Author Topic: DBZ in 5e  (Read 4420 times)

Offline Gnomes2169

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DBZ in 5e
« on: May 19, 2015, 05:17:10 AM »
Because why not make it for fun? As a warning, this will be entirely silly and likely more than a little broken in a few places, so feedback might be a bit nice just to balance stuff out a bit.

Now then, DBZ has a few major things that 5e can model by default, but will require quite a bit of homebrewing/ houseruling to properly model. Other things (like the famous beam battles) will absolutely require the creation of new systems, and a few races likely need a bit of homebrew. So let's get started!

Martial arts

-Unarmed strikes deal a base 1d4+str or dex damage, and characters are proficient with them. Classes like the monk treat their unarmed strikes as if they were one die size higher (capping out at 1d12 damage for a high-level monk)
-Wizards, sorcs, bards, druids and clerics aren't really a thing in DBZ. Warlocks can be seen in the case of Babbadi, but they still aren't all too common. Keep this in mind when your party is making thier characters, since all characters in the series are good at some variation of "I CAST FIST."
-Martial and half caster classes can typically be worked with fluff wise; Paladins channel their ki to reinforce/ heal others and empower their strikes (smites, spells and lay on hands). Barbarians are the tank. Fighters are like Trunks, who combine their martial arts with weapon skill. Rogues are the stabby, stabby hidden soldiers and skilled scientists (what else do they need expertise for?). Rangers focus more on ki blasts that they channel through weapons (ranger spells/ hunter archetype). Monks are literally the most common DBZ class.

In character flight

-Every single character in DBZ flies with the assistance of ki. So, as a bit of necessity, everyone gains a flight speed of 40' and can hover with it. However, unlike most hovering, and effect that trips and knocks a character prone will cause them to fall towards the ground (at a rate of 200'/ round). Certain races fly faster (as noted in their stat block), and at levels 5, 10, 15 and 20 characters increase their flight speed by 10'.
-Freaking rocket ships. That is all.

Ki blasts, beam battles and special ki attacks

(click to show/hide)

DBZ races

(click to show/hide)
« Last Edit: May 21, 2015, 05:53:15 AM by Gnomes2169 »
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Offline sambojin

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Re: DBZ in 5e
« Reply #1 on: May 19, 2015, 05:21:00 PM »
Looks good.

Are monk ki points added to power points? It gives a huge reason to stay unweaponed and unarmoured, as well as not just trying to squeak in magic somehow.

Feats could be changed around a bit to reflect this too. Assuming feats are allowed at all.

Might also want to mod fists into being a finesse weapon, so rogues don't always keep a dagger/sword/rapier on them. It just didn't happen much in the show, where-as sneak attacks were pretty common with fists (and ki blasts, but that's too hard to balance).

Why only eldritch blast? I'd give the option of any one damaging cantrip instead. It allows for way more character archetypes on just that basic attack. Slowers, mind screwers, pyros, holy men as well as ki chuckers. A bit of rock/paper/scissors on saves/AC/effect makes some races stand out nicely too. It's just that in DbzDnD all the cantrips "look" like varying sizes of ki blasts, possibly with different colours though.

Another little thought. Turbo flurry exchanges. When one character begins a flurry of blows against an enemy, the enemy can use their own flurry (for their turn) to counteract it. This just drops the attack to a normal attack. Mini-melee-beam-battles, sort of.

Damn it's hard to balance dbz in d&d. But we'll get there :)
« Last Edit: May 19, 2015, 05:47:57 PM by sambojin »

Offline Gnomes2169

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Re: DBZ in 5e
« Reply #2 on: May 21, 2015, 05:32:31 AM »
Looks good.

Are monk ki points added to power points? It gives a huge reason to stay unweaponed and unarmoured, as well as not just trying to squeak in magic somehow.

No, ki and power points are kept separate, because otherwise there really wouldn't be a point to playing a martial class other than monk. Though MC isn't really the best option here, especially as a full caster, given there is a different rate of power points between the two classes (until level 20, a full caster will have 3 power points, and will start with 0. A monk will start with 1, and increase from 9 at level 18 to 10 at level 19).

Feats could be changed around a bit to reflect this too. Assuming feats are allowed at all.

Hmmmm... that might actually be a good way of adding in "sensing" power levels. Maybe a feat called Power manipulator, which requires 3 power points (making it far more likely that a monk/ fighter/ barb/ rogue will have it than any other class), and grants some capabilities and the ability to detect power levels?

Might also want to mod fists into being a finesse weapon, so rogues don't always keep a dagger/sword/rapier on them. It just didn't happen much in the show, where-as sneak attacks were pretty common with fists (and ki blasts, but that's too hard to balance).

Hmmm... that feels like it's cutting too much into the monk's domain. I'm already giving everyone tavern brawler basically for free, if a character wants finess fists (that deal more damage and that they can flurry) they can splash a few levels of monk.

Why only eldritch blast? I'd give the option of any one damaging cantrip instead. It allows for way more character archetypes on just that basic attack. Slowers, mind screwers, pyros, holy men as well as ki chuckers. A bit of rock/paper/scissors on saves/AC/effect makes some races stand out nicely too. It's just that in DbzDnD all the cantrips "look" like varying sizes of ki blasts, possibly with different colours though.

I was thinking of just keeping it eldritch blast just to make things simpler, and because it fires multiple beams eventually, but that is a pretty good point. I suppose allowing a character to choose a cantrip that deals damage would work, with attack rolls/ saving throws scaling off of the stat mod of the character's choice. It will also change a bit on the frieze race (from only modding eldrich blast, to modifying the specified cantrip used for the character's techniques).

Another little thought. Turbo flurry exchanges. When one character begins a flurry of blows against an enemy, the enemy can use their own flurry (for their turn) to counteract it. This just drops the attack to a normal attack. Mini-melee-beam-battles, sort of.

Nooooooo, not another subsysteeeeeeeeeem... You go ahead and write the rough draft, okay?

:sofa

Damn it's hard to balance dbz in d&d. But we'll get there :)

One can only hope so!

Edit: Also, we have androids now. I forgot them before.
« Last Edit: May 21, 2015, 05:53:41 AM by Gnomes2169 »
Erry day I'm derpening