Eclipse – Building the Wuxia Adept

   Next up it’s another special request. In this case, it’s how to build a Wuxia-style character like the old Oriental Adventures Blade Dancer – albeit with a few more of the classical abilities, such as the ability to trade blows in midair – in Eclipse.

   Just in case anyone doesn’t know, the Wuxia style involves high-energy, high-mobility, martial arts combat while making incredible leaps through the air, balancing on posts and ropes, or running up the walls. Since that’s the signature of the style, we’ll want our Wuxia Adept to be able to do it at level one and to be able to select from a wild variety of “Chi Based” martial arts abilities later on.

   So what will we need to uy to build such a character?

   At level one:

• Proficiency with Simple and Martial Weapons (9 CP) and Light Armor (3 CP).
• +2 on Reflex Saves (6 CP).
• 8 Skill Points (8 CP).
• Adept (Balance, Jump, Tumble, and any one Martial Art, 6 CP).
• +1 BAB (Warcraft, 6 CP).
• 1d8 hit die (4 CP).
• Qinggong / “Light Foot”: Celerity with Additional Movement Mode/Flight (base total of 30′), Corrupted/not usable while wearing medium or heavy armor or while carrying a medium or heavy load, Specialized/does not allow true flight, although the user can make astounding leaps, turn in midair, “run” up walls, across chasms, and over water, stand on twigs, fall great distances without being injured, and leap up and trade blows with someone in the air before coming down in the next turn. When relevant rolls are made, the character gains a bonus of +(2x Level) on Balance, Jump, and Tumble rolls (6 CP).
  • Note that this can be expanded, at +10′ to this movement mode per additional CP. This is, in fact, a rather cheesy way to build this ability – but if it’s the only major piece of cheese involved in a build, it’s certainly no worse than many others.

   That comes to a total of 48 CP – the basic level one allotment. If the character has a few points from disadvantages – compulsions, hunteds, and vows are favorites in the source material – I’d recommend picking up another point or two worth of movement and Fast Learner, Specialized in Skills. That will effectively keep the character’s Adept skills up to the maximum without further worry for a mere (6 CP).

   At each level past the first:

• +1 BAB (Warcraft, 6 CP).
• 1d8 hit die (4 CP).
• 2 Skill Points (2 CP).
• +1 on Saves (presumably split between the various categories) (3 CP).

   That only comes to 15 CP per level – and there are 24 available. To stick with this style – and to allow me a silly reference to chinese menus – at each level past the first the character can pick one item from Column A and one from Column B…

   Column A: Additional Three-Point Options

• +3 Skill Points.
• +1 on a Save. (Often more bonuses on Reflex saves).
• +1 To Hit in Melee whenever the user has sufficient space and freedom to maneuver to attack while leaping and tumbling around. This may be selected up to four times.
• +1d6 Damage in Melee whenever the user has sufficient space and freedom to maneuver to attack while leaping and tumbling around. This may be selected up to four times.
• +30′ Movement with Qinggong (I wouldn’t allow this more than – say – three times myself).
• Martial Arts: 1d4 base damage the first time, increasing to 1d6/1d8/1d10/1d12 damage for 1/2/3/4 additional selections.

   Column B: Additional Six-Point Options

• Block/Melee or Block/Missile – and other abilities from that sequence – fit in well here.
• One level of Psychic Warrior Spellcasting.
• Reflex Training. Both the Combat Reflexes variant and the Extra Actions variant fit in well.
• +4 daily Bonus Uses on an existing Inherent Spell or Psychic Power.
• One level of Wilder Spellcasting.
• One Inherent Spell or Psychic Power (L3 the first time, L4, the second, and L5 the third), usable once per day.
  • Popular choices of Inherent Powers include
    • The Augment Weapon sequence: Touched weapon gains a +1 bonus or +1 equivalent weapon ability of choice, excluding Bane, for one minute per level of the user. This stacks with magical, but not psionic, enhancements. The level four version provides abilities totaling a +2 equivalent and the level five version provides abilities totaling to a +3 equivalent.
    • A Healing Touch Sequence – Neutralize Poison, Cure Critical Wounds.
    • A Dim Mak sequence – Bestow Curse, Enervation, and Slay Living.

   There are, of course, lots of other things that a character could buy – enhanced attacks and strikes, strange powers, witchcraft abilities, and more – but that covers some of the most common basics. Personally, I’d recommend some Innate Enchantment (possibly substituting for the Light Armor), using effects like Mage Armor and Shield to help make up for the troubles inherent in a poor-AC melee build – but that’s up to the player.