battlemind, Combat Challenge for the Fighter or Swordmage Aegis for the Swordmage are all examples of this).

The more I think about this the more appealing it becomes. I’ll have to check the System Reference Document to see how much existing classes can be referred to (I don’t think much is allowed), but a significant change like this could make the focus of the game totally shift to the setting and special effects (and the kung fu styles), which is really the point of the game.

These could be handled in many ways;

1. Feats
2. Optional class features that replace existing features
3. Special additions to existing encounter and daily powers
4. Replacement of daily and encounter powers with new ones
5. Utility powers that enhance other powers

Given that Dragon in Ninth Heaven is a wuxia game, I’m more inclined to add some of these abilities directly into existing powers and include utility powers that enhance any other attack. Here’s an example of adding a special, terrain-based ability to an existing daily power from Golden Temple Bells kung fu:

Buddha Sweeps His Hand
Kung Fu Attack 1
You charge into combat knocking foes back with the power of your defence
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action            Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Requirement: You must charge and use this power in place of the basic melee attack
Effect: Any enemy that attacks you with an opportunity attack triggered by your charge takes damage equal to your secondary attribute modifier and is pushed 1 square.
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.
Special: If the target of your attack has blocking or difficult terrain behind them they are knocked prone on a hit.

This has not changed the power in any way other than enhancing it. The question of this being overpowered is now valid – but as long as the terrain effect is uncommon then it will probably be ok.

A utility power can be more general in application:

Wall Spring
Kung Fu Utility 2
You leap off a nearby wall, surprising your opponent as you land behind them
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Move Action            Personal
Requirement: You are adjacent to a wall or other blocking terrain at least 10 ft. in height.
Effect: You shift 3 squares. This movement may be through enemy occupied squares. You gain combat advantage against adjacent targets until the end of your next turn.

Given that it is time to move on to the level 2 powers for the classes I believe terrain-based powers might be a good idea.

Does anyone have any comments or ideas?

Di9H – Rules – v5

1. Chi Strike   [Concentrate Chi] 1
   You send a spike of damaging chi into your enemy just as your strike hits
   Encounter * Martial, Weapon
   Instant reaction Melee weapon
   Target: One creature
   Special: This power is triggered when you successfully hit a target with another attack
   Effect: Add 1 + Primary attribute modifier to the damage of the other attack
2. Hardened Chi    [Concentrate Chi] 1
   Years of training in extreme conditions have increased your resistance to pain and injury
   Prerequisite: Kung fu class feature
   Benefit: You gain a +1 bonus to AC and Fortitude defence.
3. Invulnerability [Concentrate Chi] 1
   You focus all your chi at a single point as an attack hits you, deflecting the impact
   Encounter * Martial
   Instant reaction               Personal
   Special: This power is triggered when you are hit by an attack
   Effect: You gain resist 10 to all damage for this attack.

All kung fu styles have primary and secondary attributes. These are used for attack, damage and additional effects. This is determined by the character that learns the style and the manner their master taught them. The attributes are chosen at first level and will be used for all kung fu powers from that point on. This choice is permanent and may not be changed.

• Champions are most likely to use Dexterity as their primary attribute and Strength or Intelligence as their Secondary attribute
• Guardians are most likely to use Strength as their primary attribute and Constitution or Dexterity as their Secondary Attribute
• There is no restriction on the use of an attribute, it does not need to be the same attribute used by your class.

Advanced training in Golden Temple Bells includes the following powers at level 1:

Shielding Blow
Kung Fu Attack 1
You focus your chi to resist the attacks of your foe
At-will * Martial, Weapon, Force
Standard Action            Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Primary attribute vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Primary attribute modifier damage. You gain resistance equal to your Secondary attribute modifier against the target’s attacks until the end of your next turn.

Buddha Sweeps His Hand
Kung Fu Attack 1
You charge into combat knocking foes back with the power of your defence
Encounter * Martial, Weapon
Standard Action            Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Strength vs. AC
Requirement: You must charge and use this power in place of the basic melee attack
Effect: Any enemy that attacks you with an opportunity attack triggered by your charge takes damage equal to your secondary attribute modifier and is pushed 1 square.
Hit: 1[W] + Strength modifier damage.

Golden Hammer Fist
Kung Fu Attack 1
Fluff text
Daily * Martial, Weapon, Invigorating
Standard Action             Melee weapon
Target: One creature
Attack: Primary attribute vs. AC
Hit: 2[W] + Primary attribute modifier damage and you push the target 1 square. You then shift into the square the target occupied. Make a secondary attack at the target.
Secondary Attack: Primary attribute vs. AC
Hit: 1[W] + Primary attribute modifier damage and you push the target 1 square and knock it prone.
Miss: Half damage and you knock the target prone.

Golden Temple Bells kung fu also teaches the following Chi Concentration feats:

• Buddha Rings the Temple Bell [Chi Concentration]
  The serenity of your mind allows blows to fall upon you and wash off like rain
  Encounter * Martial
  Immediate reaction Personal
  Trigger: you suffer a critical strike or are bloodied by an attack
  Effect: spend a healing surge
• Bronze Holds no Weakness [Chi Concentration]
  Your iron shirt kung fu has no weaknesses, deflecting superior attacks
  Encounter * Martial
  Immediate interrupt      Personal
  Trigger: you are struck with a critical hit
  Effect: the hit becomes a normal strike

Role: Leader
Power Source: Martial
Key abilities: Strength, Intelligence, Charisma
Armour Proficiencies: Cloth, Leather, Hide, Chain, Light shield
Weapon Proficiencies: Simple melee, military melee, simple ranged
Bonus to defence: +1 to Fortitude, +1 to Will

HP at first level: 12 + Constitution modifier
HP per level gained: 5
Healing surges per day: 7 + Constitution modifier

Trained skills: Choose four trained skills from the following list: Athletics, Diplomacy, Endurance, Heal, History, Insight, Intimidate.

Class features: Kung fu, Commanding Presence (inspiring or tactical only), Inspiring word, Iron Shirt, Unarmed combat

Class feature details:

Identical to the Warlord in the Player’s Handbook other than the loss of the Combat Leader class feature.

Kung Fu

The kung fu class feature grants the following abilities:

• Choose a kung fu style
• The Concentrate Chi feature, which allows a chi power to be used twice per encounter. These chi powers must be chosen from the powers known by the character. A kung fu style and class grant chi powers for use with this feature.
• Choose two core abilities of that style. These are based on the way each style uses Chi, and differ for many styles. They are listed as core abilities in the style description. One of these abilities may be a chi power for use with Concentrate Chi.
• As a character advances in level their specific kung fu style will grant them new chi powers.
• A kung fu style may provide encounter and daily powers that do not require the use of the Concentrate Chi feature. These may be swapped for normal class powers if desired. They may also be swapped when a character retrains.

Iron Shirt

The Warlord learns several styles of iron shirt training. This allows them to withstand punishment through physical conditioning, but more importantly by focusing their chi when struck. This prevents attacks from causing damage and acts like armour. These armour types may be enchanted, and require a minor action to turn on. There may be penalties applied to skill checks and movement speed when using iron shirt. This is caused by the amount of concentration required to maintain this defence.

All armour types are trained at first level. The types of iron shirt training available to the Warlord are:

Superficial: +2 AC
Light: +3 AC, -1 check
Unarmed combat

The Warlord is trained extensively in hand to hand combat as well as weapons. Their hands and feet are deadly weapons. They have honed these skills until they are the equivalent of a weapon, and may have multiple kung fu weapons. Each ‘weapon’ style may be enchanted like a normal weapon. Changing weapon requires a minor action.

All weapon types are trained at first level. The types of unarmed kung fu weapon available to the Warlord are:

Fast: 1d8 damage, +3 proficiency bonus
Crushing: 1d8 damage, +2 proficiency bonus, high crit

Powers

All Warlord powers