Quickleaf
Legend
I'm interested in providing ways to distinguish one wizard/rogue/fighter/cleric from the next, besides choosing different powers or feats, so I'm designing alternate class features for those features that seem "out of place".
For example, Rogue Weapon Talent. Why would all rogues in the setting be experts with shuriken and daggers? Another example, Combat Superiority. Why would all fighters be good at stopping an opponent in their tracks? What about fighters who grant additional opportunity attacks to allies? Or fighters who prevent their enemy from moving in order to make opportunity attacks against them?
IMC, each 1st level character chooses not just a build, but also a "kit". So you're not just a Trickster Rogue, you're a Guild Trickster Rogue, Independent Trickster Rogue, or a Hinterlands Trickster Rogue.
FIGHTER
The bloody history of Karathia is marked by the bones and wounds of thousands of imperial soldiers. With the collapse of the empire, a huge rift occurred between the loyalists, who stayed true to their oaths despite the emperor’s tyranny; the rebels, who revolted against the emperor; and the mercenaries, who got rich selling their swords and are generally loathed by the populace as "jackal sons of wolves." Occasionally a retired soldier teaches a younger cousin or a peasant becomes a hero after defending their village from rampaging monsters, but the vast majority of fighters fall into one of these three camps. Loyal imperial soldiers rely on strength in numbers and well-coordinated attacks, and may take the Formation Tactics alternate class feature. Rebel soldiers rely on fighting in loose formation to avoid ranged attack and coordinated strikes, and may take the Skirmish Tactics alternate class feature. Mercenaries are an eclectic mix, and may choose Combat Superiority, Formation Tactics, or Skirmish Tactics.
Formation Tactics (Alternate Fighter Class Feature)
Replaces: Combat Superiority
+2 attacks when adjacent ally fights alongside you and when you hit an enemy on an opportunity attack, allies adjacent to that enemy and you automatically gain an opportunity attack.
Skirmish Tactics (Alternate Fighter Class Feature)
Replaces: Combat Superiority
+2 AC against ranged attacks and formation fighting attacks, and when an enemy makes an opportunity attack against you they must sacrifice their move action as they focus on pinning you down.
ROGUE
Crime in the cities of Karathia is dominated by thieves’ guilds, and all other petty criminals operate in their ominous shadow. With the collapse of the empire, thieves’ guilds lack the resources to crack down on independent rogues (disparagingly called “beggar-thieves”), and hinterland bandits flourish. Guild rogues, while they are bound to a strict code and must share their earnings with their guild, can call upon guild allies – gathering a couple thugs to shake down a merchant, loosening the lips of a reluctant barkeep, or using Thieves’ Cant to identify disguised guild allies for example. Guild rogues may take the Exploit Advantage alternate class feature. Independent rogues are free to live their lives as they see fit but often work alone, steering clear of thieves’ guilds whenever possible; they may take the Defiant alternate class feature. Hinterland rogues are accustomed to living in the wild and robbing hapless travelers; they may take the Robbery alternate class feature.
Defiant (Alternate Rogue Class Feature)
Replaces: Rogue Weapon Talent
Whenever you make a successful defense, you gain +1 attack against the creature that targeted you with the effect. Whenever you fail your defense, increase your weapon damage die one size against the creature that targeted you on your next hit.
Exploit Advantage (Alternate Rogue Class Feature)
Replaces: Rogue Weapon Talent
When you have combat advantage increase your weapon damage die one size. Against a foe that you had combat advantage against in the same encounter (not due to First Strike) you gain +1 attack.
Robbery (Alternate Rogue Class Feature)
Replaces: Rogue Weapon Talent
When you attack a foe you’ve intimidated, increase your weapon damage die one size. Against foes who try to flee, get help, or sound an alarm you gain +1 attack.
WIZARD
The Archmages of the Tower of Pearls gaze into their all-seeing orbs, sensing newborns with the gift for magic. Witch-finders are sent to abduct the potential wizard and bring them to Suleistarn for training. Occasionally a youth is voluntarily turned over, and some apprentices hail from prestigious Archmage lineages, but the majority of wizards are taken from their loved ones by their 13th year. These imperial mages gain access to unique cantrips (and higher-level powers) taught exclusively at the Tower of Pearls, but take oaths of service to the Archmages. Should an imperial mage ever flee or commit treason, they are hunted to the ends of the Known World by the Witch-finders. Two competing traditions exist in the shadow of the Tower of Pearls. “Gutter mages” organize the Arcane Underground, a cabal of escaped imperial mages and covertly trained wizards devoted to revolutionary principles and the overthrow of the Archmages of Suleistarn. Gutter mages may take the Deceitful Arcana alternate class feature. "Hedge mages" follow family traditions in isolated communities obscured from the all-seeing orbs of the Archmages; their magic is based on a hodgepodge of philosophies, tradition, experimentation, and intuition. Hedge mages may take the Subtle Arcana alternate class feature.
Subtle Arcana (Alternate Wizard Class Feature)
Replaces: Arcane Implement Mastery
Once per encounter, as a free action when casting a spell, make the spell appear to be the function of a normal action or otherwise wholly unmagical.
Deceitful Arcana (Alternate Wizard Class Feature)
Replaces: Arcane Implement Mastery
Once per encounter, as a free action when casting a spell, make the spell not traceable to you and it may even appear to come from elsewhere. For example, a magic missile might appear to issue from a nearby window.
For example, Rogue Weapon Talent. Why would all rogues in the setting be experts with shuriken and daggers? Another example, Combat Superiority. Why would all fighters be good at stopping an opponent in their tracks? What about fighters who grant additional opportunity attacks to allies? Or fighters who prevent their enemy from moving in order to make opportunity attacks against them?
IMC, each 1st level character chooses not just a build, but also a "kit". So you're not just a Trickster Rogue, you're a Guild Trickster Rogue, Independent Trickster Rogue, or a Hinterlands Trickster Rogue.
FIGHTER
The bloody history of Karathia is marked by the bones and wounds of thousands of imperial soldiers. With the collapse of the empire, a huge rift occurred between the loyalists, who stayed true to their oaths despite the emperor’s tyranny; the rebels, who revolted against the emperor; and the mercenaries, who got rich selling their swords and are generally loathed by the populace as "jackal sons of wolves." Occasionally a retired soldier teaches a younger cousin or a peasant becomes a hero after defending their village from rampaging monsters, but the vast majority of fighters fall into one of these three camps. Loyal imperial soldiers rely on strength in numbers and well-coordinated attacks, and may take the Formation Tactics alternate class feature. Rebel soldiers rely on fighting in loose formation to avoid ranged attack and coordinated strikes, and may take the Skirmish Tactics alternate class feature. Mercenaries are an eclectic mix, and may choose Combat Superiority, Formation Tactics, or Skirmish Tactics.
Formation Tactics (Alternate Fighter Class Feature)
Replaces: Combat Superiority
+2 attacks when adjacent ally fights alongside you and when you hit an enemy on an opportunity attack, allies adjacent to that enemy and you automatically gain an opportunity attack.
Skirmish Tactics (Alternate Fighter Class Feature)
Replaces: Combat Superiority
+2 AC against ranged attacks and formation fighting attacks, and when an enemy makes an opportunity attack against you they must sacrifice their move action as they focus on pinning you down.
ROGUE
Crime in the cities of Karathia is dominated by thieves’ guilds, and all other petty criminals operate in their ominous shadow. With the collapse of the empire, thieves’ guilds lack the resources to crack down on independent rogues (disparagingly called “beggar-thieves”), and hinterland bandits flourish. Guild rogues, while they are bound to a strict code and must share their earnings with their guild, can call upon guild allies – gathering a couple thugs to shake down a merchant, loosening the lips of a reluctant barkeep, or using Thieves’ Cant to identify disguised guild allies for example. Guild rogues may take the Exploit Advantage alternate class feature. Independent rogues are free to live their lives as they see fit but often work alone, steering clear of thieves’ guilds whenever possible; they may take the Defiant alternate class feature. Hinterland rogues are accustomed to living in the wild and robbing hapless travelers; they may take the Robbery alternate class feature.
Defiant (Alternate Rogue Class Feature)
Replaces: Rogue Weapon Talent
Whenever you make a successful defense, you gain +1 attack against the creature that targeted you with the effect. Whenever you fail your defense, increase your weapon damage die one size against the creature that targeted you on your next hit.
Exploit Advantage (Alternate Rogue Class Feature)
Replaces: Rogue Weapon Talent
When you have combat advantage increase your weapon damage die one size. Against a foe that you had combat advantage against in the same encounter (not due to First Strike) you gain +1 attack.
Robbery (Alternate Rogue Class Feature)
Replaces: Rogue Weapon Talent
When you attack a foe you’ve intimidated, increase your weapon damage die one size. Against foes who try to flee, get help, or sound an alarm you gain +1 attack.
WIZARD
The Archmages of the Tower of Pearls gaze into their all-seeing orbs, sensing newborns with the gift for magic. Witch-finders are sent to abduct the potential wizard and bring them to Suleistarn for training. Occasionally a youth is voluntarily turned over, and some apprentices hail from prestigious Archmage lineages, but the majority of wizards are taken from their loved ones by their 13th year. These imperial mages gain access to unique cantrips (and higher-level powers) taught exclusively at the Tower of Pearls, but take oaths of service to the Archmages. Should an imperial mage ever flee or commit treason, they are hunted to the ends of the Known World by the Witch-finders. Two competing traditions exist in the shadow of the Tower of Pearls. “Gutter mages” organize the Arcane Underground, a cabal of escaped imperial mages and covertly trained wizards devoted to revolutionary principles and the overthrow of the Archmages of Suleistarn. Gutter mages may take the Deceitful Arcana alternate class feature. "Hedge mages" follow family traditions in isolated communities obscured from the all-seeing orbs of the Archmages; their magic is based on a hodgepodge of philosophies, tradition, experimentation, and intuition. Hedge mages may take the Subtle Arcana alternate class feature.
Subtle Arcana (Alternate Wizard Class Feature)
Replaces: Arcane Implement Mastery
Once per encounter, as a free action when casting a spell, make the spell appear to be the function of a normal action or otherwise wholly unmagical.
Deceitful Arcana (Alternate Wizard Class Feature)
Replaces: Arcane Implement Mastery
Once per encounter, as a free action when casting a spell, make the spell not traceable to you and it may even appear to come from elsewhere. For example, a magic missile might appear to issue from a nearby window.
