The Good Word: Be humble.

The Good Word: Evil exists.

The Good Word: Everything is a choice, and everything requires faith.

The Good Word: God the Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit, the Monster?

Goku

SON GOKU (earthling name), KAKAROT (saiyan name)

circa the Android Saga
Male Unique Saiyan Legendary Strong Hero 3/Martial Artist 10/Battle Mind 7; CR 26; LA +7
Medium Humanoid (height 5' 9", weight 136 lb.); Age mid 20s

Init +6; Senses (core) Listen +4, Search -1, Spot +6; Senses (house) Listen/Spot +6, Search -1
Languages English, Japanese

Defense 31, touch 31, flat-footed 25; Defensive Martial Arts (+6 Dex, +14 class)
hp 228 (20 HD); Mas 25
Fort +16, Ref +16, Will +10 (use ki to reroll)
Action Points 15

Speed 30 ft.
Melee unarmed strike +29/+24/+19/+14 (1d10+12 lethal/nonlethal, 19-20/x3) or
Melee flying strike (charge) +30 (1d10+22 lethal/nonlethal, 19-20/x3) or
Melee flurry of blows +26/+26/+21/+16/+11 (1d10+12 lethal/nonlethal, 19-20/x3)
Melee by weapon +28/+23/+18/+13
Ranged energy blasts +27/+22/+17/+12 (1d8+13 piercing or force, 30 ft, 20) or
Ranged kamehameha +25 (varies, 50 ft, 20) or
Ranged by weapon +24/+19/+14/+9
Space 5 ft. by 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +18; Grp +30
Atk Options Combat Reflexes, Ki (+4 to attacks/initiative/checks per round), Power Attack, Psychic (Ki) Shield (+3 equip bonus to Defense, 7 rnds), Unbalance Opponent
Special Qualities detect psionics [ki] 3/day, ki 5/day, saiyan traits, legend traits (5)

Abilities Str 30 (13), Dex 22 (13), Con 22 (13), Int 8, Wis 18 (16), Cha 12
'(-)' indicate original ability scores.
AL bettering himself, the Z Fighters, good, Earth, the fight; Rep +8; San 85
Feats Advanced Combat Martial Arts*, Archaic Weapons Proficiency, Combat Martial Arts, Combat Reflexes, Combat Throw, Defensive Martial Arts, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Improved Damage Threshold*, Inner Power, Inner Strength, Kaio-Ken* (new feat, see below), Kamehameha (new feat, see below), Ki, Power Attack*, Simple Weapons Proficiency, Renown, Shao-Lin (Muten Roshi) Kung Fu, Unbalance Opponent*, Weapon Focus (kamehameha), Weapon Focus (unarmed strike), Wild Talent (Detect Psionics [Ki])

          * Bonus feats acquired from the Legend template.
          Note: Having been raised as human, Kakarot is unique in that he receives the standard bonus feat normally assigned a human, even though he is biologically saiyan. Kakarot was never exposed to his native tongue.
          Note: Feats listed in italics were taken from the Blood and Fists supplement.
Skills (core) Autohypnosis +8, Balance +10, Climb +12, Concentration +12 (+4 to manifest powers on defensive), Jump +18, Hide +8, Intimidate +3, Knowledge (current events) +1, Meditation +6, Move Silently +8, Read/Write English, Read/Write Japanese, Ride +8, Speak English, Speak Japanese, Spot +6, Swim +12, Tumble +8, Zen Mastery +6
Skills (house) Athletics +22, Control +20 (+4 to manifest powers on defensive), Knowledge (current events) +1, Meditation +6, Perceive +6, Persuade +3, Read/Write English, Read/Write Japanese, Ride +8, Sneak +10, Speak English, Speak Japanese, Tumble +8, Zen Mastery +6
          Note: Having been raised as human, Kakarot is unique in that he receives the standard skill points normally assigned a human, even though he is biologically saiyan. Ranks for each skill above are listed in parentheses.
Talents (Strong Hero) Improved Melee Smash, Melee Smash
Talents (Martial Artist) Flurry of Blows, Flying Kick, Iron Fist
Talents (Battle Mind) Combat Manifestation, Imprint Being (new feature, see below), Improved Psi-Blade, Psi-Blade, Psychic (Ki) Shield
Power Points 17
Battle Mind Powers Known (3/3/2/1): 0 (10/day)—burst, missive, verve; 1st (1 pt)—combat precognition (+1 insight to Defense), energy blasts (new power, see below), propel (new power, see below); 2nd (3 pts)—combat focus (+4 insight on initiative), combat prescience (+2 insight on attacks); 3rd (5 pts)—spirit bomb (“Genkidama”, new power, see below)
Starting Occupation (core) Adventurer (Move Silently, Ride as permanent class skills; Archaic Weapons Proficiency)
Starting Occupation (house) Adventurer (Ride, Stealth as permanent class skills; Archaic Weapons Proficiency)
Possessions (carried weight 250 lb) Muten Roshi karate gi (specially weighted to keep Goku in peak physical shape; 250 lb.), bag of senzu beans (usually contains 5 beans; eating 1 bean restores 100 hp or 50% of the eater’s hp, whichever is higher, up to their normal maximum; you can only benefit from 1 senzu bean per day)
Wealth Bonus +7

SAIYAN
Species Traits
          Saiyans are a space-faring, warrior race of extraterrestrial bipedal near-humans who are naturally gifted in ki-related powers and abilities and possess prehensile tails with a hidden power. They often fight wearing battle armor and in loose co-affiliated units dispatched for specific mission purposes.
          Saiyans speak Saiyan.
          All saiyan powers are extraordinary in nature unless otherwise noted.
          Ability Modifiers: They receive species bonuses of +16 to Strength, +8 to Dexterity, and +8 to Constitution.
          Size: Medium. As a medium-size creature, saiyans have no special modifiers due to their size.
          Movement: Their base speed is 30 feet.
          Prehensile Tail: Saiyans may hold handheld objects or hang from their 3 to 5-ft long dark, furry tails, as they would a regular upper appendage. They cannot make attacks or use weapons with their tails. Normally, their tails use the same Defense as their bodies, but the tails can be targeted separately and may become amputated if a DC 25 bursting Str check or 10+ slashing damage is dealt to them at one time. If lost, the saiyan suffers 1 point of temporary Con damage, but no permanent hit point or ability score loss. See the “great ape transformation” below for more on the hidden power contained within saiyan tails.
          Naturally Psionic: Saiyans gain 1 bonus power point at 1st level.

          Note: Psionic powers are essentially equivalent to ki powers as depicted in DBZ.
          Deep Well of Power: Once per round as a move action, Saiyans can convert hit points up to their massive damage threshold into power points a number of times per day equal to their Wisdom modifier (5 max).
          Versatile Power: Once per round, saiyans can freely exchange 3 power points for a daily use of ki or spell-like ability, etc., or vice versa.
          Power Resistance: Saiyans have a natural power resistance of 5 + one half their character level. [LA +1/2]
          Repletion (Su): By expending 1 power point, a saiyan does not need to eat or drink for 24 hours.
          Resilience (Su): As an immediate action, a saiyan can reduce the damage he is about to take by 2 hit points for every 1 power point spent.
          Resistance (Su): As an immediate action, a saiyan can spend 1 power point to gain a +4 racial bonus on saving throws until the beginning of their next turn.
          Great ape transformation (Su): Only saiyans with tails may involuntarily transform into monstrous ape creatures. This transformation to gargantuan size (30 ft tall) occurs only when they are exposed to the light of a full moon (or similar phenomena), and takes 2 rounds to complete. After which, treat the transformed saiyan as normal except: +80 temporary hit points; they gain 2 slam attacks (2d6 base damage) which replaces all other previous attack forms (no weapon use) with an added +8 to hit and +12 to damage (double damage to objects and structures) and on Str checks; -6 to Defense; damage reduction 15/— (except for their tail); face and reach of 20 ft; +20 feet to base speed, half that as a new climb speed; the great ape form is virtually mindless and cannot communicate or use any Int, Wis, or Cha-based skills, no feats, no spell casting or psionics (although great apes are also immune to most spells and psionics), and any non-magical worn clothes or armor is shredded and ruined during the process (the GM may choose to NPC your character). Attacking and severing the tail with a slashing attack (Defense 20, 10 hit points; any damage less than 10 heals immediately) will cause the saiyan to do nothing other than writhe and revert to their original nude form over the course of 2 rounds. Severed tails have an 8% chance to grow back any time the character is frightened or in mortal peril.
          Super saiyan transformation (Su): Only saiyans with the Legend template can transform into super saiyans. Transforming also requires 1+ of the following prerequisites: A) The saiyan must have fewer than half their maximum hit points remaining and succeed on a DC 30 Concentration/Control check; or B) succeed on a DC 30 Concentration/Control check, if the saiyan has transformed before; and C) the saiyan must expend an action point and a full-round action. Upon transforming, the saiyan immediately receives +5 power points or 2 additional ki uses, up to the daily maximum; has all movement rates doubled; receives +5 to Str, Dex, and Con scores; double massive damage threshold; gets Damage Reduction 20/—; and receives 3 temporary hit points per character level (these are always expended first). The saiyan can remain in this form for a number of rounds equal to the current power points plus 3 additional rounds per daily use of ki remaining, at the time of transformation.
          Challenger Rating: +5
          Advancement: By character class.
          Level Adjustment: +6

NEW Feat Kaio-Ken
          You can amplify your ki and increase critical threat range and damage, but not without higher risk.
          Prerequisites: Wis 15+, Improved Combat Martial Arts, Ki, Inner Power, a martial arts style
          Benefit: You can distribute up to your Wis modifier (max +5) to increase your critical hit threat range and/or damage multiplier for a single form of attack. These changes remain until the end of combat or until you have suffered damage equal to your threshold.
          However, increasing either or by more than 1 puts you at risk of greater strain or injury: any saves for half or no damage are instead at disadvantage (roll twice and take the worse result), and any natural 1s on attacks, checks, or saves cause temporary damage equal to your Wis modifier to be distributed among your ability scores, as desired.
          When you take this feat, you gain an additional daily use of Ki.

NEW Signature Martial Arts Maneuver Feat Kamehameha (Shao-Lin [Muten Roshi] Kung Fu)
          You channel your ki into a devastating ki wave beam.
          Prerequisites: Shao-Lin (Muten Roshi) Kung-Fu, Ki, Inner Strength, power points, BAB +8
          Benefit: As a full-round attack and expending a daily use of ki, you can unleash a ki wave beam that deals 8d6 force damage plus 1d6 additional damage per 2 power points spent or per daily use of ki exhausted. Its range increment is 50 feet (500 ft max). As a reaction, when you are aware of the attack and not flat-footed, the ki blast can be used defensively against other beam or ray attacks, negating any damage by the damage it would otherwise deal after expending power points or ki. The ki blast also acts as a free bull rush attempt against creature targets, and the kamehameha receives a +2 Str bonus on the opposed check as if you were charging, plus its effective size is scaled up from medium for every 2d6 of additional damage dice inflicted (up to colossal size at +8d6). This bull rush effect can alternatively be used to propel you backward from the origin and direction of the blast 5 feet for every 5 points by which the Str check beats DC 5.

NEW Class Feature (Battle Mind) Imprint Being [optionally replaces Imprint Tattoo]
          Starting at 2nd level, a Battle Mind can create an imprint of their psionic self onto another willing psionic being, combining their collective power to imbue one of them to greater power levels. An imprint is a single use psionic power that combines both manifesters’ level and psionic points to permit one of them to have access to a given power or boost its strength accordingly. This must be done when both manifesters are within 30 ft of each other, and the Autohypnosis/Control DC for achieving this link is 15 + the psionic power’s level + the higher character’s manifester level.
          The Battle Mind must also expend experience equal to the power level x their manifester level x 15 to achieve the imprint.
          At 5th level, the Battle Mind can imprint two different powers (paying the XP cost for the higher of the two). At 8th level, the Battle Mind can actually metaphysically fuse together with another willing being, creating a single separate psionically powered being where before there were two. In this case, you combine the best aspects of both characters to determine their fusion form.

NEW Psionic Power Energy Blasts
Dexterity [Force]
Level: Battle Mind 1; Display: Visual; Manifestation Time: Free action; Range: See description; Duration: Instantaneous; Saving Throw: None; Power Resistance: Yes; Power Point Cost: 1
          You can collect psi-blade energy in your hand and throw them each round for as long as you can manifest them. Their range increment is 30 feet (150 ft max). They deal either piercing or force-based damage, your choice.

NEW Psionic Power Propel
Constitution
Level: Battle Mind 1, Telepath 1; Display: Visual; Manifestation Time: Attack action; Range: Personal; Duration: Varies (D); Saving Throw: None; Power Resistance: No; Power Point Cost: 1+ (variable)
          By expending a power point to manifest and then 1 additional at the end of each time interval thereafter to maintain, you are surrounded by a nimbus of color and can fly (good maneuverability) with a speed of 60 feet (240 feet as a “run”). The duration is 1 hour. This power may be manifested at a higher level. If manifested as 2nd level, costing 3 points at first and 1 at each interval, you can fly (perfect maneuverability) at 120 feet for 10 minutes. At 3rd, for 5 pts first and 2 pts later, the fly speed increases to 600 feet, but only for 1 minute. At 4th, for 7 pts and 3 pts, and instead as a move action, you can instantaneously appear 1 mile within sight of your present location each round.

NEW Psionic Power Spirit Bomb
Wisdom
Level: Battle Mind 3; Display: Visual; Manifestation Time: See description; Range: 30 ft.; Effect: Bolt; Duration: Instantaneous; Saving Throw: None; Power Resistance: Yes; Power Point Cost: 5+
          By tapping into the ambient natural background of latent power in your environment, you may collect this energy into a massive hovering spirit ball to throw as a bomb. This requires spending the initial manifesting cost as a full-round action, and then additional full-round actions and power points up to 5 each round thereafter. Keep track of the initial power point cost and the running total each round. You must maintain concentration each round to do so. The spirit ball has a diameter of 10 feet per power point imbued/collected (up to 100 pts for 1,000 feet). For every 10 points contained in the energy ball, it will inflict 1d10 damage and can be launched up to 1,000 feet; this damage cannot be reduced by damage reduction or hardness. Unanchored creatures and objects within 10 miles of the ball’s target/epicenter will be knocked prone. Once the target(s) have taken damage, the ball slowly dissipates over the next 5 rounds, after which all the power points that you used to generate it return to you in full. However, you cannot generate a new spirit ball in the same environment again until 1 week has passed.

365 Films in 365 Days: Monty Python and the Holy Grail

This series is dedicated to matching memorable movies with the signature day each year upon which I could watch them forever. Despite the fact that this next movie came out in the spring, it had a largely summer run and was likely dipping at the box office around this time of summer that year, and my kids and I have been on a kick of rewatching it since first introducing them to it earlier this summer, the seventh of August now belongs to:

Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975, Python Pictures/EMI Films, Terry Gilliam and Terry Jones)

This movie begins as it ends: unexpectedly and confusingly. Summed up, it would seem a disappointing outing for the Pythons if this were all, but I think it hints at the greatly acerbic and "disappointed" view they generally held of "Western culture and mythology" writ large and the sort of Christian mores that often go along with it in the late 20th century. It's post-modern and thus irreverent, but actually manages to be so without insulting or denigrating its audience and fans, the vast majority of which are Christian. And the most recognized part of the Christian canon, outside of Christ, is that of King Arthur and his noble knights.

I had the great joy of reviving the coconut-horse-hooves gag during this year's summer church camp theater performances that I helped write and act in. It's effective foley and was purely for the adults in the room, as I'm sure the kids understood the nature of the gag but nothing at all of where it came from. This is somewhat to Holy Grail's detriment, I suppose, given that many of the comedic gags that this and other Python performances have spawned may be well known today, but their original whereabouts don't often point back to this film. At least, probably not until you're a teenager or in high school.

Fortunately, my world history teacher in high school used the scene of the anarcho-syndicalists jawing with "their king" about the virtues and pitfalls of differing governments as a lesson reinforcer, and it has stuck with me ever since. The action in Holy Grail is very cartoony, and rightly so, but its content and context are largely adult in nature. (In light of this, I'm pleasantly surprised my kids like it as much as they do before either one of them reaches double digits.)

The "bring out your dead" scene preceding this is probably pretty accurate when plague swept through in Europe. The boys darkly poke fun when an old man who is not quite dead (a gag that returns several times later) is carried out and protests only to be clubbed over the head and laid atop the heap.

The Black Knight fight(s) are the most sophomoric parts in the film, but they always demand watching. The choreography, while not sexy, does a good job of illustrating the average man's ease at fighting in full armor. The violence and blood is over-the-top and yields some of the most memorable lines from the film: "Tis but a scratch!" and "It's just a flesh wound!" and "I'll bite your legs off!" all delivered by John Cleese.

The witch trial is the second great scene in the film. It neatly lampoons the oft-ridiculed nature of witch hunts and the illogic of those who perpetuate such sham judgments on minority or outcast peoples, but it's also just darn funny without being obnoxious. The faces and words in this scene all serve the funny from an absurdist standpoint, but they also help to move the plot along and give Arthur his first real compatriot in Sir Bedevere. John Cleese's, "I got better," after saying the witch turned him into a newt lives long in the memory.

The "Camelot" song is one of the funniest parts of the whole thing. The careless dance moves that send things flying left and right. The lyrics, which you have to read to understand, mine some decent depths in terms of rhyming "-able" for laughs. The hapless chained prisoner in the dungeon clapping his hands to the beat. It's all madcap silliness and again serves the plot by keeping the characters on the move when they deem it too silly also. The movie kind of peaks here other than the Trojan Rabbit scene and Sir Lancelot's attack on Swamp Castle until about the time you meet Tim the Enchanter.

The Knights Who Say "Ni!" bit is one of those instances where you find it funnier in your head afterward than when you're watching it. It's not a scene that really grabs you necessarily, at first, but the callback later on really helps to pay them off and is unique in that this is the first supporting character to make a return appearance. It effectively pokes fun at the secret, forbidden word, Rumpelstiltskin-type stuff embedded in so much of fantasy lore.

The knights' misadventure with Tim and the Rabbit of Caerbannog is another peak moment. You can tell that a lot of the acting in the movie was probably just the Python mates screwing around and trying to make the others break while filming. I find the whole holy hand grenade instructions and counting bit of this scene quite effectively funny even upon repeat viewings. This again demonstrates the Pythons' sardonic sense when it comes to "the church" and its seeming ridiculous or even unnecessary procedures on the right and wrong way of doing things.

Nice absurdist breaking of the fourth wall when the animator dies of a heart attack to save the knights from the legendary black beast, a scene all done in animation.

The bridge of death sequence is the last peak moment of the movie, but it's well worth it. The strange old man returns, like the Knights Who Until Recently Said "Ni!" previously, and he asks three questions: What is your name? What is your quest? and What's your favorite color? But not always these three. Two of the knights fail this seeming easy task after Sir Lancelot gets across. King Arthur gets the old man instead when he turns the tables in a callback to the swallows and coconuts scene from the beginning, to which the old man doesn't have the answer and perishes. Dumb, but funny.

The only other repeating gag we get is at the end when now only Arthur and Bedevere reach the Castle Arrgh and find it again in the possession of French forces. Their taunts of Arthur and company follow rather typical lines such as: "I unclog my nose in your direction, sons of a window dresser! So, you think you could outclever us French folk with your silly knees bent running about advancing behavior. I wave my private parts at your aunties, you cheesy lot of secondhand electric donkey-bottom biters!" This feels more like stream-of-consciousness ad-libbing rather than script writing, but, either way, it's funny stuff.

And, as mentioned, the movie ends abruptly with something like two minutes of black screen with "carny music" playing behind it. King Arthur never finds the grail but is instead arrested on suspicion of murder, given an earlier scene where a historian relating details on the Arthur legend to the audience is unceremoniously killed by a mounted knight. Perfectly in keeping with all else that's happened thus far, eh?

August 7 — 8 of 365 logged

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