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Hee-yo!:
Shouts and other uses of Ki.
By: Paul W. Will
In my AD&D campaign, recently augmentded by the ORIENTAL
ADVENTURES BOOK (OAB), I have begun to hear a growing
diatribe regarding what the players insists is and
oriental-occidental character imbalance. The heart of their
greivances seems to be the Ki (or Chi) based abilities of the
oriental character classes.
These abilities manifest themselves in a variety of
ways, some of which I (and my player group) find near inhuman
in scope. Such as the Sohei's Berzerk which does not simply
give benefit of either an additional attack per round OR a +1
to hit on all normal attacks (as does any Berzerker from the
Monster Manual). INstead the berzerkergang grants the sohei:
one additional attack per round, +1 AC bonus, +3" movement
rate, +1 to hit, +1 on damage, and the ability to deflect
normal missiles...all of these for one turn each day! This,
complains my player group, is not only borderline on
unbelievable, but also highly unbalancing to the game in
favor of the oriental character.
Granted the oriental lifestyles, beliefs, and legendaria
are radically different from those of the westen nam, but
when dealing with both oriental and occidental cultures
whithin one game it is important to avoid alienating the fans
of either group.
In an attempt to unigy my own campaign, whilst
acknowledging the importance of such purely eastern
beliefs/skills as Ki, I developed the system presented in
this article. To arrive at this system I disected and
delineated all of the powers set forth in the OAB, and added
those whid I had become aware of through several years of
study of oriental cultures.
The rood of my system is in the accumulation of Ki
points. Every oriental characer starts out at first level
with one Ki point (modified as will be shown later). The
character will gaain one additional Ki point for each of
his/her levels of experience upon gaining each new level (ie.
a first level samurai has one Ki point, upon gaining second
level he adds two more points to this; totalling three
points...once he attains third level he adds three more
points to the score to a total of six points).
The number of points gained by an oriental character is
varied based on the score of his/her prime requisite, or the
character's wisdom is the characer's class has no prime
requisite. This modifacation is illustrated in the tavel
below.
Prime Requisite Ki Point
or Wisdom Modifier
8- ........................... -3
9-12 ......................... -2
13-15 ........................ -1
16-17 ........................ 0
18-19 ........................ +1
20+ .......................... +2
In the previous example it the samurai had a wisdom (the
samurai class has no prime requisite) of 12 the modifier
would be -2, so, at first level he would have 1 + (-2) = -1
Ki points. At second level the two points he would normally
get are effectively negated by the -2 penalty, and his Ki
points (-1 + 2 + (-2) = -1) would remain at negative one.
At third level he would gain one Ki point (-1 + 3 + (-2) = 0)
nominally, which would bring him to zero Ki. Upon gaining
fourth level he would add two more points ( 0 + 4 + (-2) = 2)
to a total of two Ki points. Fifth level would make his Ki
total (2 + 5 + (-2) = 5) five.
Each time a character makes use of a Ki power, it will
cost the character a numver of Ki points equal to his/her
level (use the greater level if multi-classed).
The chart following this paragraph shows in columns from
left to right; the character's level, the total unmodified Ki
points possible, the minimum and maximum points that a human
character might have at these levels, and the number of uses
that the character may put his/her Ki to each day if he/she
had the minimum/normal/maximum Ki points for these levels
(these last figures are derived from dividing the Ki points
by the character's Ki points by his/her level...rounded
down).
Level Normal Min/Max Uses/day
points points
1 +1 -2/+2 0/1/2
2 +3 -3/+5 0/1/2
3 +6 -3/+9 0/2/3
4 +10 -2/+14 0/2/3
5 +15 0/+20 0/3/4
6 +21 +3/+27 0/3/4
7 +28 +7/+35 1/4/5
8 +36 +12/+44 1/4/5
9 +45 +18/+54 2/5/6
10 +55 +25/+65 2/5/6
11 +66 +33/+77 3/6/7
12 +78 +42/+90 3/6/7
13 +91 +52/+104 4/7/8
14 +105 +63/+119 4/7/8
15 +120 +75/+135 5/8/9
16 +136 +88/+152 5/8/9
17 +153 +102/+170 6/9/10
18 +171 +117/+189 6/9/10
19 +190 +133/+209 7/10/11
20 +210 +150/+230 7/10/11
21 +231 +168/+252 8/11/12
22 +253 +187/+285 8/11/12
23 +276 +207/+299 9/12/13
24 +300 +228/+324 9/12/13
25 +325 +250/+350 10/13/14
Finally I redefined most of the Ki in such a way as to
vary the duration and effects by level. Each of the
descriptions area followed by a list of teh oriental classes
that can use the particular Ki power.
Battle Cure Duration: 5 rounds +1 round/level
Battle Cure allows the user to temporarilly ignore one hir
point of damage for each level of experience that the user
possesses. When the duration is up the user loses the
temporary hit points. The barrle cure is usable by Sohei and
Samurai only.
Battle Strike Duration: 5 rounds +1 round/level
This Ki power allows the character a +1 on damage rolls for
every three levels of experience. Usable by Bushi, Kensai,
Ninja, Samurai, and Sohei.
Lightning Strike Duration: 2 rounds +1 round/level
A +1 is gained on initiative for each five levels of
experience. Used by Ninja, Sohei, Wu-jen, and Yakuza.
Protection from Evil/Good Duration: 5 rounds +1 round/level
As per the clerical spell of the same name. Usable by any
Oriental character class.
Spell Protection Duration: 1 round +1 round/level
Grants the user a +1 on all magic saves foer each four levels
of experience. Usable by Sukenja and Sohei.
Spirit Armor Duration: 5 rounds +1 round/level
Allows the user a one place bonus on AC for each four levels
of experience. Used bby Bushi, NInja, Wohei, and Yakuza.
Strength Duration: 5 rounds +1 round/level
As per the Magic-user spell of the same name. Bushi, Kensai,
and Samurai may use this power.
Weapon Spirit Duration: one strike per level
This power allows a +1 to hit per four levels of experience.
Bushi, Kensai, Ninja, Samurai, and Sohei may use this
power.
Wind Foot Duration: 4 rounds/level
Wind Foor allows the character to add 2" + 1"/three levels to
lhis/her movement rate. This movement bonus may be used in
any mode including swimming, moving silently, and climbing.
It is usable by Ninja, Sohei, and Yakuza.
To make use of any of these avilities the character must
spend 5 segments (30 seconds) meditating for each of the
powers he/she intends to use. The powers do not maifest
themselves until the meditations are ended, so if a character
wished to make use of three of his powers simultaniously he
would meditate for one and one-half rounds (15 segments) and
all of the powers would begin their effects at the end of
that time.
This set of rules sill serve to vary Ki strength,
powers, effects, and uses per day, from character to
character, and class to class. It hws worked well in my own
campaign, and I hopw you enjoy it in yours.