Keeping this in discussion until I know where I want to go with it…
I’ve been working on converting a D&D 3.5 base class samurai that we worked up back in the day to DW. After seeing Sage LaTorra ‘s Battlemind in play, and thinking it’s pretty rad, I’ve been thinking that the way the D&D class works is less as a traditional samurai and more like a “sword monk”, something like the Battlemind only plus sword or axe or some bladed weapon. With all the Crouching Tiger references in the class, I’m seeing this concept as Li Mu Bai and the Green Destiny, basically.
The original D&D class had six(6) forms that you had to choose from, which would give you five stances per form. This translated to thirty(30) abilities.
So, my question to everyone is: a base class for each blade form, each similar to the Battlemind (in the same way that someone made a slate of Thief-like classes for an all Thief game) or an extensive compendium class that sits on top of the Battlemind? The latter was my initial inclination, but the former has been suggested to me.
I’m not posting anything until I have a first draft, and I’m not looking for move suggestions, I really just want to see what y’all think about which direction I should take. Thanks in advance!
#dungeonworld
Create the class framework without moves, then write the moves up as “specialties,” each being a compendium class with a starting move and a few level 2-5 moves and a few level 6-10 moves. When you play the character, select three specialties and count their moves as your class moves. If you have any moves that are more like “core” moves, make them into a specialty that is mandatory, and you just pick two optional ones instead of three.
Sounds like a very AW way to do it, which is fine by me. 🙂
Well it’s not going to be a samurai when it’s done, in the historical real-world sense. This is going to be a variation on the Battlemind, where the character extends his tranquility along the edge of his blade and demonstrates that blade rapport through the blade forms.
Did anyone ever finish the Battlemind?
Either way, a set of CCs or a modular class makes the most sense to me. The latter is newer, so might be more interesting to play with.
For clarity’s sake: when I say “modular class” I’m talking about making a class that has, say, 3 base moves, 5 2-5s and 5 6-10s, and then a set of bolt-on classes with one base move and the remaining 5/5 advanced moves. That way, you have a common core to each class, and each of the bolt-ons modifies it to be different in playstyle to reflect the different schools.
It’s going to be a fair bit of work, though.
I ultimately decided to make 6 thematically similar compendium classes. It was suggested to me that I package them together in a campaign supplement.