Author Topic: Hermit base class + Tao Disciplines: The Tao Unleashed!  (Read 36834 times)

Offline Anomander

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Hermit base class + Tao Disciplines: The Tao Unleashed!
« on: September 20, 2012, 06:01:15 AM »
Hermit



"If you're looking to become a little better as a human, I might be able to give you a little advice. - Kasen Ibaraki, Xian Hermit

Hermits, also known as Cloistered Mystical Taoist Pious Mountain Wizards, are beings who closely follow the Way; the Tao.
Often seeking to live as long as Heaven and Earth, they are individualists seeking to become no one and unite other such opposites into a greater harmony.
They believe that the universe works perfectly according to its own Way and that by following the flow of its forces instead of interfering with them they may become one with the world and transcend to a higher state of being - and achieve immortality.
Following the Path is similar to swimming in the current’s direction instead of swimming against it. They diminish their ego to gain greater harmony and become an extension of the will of the universe itself.

Hermits rarely seek to kill others, fighting to learn and to teach. Even when they wage violence, they usually do so with an attitude of compassion, moderation and humility.
Sometimes they help their community with exorcisms and the extermination of creatures bent on disharmony or born from it, such as most undead creatures, most devils and demons and other abominations, but as all things have their place in the world, peaceful resolutions are preferred.

They are beacons of hope and peace for many; sages so wise they bless the earth they walk and inspire with their spiritual guidance, elevating their allies to new heights.

There are as many kinds of hermits as there are people. Most become disciples only for the promise of immortality, but as the Way requires an empty heart (which does not mean being heartless, on the contrary) and being free of the desire to become immortal, few makes it all the way and reach enlightenment.

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MAKING AN HERMIT
"The Way is empty, yet inexhaustible, like an abyss!"
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CLASS INFORMATION
"I do not know its name. I call it the Way. For the lack of better words I call it great."
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HERMIT FEATS
"Those who defeat others are strong, those who defeat themselves are mighty."
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Ex-Hermits
"If I have just an ounce of sense, I follow the great Way, and fear only to stray from it."

Like a member of any other class, an Hermit may be a multiclass character, but multiclass Hermits face a special restriction. A Hermit who gains a new class or (if already multiclassed) raises another class by a level may never again raise his Hermit level, though he retains all his Hermit abilities except Sheltered Soul. The Way requires dedication to get anywhere.

However, because they share similar goals and similar means to achieve them, they may freely multiclass with the Monk class and any other classes that freely multiclasses with Monk. Classes progressing the Hermit's race may also be freely progressed. Once an Hermit has acquired The Transformation of Things, her may multiclass freely.

Variant
PS: Also, there may be rather large odds that an Ex-Hermit will be confronted and/or hunted down by a powerful devil, demon or other horrible monstrosity at least once a year if only because becoming a Hermit turned them into a delicacy to such creatures and they no longer have the will of the universe to protect them from drawing their attention.
An Hermit that has acquired The Transformation of Things capstone may multiclass freely without fear of attracting these creatures.
« Last Edit: June 06, 2016, 02:41:07 AM by Anomander »

Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Tao Disciplines: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #1 on: September 20, 2012, 06:19:55 AM »
TAO DISCIPLINES


"My Taoist techniques hath awakened from a slumber of one thousand years,
fused with the futuristic essence of the modern day, and hath been quite literally reborn!"
- Mononobe no Futo, shikaisen hermit


Tao disciplines: How do they work?
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Similarly, while in Trance Mode the adepts fully interact with incorporeal and corporeal things as if there were no distinction between the two and they may interact with the adepts without incorporeal/corporeal limitations as well. Incorporeal objects taken remain incorporeal and corporeal objects taken remain corporeal. 

True Administrator Key Skill: Listen.

The Tao martial disciplines focus on the adept’s sensibility to the sounds of the hearts and soul. Not only to the soul of living beings, but the soul of the entire universe. While the disciplines rely on listen skill checks, it isn't dependent on the ability to hear. As such, unless a maneuver clearly states that it requires a target to be heard, it is unaffected by deafness and other penalties and bonuses to listen skill checks for the purpose of hearing only.
One must be in-tune with the world so harmony can be within one's self before one’s harmony can be the world’s.

Desire Drive Key Skill: Perform (Ritual).

There are many ways for one to make his desires known by the universe so that it may answer its calls. Many of such appeals can be called 'rituals'. By putting up a good performance using symbolism and all kinds of similar connections, the adept links itself, the world and its own desires and binds them together to give their union a form.
The better the ritual, the greater the Tao.

Favored Weapons (both): Club, short sword, long sword, bows (all types), warfan, unarmed strike.

New Item
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New Feats
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Discipline Info
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« Last Edit: May 01, 2016, 02:49:31 AM by Anomander »

Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #2 on: September 20, 2012, 06:26:30 AM »
True Administrator - Maneuver explanations (1st-5th level)

Unless otherwise noted, every True Administrator maneuver are supernatural abilities that have a 50% chance of affecting incorporeal/ethereal targets.

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« Last Edit: May 01, 2016, 02:31:15 AM by Anomander »

Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #3 on: September 20, 2012, 06:27:18 AM »
True Administrator - Maneuvers explanations (6th-9th level)

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Desire Drive WIP - Maneuvers explanations (1st-5th level)

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« Last Edit: March 15, 2015, 11:16:21 PM by Anomander »

Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #4 on: September 20, 2012, 06:45:19 AM »
Corrections and Updates
Latest update in red.

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« Last Edit: December 07, 2014, 08:55:46 AM by Anomander »

Offline Prime32

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #5 on: September 20, 2012, 08:17:56 AM »
Reserved Post for possible additional stuff, used as commentary for the moment.
---

Alright!!

After so long, I finally finished the bigger share of making this stuff presentable.
Much of the what is offered was built on stuff I read along the process of figuring out what the crew from Ten Desires were all about, trying to be as faithful to their origins and source material as I could.
Musashi Miyamoto was a Buddhist, not a Taoist. That "How to be a good Taoist" list even references Buddha twice. :huh

Quote
I still have to finish a sub martial discipline called Heavenly Bhavagra based on Tenchi's spellcards that would consist of about 1 maneuver per maneuver level from 5 to 9 or 10 or something like that. This mostly being a result of finding out about a day ago that her species were Super Hermits and that now I had to fit that in somehow.
None of Tenshi's spellcards have anything to do with her nature as a celestial - they come from her Hinanawi bloodline or the Sword of Hisou. And Tenshi was never a hermit, she just gained a template which hermits can also gain. (note that right now in Touhou, hermits who qualify are being denied promotion because Heaven is full of hipsters)

Xian is a rank below celestial (which seem similar to deathless in concept); Kasen definitely hasn't maxed out her xian-ness yet, since she still needs to eat.

Shikaisen are similar to non-undead liches - they choose a focus object, enter a death-like state, and then the object transforms into their new body (which can be different in appearance) while their corpse transforms into a replica of the object. They die if the object is destroyed. This seems like it should be a feat rather than a class feature (with the option to trade it out if a class feature obsoletes it), since it's more of a stopgap measure while you research proper hermitdom.

Animating undead has less to do with being a hermit, and more to do with Seiga being an evil spellcaster.



Just giving the class Craft (alchemy) does not allow it to use it. Every class gets all Craft skills; the requirement is based on spellcasting ability. Maneuvers are not magical or based on knowledge of magic, so making their abilities maneuvers means they can't use alchemy or create magic items. For the classes in this board to qualify for that, they'd have to use mechanics similar to the arcane swordsage and note that their maneuver list consists of or includes spells which can be used as maneuvers (in the latter case, clearly labelling which ones).
« Last Edit: September 20, 2012, 08:24:23 AM by Prime32 »

Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #6 on: September 20, 2012, 09:29:21 AM »
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« Last Edit: September 20, 2012, 09:42:45 AM by Anomander »

Offline Prime32

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #7 on: September 20, 2012, 11:29:47 AM »
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Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #8 on: September 20, 2012, 12:45:12 PM »
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« Last Edit: September 20, 2012, 12:47:01 PM by Anomander »

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #9 on: September 22, 2012, 08:07:59 AM »
Ok, before anything else, how in Makai do you enter in trance mode? It's a central part of pretty much everything, yet no condition/action is listed anywhere I see to actually enter it. Or is it a non-action unless noted otherwise on the maneuver itself?

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And that's the levels 1-3 stuff, need to go grab a bite now and then I'll take a look at the others. Overall the stuff seems cool and original, but many effects seem ot be arriving earlier than anybody else could get them and then you throw in simply sick utility as well (big hermit is watching/listening to you).



Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #10 on: September 22, 2012, 02:21:32 PM »
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Offline oslecamo

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #11 on: September 22, 2012, 05:09:37 PM »
Rest of the maneuvers
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And now back to the 1-3 ones.

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Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #12 on: September 25, 2012, 05:38:44 AM »
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« Last Edit: September 25, 2012, 05:43:42 AM by Anomander »

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #13 on: September 29, 2012, 11:02:48 AM »
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Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #14 on: September 29, 2012, 11:39:01 PM »
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« Last Edit: September 29, 2012, 11:41:12 PM by Anomander »

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #15 on: October 02, 2012, 05:13:08 PM »
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Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #16 on: October 02, 2012, 08:48:00 PM »
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« Last Edit: October 03, 2012, 01:27:07 PM by Anomander »

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #17 on: October 12, 2012, 01:58:23 PM »
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Offline Anomander

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #18 on: October 12, 2012, 05:30:16 PM »
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« Last Edit: October 12, 2012, 06:35:40 PM by Anomander »

Offline oslecamo

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Re: Hermit base class + Desire Drive: The Tao Unleashed!
« Reply #19 on: October 13, 2012, 07:17:35 PM »
1d4 rounds on a sucessful save sounds a lot better, even with the charisma drain or something like that, and turn undead against undeads also seems like a good idea.

However before you start thinking of a Forbidden school for this let me at least take a look at the class. Some first impressions:
-The recovery method is just too cheap, since its cost is zero as your main school already makes you want to re-enter stances all the time. There's not even a randomness factor like the crusader or eternal royal.

-Trance is already a very powerful mechanic even when limited to the school's maneuvers and at a lot of points it was stretching what I consider admissible. Yet the base class itself now goes and gives you even more bonus for spamming trance effects and that's where I draw the line. Base classes shouldn't even be directly benefiting schools mechanics unless it's something completely specialized like the Frostwind Virago or Nuclear Dragon.
-A One-Track Paradise completely nullifies one of the very few limitations of the school just like that?
-Cheap turn undeads for swift actions(which were even keyed to your main stat)? No. Just no. In particular when it's even more abuseable when you want to enter stances all the time.
-You shouldn't make class abilities based on a discipline that wasn't yet designed.
-Ok, just how many auras are you suposed to have on top of 6+int skill points, all good saves, and a school that's overflowing with group buffs already? There's whole classes out there just based on auras, and this one grants multiples of them on top of an already pretty powerful main chassis.