Dungeon Brew

When playing 3.5 DnD, or even the new Pathfinder, sometimes a critical hit just doesn't feel that...well, critical. Doing x2 damage is all well and good, but sometimes you want to eviscerate your foe, causing him to bleed to death, or smack him so silly he's seeing stars for a few rounds. By the same token, missing on a 1, while annoying, just isn't very descriptive. So you critical fumbled, how did you do it?

Well, thanks to Paizo's Critical Hit and Critical Fumble Decks you get a little more out of your Critical die rolls. The premise of both cards is that when you roll a 1 (for the Critical Fumble Deck), or confirm a critical threat (for the Critical Hit deck) you draw a card from the deck, compare it to what kind of attack you made (magical, natural, slashing, ranged) and that card tells you what action your critical took. Things from an extra attack roll all the way to decapitation (for the Critical Deck) or dropping your weapon to hitting yourself with your own spell (for the Critical Fumble Deck).

The Good
Besides helping busy DMs with go-to descriptions for Critical hits and fumbles, the cards keep the game lively. I use them myself and my players are always excited about a critical hit, calling for a draw from the deck almost before the threat has been confirmed. By the same token, it helps lessen the effect of a critical fumble. Sure, you are making a failure more than just an automatic miss, but from my experience the players don't mind rolling a 1 quite so much now that it comes with an interesting explanation.

The Evil
This system isn't entirely balanced. One of the critical hit cards, as mentioned above is decapitation. That is a pretty powerful thing, even when its as rare as a 1 in 52 chance already tacked on to less than 5%. A critical already has the chance to obliterate a well crafted plan by destroying NPCs and villains who were meant to live longer, adding in an additional chance for them to perish increases this problem. The other issue is that the two decks are meant to work together. You don't have to of course, you could easily use the critical hit deck or fumble decks by themselves. Keep in mind though, that in 3.5 D&D, not every monster is capable of receiving a critical hit, if you run a campaign where the players fight a lot of undead, constructs or other creatures immune to critical hits the fumble deck becomes a much more serious issue as it isn't balanced by the benefits of the critical deck.

Bang For Your Buck
Each deck costs 9ドル.99, and for that you receive 52 cards with 4 different outcomes on each one, each outcome pertaining to a different type of attack. You also receive rules with advice for how to balance the cards for use in your campaign, and some new mechanics for your game that enhance the rules presented.

The Final Verdict
I endorse these products wholeheartedly, I've been using them in my games for around a year now and they definitely keep things both interesting and fun. They are cheap, they are are well made, and they make combat a little more complex. If that's not what you want, I can see you not getting them, but if you want to make your fights a place where a man can lose some fingers, or a fighter's sword could go flying out of his grasp during a dangerous maneuver, these cards will help you make it happen.

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Paizo announced today a schedule that will allow all you faithful Pathfinder players out there a chance to try out and give feedback on the forthcoming Advanced Player's Guide classes. They will be releasing two classes at a time starting with the Cavalier and Oracle classes in only four days. They are even making rules to use these new beta classes in their awesome organized play venture Pathfinder Society.

To check out the official announcement (and here the news from the horses mouth) please stop by their blog.

Of course Dungeon Brew will be taking apart each of these classes and letting you wonderful members of the Gamer Nation know exactly what the they have to offer.

When perusing your Pathfinder Core Book for feats there may be something you notice is missing:

Class Feats

That's right, for the most part the book is devoid of feats that alter, enhance, or play off of Class Features. Back when WotC supported 3.5 some of my favorite books were the Complete series. So I was a little sad that the book didn't have any neat little feats I could take that would make me say...a more unique cleric.

Enter LPJ Design's new line of products Undeafetable, short 2-4 page pdfs chock full of interesting and for the most part out of the box balanced feats for your class. Each product contains a plethora of feats for a single core class.

The Good
Most of the feats are balanced nicely, and add extra utility to a classes' defining features rather than replacing them or adding their own. The layout is simple and friendly, with feats laid out alphabetically on two collumn rows, and the black typeset is easily readable against the white background, which I find to be extremely important in pdf products.

The Evil
Remember what I said I said earlier about these feats enhancing abilities classes already have? Well, not all of them follow the formula. For instance there is a cleric feat that tramples over the schtick of the barbarian, allowing a cleric to rage. As if rekindling the 3.5 cleric's ability to steal the spotlight away from other classes wasn't enough, the ability isn't written in a concise manner, and raises some issues about how often you can use it.

Bang For Your Buck
Most of the Undeafetables are .99 cents, with three of them (for no known reason) being 1ドル.25. However, if you get the bundles, you can get six beautiful pdfs for 5,ドル a great deal considering that each pdf contains about 20 feats. These feats run the gamut, and you will find use in them no matter what level you play at.

The Final Verdict
All in all, I am very pleased with the product. I am looking forward to the rest of them. If they do well enough, I'm hoping they will do a series of racial feats. So cross your fingers and show your support for this great line of products.

I run a bi-weekly game here for my local group using Monte Cook's Dungeon-a-Day campaign. Now that Pathfinder is out (and it has made a significant attempt at stopping the 10-minute adventuring day) I've decided to switch on over to that from 3.5 edition D&D. This would be a seamless transition, especially since Jason Bulhman himself has been doing conversions over at the Dungeon-a-Day blog, but of course I have a snag.

One of my players has himself a Samurai. Hiro is an important part of the group, and an interesting part of the game. Sadly the Fighter and other Pathfinder classes just don't have the right flavor for Hiro. I'm sure the guys over at Paizo will get around to doing an oriental adventure supplement, but for now I have a passion to play Pathfinder and a player who has a passion for his blade wielding knight from the eastern lands.

To that end I've rebuilt the Samurai for use with the Pathfinder ruleset.

Samurai

In the east great warriors rise up, dedicated to justice and honor these courageous warriors serve their culture as knights and lords. Masters of the katana, the symbol of their office, samurai refine the act of taking lives into a beautiful art. Able to excert enough force to strike foes at distance and sever an opponent in two with a single swipe of their magnificient blades the samurai strikes fear into the hearts of their opponents. In their homeland the samurai is an unbeatable force, striking a powerful blow for order.

Role: Samurai are powerful melee combatants. Able to call upon their powerful resolve to see themselves through the most deadly of battles the samurai serves her allies as heavily armored warrior so skilled with the blade that they often defeat a foe before that enemy ever has a chance to strike back.

Class Skills
The samurai's class skills are Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Intimidate (Cha), Knowledge (history) (Int), Knowledge (nobility) (Int), Perception (Wis), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis).
Skill Ranks per level: 2 + Int modifier






Class Features:
All of the following are class features for the samurai.

Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Samurai are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), but not with shields.

Sword of Office (Ex):
Samurai have a symbol of office known as the odachi (masterwork greatsword). Samurai receive an heirloom odachi at 1st level. Because samurai train extensively with the blade, they receive Weapon Focus (Odachi) as a bonus feat.

Kiai Shout (Ex):
Once per day a samurai can give a great cry that bolsters his resolve. When the samurai shouts (a swift action) he can add his charisma bonus (minimum 1) to his attack and damage rolls against his foes.

In addition, while kiai shout is in effect, the samurai gains a bonus to his Fortitude and Will saves equal to his Charisma modifier (if any).

The kiai shout ability remains in effect for a number of rounds equal to the amount of levels the character has in the samurai class. At 4th level, and every three levels thereafter, the samurai may make one additional kiai shout per day (to a maximum of seven at 19th level).

Battojutsu Savant (Ex):
At 2nd level the samurai has learned the art of the draw, gaining Quick Draw as a bonus feat, but only when he draws the odachi.

Art of the Draw (Ex):
At 3rd level and every level thereafter, when a samurai begins combat with his odachi sheathed he gains the benefit of the Improved Initiative feat.

Menace(Ex):
At 4th level a samurai's mere presence is enough to cause opponents to falter. A samurai gains a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks made to demoralize an opponent. At 8th level and every four levels thereafter this bonus increase by +2 (to a maximum of +10 at 20th level).

Bonus Feats: At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter the samurai gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. These bonus feats must be chosen from the following list:

Blinding Critical, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Critical Mastery, Deafening Critical, Double Slice, Exhausting Critical, Great Cleave, Improved Critical, Intimidating Prowess, Lunge, Power Attack, Sickening Critical, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Tiring Critical.

Deadly Draw (Ex):
At 6th level the Samurai is able to produce an incredible amount of force with a single cut, gaining the Vital Strike feat for free even if he does not meet the prerequisites, but only when wielding the odachi.

Mass Menace (Ex):
At 9th level the samurai has cultivated such prowess and fame that his presence can make even large groups of enemies falter in his presence. As a standard action the samurai can use intimidate to demoralize all opponents within 30ft.

Lethal Draw (Ex):
At 11th level the samurai learns to focus his chi along his blade. While wielding the odachi the samurai is treated as having Improved Vital Strike even if he does not ordinarily qualify for the feat.

Ki Shockwave (Su):
At 14th level, while under the effects of the kiai shout and not fatigued a samurai may swing his blade with such force that he can attack enemies far outside of his reach. The samurai may send a shockwave (a standard action) through the air towards an opponent who must be within 20ft. This attack deals 1d6 damage per half your samurai level. The enemy receives a reflex save for half damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your samurai level + your Charisma modifier. Using this ability ends the effect of a kiai shout after which the samurai is fatigued for a number of rounds equal to his half his class level.

Fatal Draw (Ex):
At 17th level the samurai can exert a superhuman amount of force behind his attacks. While wielding the odachi the samurai gains the Greater Vital Strike feat even if he normally does not meet the prerequisites.

Alternative Samurai Abilities

To play a samurai more akin to the 3.5 version use the table and class features below:





Weapon and Armor Proficiency:
Samurai are proficient with all simple and martial weapons, and with all types of armor (heavy, medium, and light), but not with shields.

Daisho Proficiency (Ex):
Samurai have a symbol of office known as the daisho. A daisho is a set of two swords, the katana (a masterwork bastard sword) and the wakizashi (a masterwork short sword). Samurai receive an heirloom set of daisho, at first level. Because a samurai is trained in their use, he gains Exotic Weapon Proficiency (bastard sword) as a bonus feat.

Kiai Shout (Ex):
Once per day a samurai can give a great cry that bolsters his resolve. When the samurai shouts (a swift action) he can add his charisma bonus (minimum 1) to his attack and damage rolls against his foes.

In addition, while kiai shout is in effect, the samurai gains a bonus to his Fortitude and Will saves equal to his Charisma modifier (if any).

The kiai shout ability remains in effect for a number of rounds equal to the amount of levels the character has in the samurai class. At 4th level, and every three levels thereafter, the samurai may make one additional kiai shout per day (to a maximum of seven at 19th level).

Two as One (Ex):
At 2nd level the samurai has gained such skill with his daisho that when wielding only a katana and a wakizashi he is treated as having the Two-weapon Fighting feat (even if he doesn't meet the prerequisites).

Iajutsu Savant (Ex):
At 3rd level the samurai has learned the art of the draw, gaining Quick Draw as a bonus feat, but only when he draws the katana or wakizashi.

Menace(Ex):
At 4th level a samurai's mere presence is enough to cause opponents to falter. A samurai gains a +2 bonus on Intimidate checks made to demoralize an opponent. At 8th level and every four levels thereafter this bonus increase by +2 (to a maximum of +10 at 20th level).

Bonus Feats: At 5th level, and every five levels thereafter the samurai gains a bonus feat in addition to those gained from normal advancement. These bonus feats must be chosen from the following list:

Blinding Critical, Cleave, Combat Expertise, Combat Reflexes, Critical Focus, Critical Mastery, Deafening Critical, Double Slice, Exhausting Critical, Great Cleave, Improved Critical, Intimidating Prowess, Lunge, Power Attack, Sickening Critical, Staggering Critical, Stunning Critical, Tiring Critical.

Two-swords Adept (Ex):
At 6th level the samurai's mastery of the wakazashi and katana have increased to the point that he is treated as having Improved Two-Weapon Fighting even if he doesn't have the prerequisites. He must be wielding both a katana and wakizashi for this ability to function.

Mass Menace (Ex):
At 9th level the samurai has cultivated such prowess and fame that his presence can make even large groups of enemies falter in his presence. As a standard action the samurai can use intimidate to demoralize all opponents within 30ft.

Two-swords Sensei (Ex):
At 11th level the samurai's daisho are a natural extension of his soul. While wielding a katana and wakizashi the samurai is treated as having Greater Two-Weapon Fighting even if he normally does not meet the prerequisites.

Ki Shockwave (Su):
At 14th level, while under the effects of the kiai shout a samurai may swing his blade with such force that he can attack enemies far outside of his reach. The samurai may send a shockwave (a standard action) through the air towards an opponent who must be within 20ft. This attack deals 1d6 damage per half your samurai level. The enemy receives a reflex save for half damage. The DC of this save is equal to 10 + 1/2 your samurai level + your Charisma modifier. Using this ability ends the effect of a kiai shout after which the samurai is fatigued for a number of rounds equal to his half his class level.

Daisho Kensei (Ex):
At 17th level the samurai has mastered the two-sword school style of martial arts. When using a wakizashi and katana he has no penalties on attack rolls due to wielding two weapons.