Kozakuran Character builds in ALFA2

[NickD]

Ninja - Rogue/Ranger/Fighter with PrC of Assassin and/or Shadow Dancer (PrC of Divine Champion may also be included alongside Assassin or Shadow Dancer).

I would think the fighter aspect would be covered by the ranger class. I think the closest to a RL ninja would be Rogue/Ranger with maybe 1 level of monk thrown in, but probably better just to take an unarmed combat feat. For a more fantasy based class, Rogue/Monk/Assassin or Shadowdancer.

Samurai - Fighter with optional PrC of Weapon Master (no alignment restrictions, despite the b.s. posed in the OA).*

Again, as this is a fantasy based game, I'd say paladin could work, but your suggestion is probably best. I'd go with a Lawful restriction, no matter what they were really like. After all, magicians in real life middle ages couldn't really cast spells and clerics couldn't heal people - I don't think there was much in the way of suggestion that they could, either.

[White Warlock]

Ninja - Rogue/Ranger/Fighter with PrC of Assassin and/or Shadow Dancer (PrC of Divine Champion may also be included alongside Assassin or Shadow Dancer).

I would think the fighter aspect would be covered by the ranger class. I think the closest to a RL ninja would be Rogue/Ranger with maybe 1 level of monk thrown in, but probably better just to take an unarmed combat feat. For a more fantasy based class, Rogue/Monk/Assassin or Shadowdancer.

Well, there really are no RL ninja, nor were there, so the only viable approach would be the fantasy-based. And when you consider the European 'fantasy' world is represented by Faerun, posing these fantasy classes as tricksters is short-changing the Asian 'fantasy' world.

Samurai - Fighter with optional PrC of Weapon Master (no alignment restrictions, despite the b.s. posed in the OA).*

Again, as this is a fantasy based game, I'd say paladin could work, but your suggestion is probably best. I'd go with a Lawful restriction, no matter what they were really like.

Kozakuran Samurai are not lawful by default. Paladin bumps into many problems, not the least of which a Paladin serves a god, not a mortal master. Their code also conflicts with the way of Bushido.

[Audark]

I think I'll just stick to my emo elves that know the entire and complete history of the realms at level 1 thank you

too much discussion here of right and wrong when he's really just looking for suggestions on what would be the best classes to take to RP match various concepts. My opinion: Make a bio with ties to the canon regions where the few kata-tur folk live in faerun, choose the class you'd like to play, and leave the rest to your RP imagination. It's not like your PC has to go down the street announcing he is a samurai, or following bushido, fighter with katana is enough for me there

[White Warlock]

My opinion: Make a bio with ties to the canon regions where the few kata-tur folk live in faerun, choose the class you'd like to play, and leave the rest to your RP imagination. It's not like your PC has to go down the street announcing he is a samurai, or following bushido, fighter with katana is enough for me there

Still, the greater obstacle is the lack of Kozakuran 'accessories' and heads. The NWN2 community will need to provide that, and ALFA would need to include that, before a character concept such as this could achieve any degree of credibility. It may be that by the time such is provided, Kozakuran PrCs will also become available.

There is also a great deal of cultural difference between the scattered remnants of the Tuigan invasion (Mongolian equivalents), the Shou in Thesk (displaced Imperial Chinese), and the Kozakurans in Selgaunt (Pre-Imperial Japan delegation, of sorts).

[Audark]

the man makes a decent point

[White Warlock]

Hehe, just remembered another oddity that would be nice to see included in full-body movement. The Japanese warrior-caste were taught a specific way of running, which allowed them to maintain a firm ready-position throughout their movement and expend less energy. However, it was also slower than the European sprint. The Japanese warrior caste had to unlearn how to run in the mid-late 1800's, when Japan began to Westernize. An example of this, if i recall, was demonstrated in the movie, "The Last Samurai."

This particular movement style, which leaves the upper torso stationary, the hips central, and the legs doing all the work, was also demonstrated in almost every samurai movie, and is clearly evident in "The Seven Samurai." This movement style would effectively remove 'attacks of opportunity,' but would also pose a slower movement rate, possibly 80%. The reason i bring this up is because seeing samurai/ronin/ninja/etc moving in this manner would really add flavor to a Kozakuran or Wa-based character concept. Still, it would require a lot of work that i just don't see the NWN2 community doing.

[Scorpion Ninja]

Well, there really are no RL ninja, nor were there, so the only viable approach would be the fantasy-based. And when you consider the European 'fantasy' world is represented by Faerun, posing these fantasy classes as tricksters is short-changing the Asian 'fantasy' world.

You have obviously never heard of Stephen Hayes.

[White Warlock]

wow, 30 years in the martial arts and you think i never heard of him?

Just to be a butthead, i studied togakure-ryu ninpo, along with a thousand other curious nooblets, when 'ninjutsu' was all the craze. And after studying so many other arts since, i can confidently state it's traditional japanese jujutsu, packaged with a few twists, traditional weapons, and some traditional mojo. But, nobody who studies it is a ninja. They don't exist, period.

btw, did you know there are 24 - 15th dan ranked practitioners (highest rank)? Considering it's only been available for 30 years... that's pretty generous.

[HEEGZ]

Getting back to FR canon... What are some good sourcebooks with info on Kaz or Kara Tur related info that could be used for PC building?

[Nyarlathotep]

In 3E your best bet is probably The Unapproachable East though there is likley stuff scattered around elsewhere. For 2E you'd want to get The Horde and the Kara Tur boxed sets. Also one of the recent Dragon Mags had a big write up on the Tuigan.

[White Warlock]

Well, here are a few links to discussions - http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=249977

Some decent links here - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara-Tur

But if you really want to examine some good PC concepts for Kozakurans, read some of the Legend of the Five Rings books - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Legend_of_ ... aying_Game

Personally, i think LotFR is the best source for what you're aiming for.

[FatboyT]

so, with observation of a lack of visual support to actually pull off a Koza character, I think I am going to abandon the idea for the current time, but I would like to thank everyone for thier input on te topic

[NickD]

Well, there really are no RL ninja, nor were there, so the only viable approach would be the fantasy-based. And when you consider the European 'fantasy' world is represented by Faerun, posing these fantasy classes as tricksters is short-changing the Asian 'fantasy' world.

I'm not sure where this no ninja thing ever existing thing came from. From what I gather, they were groups into spying, espionage and guerilla warfare, so ranger and rogue would fit into those aspects rather nicely.

Kozakuran Samurai are not lawful by default. Paladin bumps into many problems, not the least of which a Paladin serves a god, not a mortal master. Their code also conflicts with the way of Bushido.

Well, the emperor is a god...

[White Warlock]

I'm not sure where this no ninja thing ever existing thing came from.

The 'concept' of a ninja is make-believe. It would be just as inappropriate to call U.S. Recon units, Special Forces, Rangers, Navy Seals, a bunch of ninjas.

Fractured historical records indicate there may have been two clans (families), Koga and Iga, that 'eventually' specialized in espionage, spying, guerilla warfare, and assassinations, and were referred to, en-masse, as shinobi, with a practitioner being referred to as shinobi-no-mono... but these are only generalized definitions posed by the 'no-longer' peasant and merchant castes in the early 1900's (pre-war), in a time when Japan was attempting to reinvigorate the people (in preparation for war) and give them pride over their history. It was in this time that much of the 'false' history was birthed, with fighter pilots and officers being taught samurai-caste codes of honor and specialized ground troops being encouraged to embrace shinobi methods.

The first 'modern' interpretation of shinobi-no-mono was presented in the 1962-63 Japanese movies of the same name, which some 'Western' enthusiasts claim were made with collaboration from actual masters (this claim has not been verified, but it is exceedingly unlikely, since the study of shinobi practices was outlawed in the 1700's, on or about the same time the codes of Bushido were being firmly embraced).

From what I gather, they were groups into spying, espionage and guerilla warfare, so ranger and rogue would fit into those aspects rather nicely.

As i earlier indicated, i would prefer the 'fantastical' version, with all the magical powers associated to them (invisibility, pass through walls, duplicity, etc).

Well, the emperor is a god...

*groan*

[NickD]

As i earlier indicated, i would prefer the 'fantastical' version, with all the magical powers associated to them (invisibility, pass through walls, duplicity, etc).

In which case I'd go for Rogue/Monk/Shadow Dancer for the martial arts and HiPS aspects and you could say creating a shadow is a duplicate of yourself. You're not going to get a "Ninja" prestige/class though.