@The Mad HatterYeah, I'll give a more complete response to anyone of these things later if you require it, but at the moment I'll address a few things. In regards to the skills, this was a state of me thinking more than I was writing. His blacksmithing is best in the village because I made the assumption that the blacksmiting in town would be below average, and I was incorporating some anime logic with the blacksmithing thing, so I'm fine with that changing so that he just has more of a knack for it than most.
While the level of metalwork in the village might be below average it still takes many years to master such a skill, even with talent. Yeah, bump it down to a knack and you're fine.
I think I saw that explained in the show somewhere that those who come from ninja families are more likely to have larger chakra reserves than those who come from a civilian background. Could be wrong, but it makes sense to me that, if your family have been using chakra for generations, it would gain a certain affinity towards it.
I think I know what you're talking about here, and I'm also pretty sure that they weren't talking about chakra reserves, but chakra manipulation (because without it you can't be a ninja unless you have plot). The Uzumaki clan is the only family that we know about that has chakra reserves as a clan trait. Of course, if you are born in a ninja family, you're bound to start your ninja training at home and as you practice I believe your reserves will quite quickly outgrow that of normal people.
Ken juts just means he knows how to use a sword, no real techniques to it, though to offset it, I'm fine with making his taijutsu bad and ninjutsu average( only thing that made it about be is that he just had more chakra to burn though, rather than being above average in his skill with it.)
This really doesn't make any sense, and I've met similar arguments in many games before. The thing is that your skill in a certain field is measured by the amount and ranks of techniques in that field. Almost any ninja is able to perform generic fighting with pretty much any weapon, it is the techniques that sets them apart, that lifts them above the rabble that hasn't trained enough to acquire sets, techniques, jutsus, katas... Call it what you want. There have been instances of people who are pretty much shit in a field to still overcome an opponent using those skills, but that is mostly more about serving the plot, or the fact that they are both worthless in the field.
As for the body thing, I've always been bad at describing body shapes. What I'm thinking of is that he's got an ectomorphic frame, but his work has made it so that he's gained some muscle.
Yeah. I looked up a diagram for BMI to get mine right (protip).
Being born outside the village is just for story reasons, as their would be know reason for his mother to be in Gobi at the time she was to give birth to him. Gobi was chosen because it was isolated from the rest of the world.
I still don't get it. Who wouldn't it make sense for her to be in Gobi before the birth, but practically immediately after is ok? Is there some event or circumstance you haven't told us about?
Kekkei Genkai possibility is partially because I wanted to talk to you guys about it first, and also because I wanted to have him discover it later in his life, similar to what was discussed earlier for the secondary natures. His life in the village has been mostly stress free and, since he was never told of the possibility of him having a Kekkei Genkai( his family heritages were kept secret from him with his mother changing her last name to Kajiya, which is more well- known in Kiri than other nations/villages).
We haven't yet arrived at an agreement about the KG. Basically we set out with the mindset of having none, but maybe allowing one because that is what people wants to play.
I actually was wondering something about the natures: should he have learn to use both fire and earth in order to use Lava, or could I start him off with earth and have fire come to him when he discovers Lava, if he hasn't discovered fire already by that point.
Lava is the combination of both fire and earth inside a single individual (with the talent of moulding them together). You would need both elements first, and then unlock the third.
Fuinjutsu is extremely basic, mostly a set-up for when he learns his family's style of engraving seals into their smithing, something I planned to happen later on when he meets his father, who would continue on where his master left off, hopefully.
I actually like that you have a plan with this. What kind of engravings are we talking about? Will your and MMGiru's character fight for supremacy?