Core Classes In My Setting

[seasong]

As promised (if a bit late), here are the core classes in my Europ setting.

Notes:

1. These are used in conjunction with the Level Advancement Over A Lifetime thread I started.

2. I've included two sets of additional rules which they are dependant on, one for skills (some slight modifications to the PHB) and one for magic (a more significant change).

3. These classes are balanced for the Europ setting, which is slightly lower fantasy than the standard rules. I've included notes on how to beef them up for Forgotten Realms and other standard-rules settings. Feel free to comment on the Europ version or the beefed version!

4. Two house rules which are not necessary to these core classes, but which I included below:

a. AC progresses slowly with level. I've included the AC progression, but you can drop it (and should also drop the hit point house rule) without problems.

b. HP starts equal to CON and progresses very slowly by level. You can drop this and give each class hit dice instead (1d4 for the specialist; 1d6 for the adventurer and laborer; 1d10 for the fighter). If you drop this, you should also drop the AC house rule. Edit: HP starts equal to CON x2. Also, double all gained hit points per level.

5. These rules make the assumption that there are many feats available that mimic class abilities (such as rage or laying of hands). There is also mention of "virtue feats". These are things which I have not finished writing out yet. For discussion herein, please just assume their presence .

 

[seasong]

The Skill Rules!

The new core classes are built with the following skill rules in mind.

Guided Skill Lists

The static skill lists for D&D3E are nice and everything, but they simply don't work well in my campaign. A fighter who grew up a coastal sailor will apparently have to pay cross-class costs for Profession: Sailor, but can pick up Craft: Weaving as a class skill?

For Europ, I allow players to take any skill as a class skill, as long as they can justify it in their background.

If I feel a skill is unjustified by the background, the character can still learn it at the cross-class skill cost; this represents that the character put in extra effort despite the difficulties of learning the skill in her environment.

Special Note: The balance of the PHB core classes would be slightly modified by this if I was using them. The Rogue and Bard, after all, bank at least partly on their wide skill access. The Europ core classes, however, were built with this rule in mind for their balance.

Magic

This is just a brief overview of how magic relates to skills. The full system will be in my next post.

Spell casters must put 1 skill point in each spell they can cast (they can put an additional skill point in a spell to be particularly good at it). In addition, each type of spell caster has a special skill which is used for all spell casting, which the character will need to have. The spell casting feat actually gives the spell caster a few points for this, as well.

In general, spell casters can expect to put 1-3 of their skill points into magic every level, more if they are truly dedicated.

Arms & Armor

Weapon and armor use now uses skill points rather than feats. Each weapon or armor type (light, medium, heavy and shields) costs 1 skill point to learn. Each class starts with some default arms skills:

[COLOR=coral]                Pts     Automatic
Adventurer      0       Unarmed strikes & wrestling
Laborer         0       Unarmed strikes & wrestling
Specialist      0       None
Fighter         6       Unarmed strikes & wrestling (also next line)
                        Armor (light, medium & heavy), shields[/COLOR]

Pts: This is extra points which can be put into weapons at 1st level. The fighter may use these to pick up additional weapons, or to focus and specialize on weapons he already knows.

Automatic: The character begins with 1 point in each of these proficiencies.

Additional skill points may be put into a particular weapon proficiency. Each 1 point gives one "feat" with that weapon only. You must meet all of the normal prerequisites for the feat (to Deflect Arrows, you must have DEX 13+). You can still take the feat normally (in which case it applies to all weapons that it would normally apply to). The feats that may be taken in this manner are:

Ambidexterity
Cleave
Combat Reflexes
Deflect Arrows (improved unarmed strike or weapon focus)
Expertise
Far Shot
Great Cleave edit: this does not belong here.
Improved Bull Rush (shield)
Improved Critical
Improved Disarm
Improved Trip (wrestling)
Improved Two-Weapon Fighting (must take for each weapon able to use)
Improved Unarmed Strike (unarmed strike)
Point Blank Shot
Power Attack
Precise Shot
Quick Draw
Rapid Shot
Ride-By Attack
Shot on the Run
Spirited Charge
Spring Attack
Stunning Fist (unarmed strike)
Sunder
Two-Weapon Fighting (must take for each weapon able to use)
Weapon Finesse
Weapon Focus
Weapon Specialization

If you are in doubt as to whether or not a weapon feat should be available for a skill point, apply the following litmus test:

1. Is the feat "extraordinary"? (for example, Whirlwind attack). If yes, it should not be available for a skill point.

2. Does the feat represent skill with the weapon, or skill at something else while using the weapon? (for example, Mounted Combat is skill with the mount while using a weapon). If skill at something else, it should not be available for a skill point.

 

[seasong]

Spell Feat/Skill System

Any core class can be a spell caster, by devoting a chunk of feats and skill points to the task. These rules cover the basics.

Each type of spell caster has its own feat, which you must take in order to have access to those spells. You may specialize in one, gaining ever more powerful spells (the usual specialist approach), or spread out among several and content yourself with more variety and lower levels (the usual adventurer approach).

Being a spell caster requires a lot of dedication: to be good at it will consume most of your feats and many of your skill points. In return for this, however, you can tinker with the basic forces of reality...

Forgotten Realms: For forgotten realms, the "types" of spell caster are: arcanist, bard, druid, paladin, priest, ranger. Each gives access to the appropriate spell lists (priest allows a choice of spheres, just like the cleric class does; arcanist gives access to the Sor/Wiz lists).

Learning Magic

Spell Caster Feat: Each type of spell caster has a special feat which you take to become one. The first time you take this feat, you gain access to 0-level spells and 2 skill points which may only be put into spells and the spell casting skill. Each additional time you take this feat, you gain access to spells one level higher, and 1 more skill points (with the same restrictions). You may put your mundane skill points into spells and spell casting skill with no restrictions.

You may never cast spells more than half your level (rounded up).

It costs 1 skill point to know a spell, or 2 skill points to master it. If you are researching the spell on your own, this takes 7 days (8 hours per day) per skill point. If you have a spellbook with the spell in it, this only takes 1 day (8 hours per day) per skill point.

You may put points into your spell casting skill with the usual level limits on skills. The spell casting skill is different for each type of spell casting, and is named after the spell caster type (thus, a diviner has a divination skill; an illusionist has an illusion skill).

Casting Spells

You may cast any spell you know. This takes one full action and requires the usual components for the spell. You then make a spell casting skill check, with the following DCs:

[COLOR=coral]
DC 10 + (spell level x 4) base casting difficulty
add damage taken if hit while casting
    (halve if this is continuing damage, such as from an [i]acid arrow[/i]
add the save DC-10 (min 0) of a distracting spell (such as [i]flash[/i])
add +10 if grappling or pinned
add +5 for violent motion (galloping warhorse, small boat in white water)
add +10 for incredibly violent motion (large earthquake)
add +5 if casting defensively
    [b]these rules replace the Concentration skill[/b][/COLOR]

Against Magic Resistance, the spell only affects the target if you exceeded the target's resistance number with your spell casting check.

Once you have cast the spell, make a Will save against DC 10 + (spell level x 2). On failure, the caster becomes Winded (STR -2, DEX -2, can not run). If already Winded, caster becomes Exhausted (STR -4, DEX -4, can not move faster than a walk). If already Exhausted, caster falls unconscious. Caster may recover by one stage per hour of rest.

If you have mastered a spell:
+2 competency bonus to the spell casting skill check and the Will save vs fatigue.
+2 competency bonus to related rolls (such as spellcraft to identify the spell).
+2 to DCs for others to save vs your spells (or disbelieve for illusions).

Impact On Setting

A 5th level spell caster should be able to cast level-0 and level-1 spells all day long with little or no difficulty. Level-2 spells will be somewhat chancy, and level-3 spells may be close to impossible for any but a specialist. Regardless, the highest level spells a spell caster can use will tend to fatigue the caster very quickly, while the lowest level spells will tend to not be fatiguing at all.

Will this result in magic missile machine guns? In a combat heavy game, likely so. However, this is hardly different from a similarly leveled warrior (who averages considerably more damage per round), and is unlikely to disrupt combat much. And on the other hand, it means that mages will be more likely to keep an unseen servant running constantly to step and fetch for them, and similar wizardly things... but they will be very, very hesitant to throw meteor storm just because things are a little hairy.

 

[seasong]

The Adventurer

Adventurer

The adventurer is a flexible class which acts as a foundation for whatever the character decides to become. Although hardly a master of any discipline, the adventurer possesses enough ability to get by in any field and excel in a few.

Alignment: Any
Skill Points: 6
Arms & Armor: Unarmed strikes and wrestling.

[COLOR=coral]Lvl     Attk    AC    HP    Fort    Ref     Will    Special
1       +0      +0    +0    +0      +1      +0      Bonus Feat
2       +1      +0    +1    +1      +2      +1      
3       +1      +1    +1    +1      +3      +1      Bonus Feat
4       +2      +1    +2    +2      +4      +2      
5       +2      +1    +2    +2      +5      +2      Bonus Feat
6       +3      +2    +3    +3      +6      +3      
7       +3      +2    +3    +3      +7      +3      Bonus Feat
8       +4      +2    +4    +4      +8      +4      
9       +4      +3    +4    +4      +9      +4      Bonus Feat
10      +5      +3    +5    +5      +10     +5      [/COLOR]

Party Roles: An adventurer can be an expert dungeon delver, a wilderness guide, a jack-of-all-trades, a minstrel, a spell casting handyman, a rogueish con man, a reasonably good fighter, and more. A party of all adventurers would not really be missing anything, as long as each pursued some of the needed competencies.

Spell Casting: A devoted adventurer can pick up a wide number of spell casting feats, but is sharply limited in skill with them. Generally, the adventurer is best suited to learning low-level spells in several fields.

Forgotten Realms: Use the Rogue BAB progression (and drop AC progression); use 1d6 hit die; and give a Good save progression for Fort, Ref AND Will.

Going Beyond The Core Class

An adventurer has moderate fighting ability, moderate skills, a ton of feats, and the best saving throws of the bunch. Shaping this class into a bard or rogue is almost too easy, simply with skill and feat selection. For a bard, take a few romance-related virtue feats, a little bit of spell casting, performance skills and some performance-related feats. For the rogue, start with criminal skills and feats and add in some saving throw bonuses.

The adventurer can also make an excellent wilderness character, focusing her skills on lores, tracking and stealth, and her feats on nature spells, wilderness feats and archery. Focused more on the spells, you have a druid; focused more on the skills and archery, you have a ranger. Note that a ranger-oriented adventurer will not be as good a fighter, but will be far more competent at the non-fighter aspects of being a ranger.

An adventurer with divinity-related virtue feats, divine spell casting, and the appropriate conquer & convert mentality can make an excellent missionary cleric. The moderate fighting and survival skills will likely come in handy, as well.

As a spell caster, the adventurer is unlikely to ever be very good at the awe-inspiring, high level spells - the DCs for those spells will simply be too high. However, a veritable cornucopia of low-level spells can be gotten by taking a wide range of spell-casting feats at the level 0-2 range. And unlike the specialist spell caster, the adventurer will not be giving up combat worthiness in the pursuit of magic, making an almost ideal defensive caster.

 

[seasong]

The Fighter

Fighter

The fighter is a specialist of a different calibre, focusing on athletic prowess and brute violence rather than highly skilled labor. Like the specialist, the fighter is supported by the community, and in return defends it.

Alignment: Any
Skill Points: 4
Arms & Armor: 6, plus all armor & shields

[COLOR=coral]Lvl     Attk    AC    HP    Fort    Ref     Will    Special
1       +1      +0    +1    +1      +0      +0      Bonus Feat
2       +2      +1    +2    +2      +1      +1      
3       +3      +1    +3    +3      +1      +1      
4       +4      +2    +4    +4      +2      +2      
5       +5      +2    +5    +5      +2      +2      Bonus Feat
6       +6      +3    +6    +6      +3      +3      
7       +7      +3    +7    +7      +3      +3      
8       +8      +4    +8    +8      +4      +4      
9       +9      +4    +9    +9      +4      +4      Bonus Feat
10      +10     +5    +10   +10     +5      +5      
[/COLOR]

Party Roles: A fighter can learn to cover some side roles if they do not require too great an expertise, such as hunting or scouting, but the primary role of the fighter is to apply brute force where ever needed.

Spell Casting: Only slightly better suited to spell casting than the laborer, the fighter may find it worth his time to pick up a few minor enhancement or utility spells, but is otherwise best suited to putting his feats elsewhere.

Forgotten Realms: Use a (PHB) fighter, but replace the fighter's bonus feats with the above bonus feat progression and 4 skill points base. Remember that skill points are used for many combat feats now!

Going Beyond The Core Class

The fighter can be viewed as a specialist's opposite - brute force rather than subtle skills. With a few wilderness skills and feats, the fighter is an unmatched guerilla soldier; with the wealth for heavy arms and armor, and some horse skills and feats, the fighter becomes a knightly force of nature.

A fighter has enough feats and skills to become a moderate spell caster. This can be combined with a knight approach and divine spells to make a paladin, or combined with avoidance and arcane spells to make a fierce battle mage. Regardless, however, any fighter taking the path of magic should choose it with an eye towards enhancing basic combat, rather than replacing it.

Two unusual classes are almost wholly the realm of the fighter: the barbarian and oriental monk. Achieving either involves the devotion of a number of feats, but can result in a more deadly fighter within their specialty.

 

[seasong]

The Laborer

Laborer (not suitable for PCs)

Alignment: Any
Skill Points: 4
Arms & Armor: Unarmed strikes and wrestling.

[COLOR=coral]Lvl     Attk    AC    HP    Fort    Ref     Will    Special
1       +0      +0    +0    +1      +0      +0      None
2       +0      +0    +0    +2      +0      +0      
3       +1      +0    +1    +3      +1      +1      
4       +1      +0    +1    +4      +1      +1      
5       +1      +0    +1    +5      +1      +1      
6       +2      +0    +2    +6      +2      +2      
7       +2      +0    +2    +7      +2      +2      
8       +2      +0    +2    +8      +2      +2      
9       +3      +0    +3    +9      +3      +3      
10      +3      +0    +3    +10     +3      +3      [/COLOR]

Spell Casting: A laborer can expend her precious few feats and some skill points on spell casting, adding a few low-level, unsteady spells to the local community. Although not well suited to being a real spell caster, this kind of hedge wizard can be very useful to rural regions.

Forgotten Realms: Use the commoner class.

Going Beyond The Core Class

The laborer fills out most of the population. Most laborers will fill the shoes of farmers, dock workers, porters, shopkeepers, servants and so on.

A laborer who studies magic will be generally poor at it by the standards of the rarified specialist, but most regions boast a hedge mage because specialists can't be bothered to live on a rural frontier... and the hedge mage is tougher than the specialist in a fight, too.

A laborer with the right wilderness skills and feats could be a reasonably competent woodsman (and fighters underestimate their knowledge of the local lay of the land at peril). Or with a divinity-related feat of virtue or two, a proper holy man.

In short, the laborer can get by just fine without heroes, thank you very much.

 

[seasong]

The Specialist

Specialist

The specialist rarely exists outside of an urban setting, where she can be supported by the community while she pursues fields of study which require utmost devotion. Specialists are the professionals, sages and skilled crafters who make modern civilization possible.

Alignment: Any
Skill Points: 8
Arms & Armor: 0

[COLOR=coral]Lvl     Attk    AC    HP    Fort    Ref     Will    Special
1       +0      +0    +0    +0      +0      +1      +2 bonus to one skill
2       +0      +0    +0    +0      +0      +2      Bonus Feat
3       +0      +0    +1    +1      +1      +3      
4       +0      +0    +1    +1      +1      +4      +2 bonus to one skill
5       +0      +0    +1    +1      +1      +5      Bonus Feat
6       +0      +0    +2    +2      +2      +6      
7       +0      +0    +2    +2      +2      +7      +2 bonus to one skill
8       +0      +0    +2    +2      +2      +8      Bonus Feat
9       +0      +0    +3    +3      +3      +9      
10      +0      +0    +3    +3      +3      +10     +2 bonus to one skill[/COLOR]

Skill Focus: The specialist may apply this to the same skill over and over again, or take a different one each time.

Party Roles: A specialist generally takes on a role that becomes more useful when the specialist's incredible discipline and focus is applied to it, such as spell casting, breaking & entering, or sagacious knowledge. The specialist is somewhat poorly suited to violent activity, however, and will usually need to be protected during such.

Spell Casting: The specialist can be the consumate spell caster, by focusing his dedication on one area and pursuing it to completion. Although not capable of taking as many spell casting feats as the adventurer, the specialist is far better at the act of casting itself, and can handle higher level spells with more consistency.

Forgotten Realms: Use a d4 hit die, poor Fort & Ref saves, and good Will saves. Drop the AC progression.

Going Beyond The Core Class

The specialist represents the pinnacle of focused discipline supported by society. Specialists are, by their very nature, superfluous to the community... but although they are not needed for survival, they are also the defining element of a proper civilization. They are exceptionally competent in those fields they study and (freed of draining physical labor) can produce works that can not be matched by the casual studies of the adventurer or hard work of the peasant. Among the populace, specialists are the alchemists, scholars, priests, master crafters, diplomats, bankers, architects and more.

The utter lack of self-defense largely bars the specialist from combat-related fields (for a combination fighter and specialist, play an adventurer). Otherwise, however, the specialist is not particularly limiting in scope.

A wilderness-oriented specialist might be a scholarly druid, gentle herbalist or clever naturist (who avoids fights through stealth and cunning). Wilderness feats and skills (and nature-oriented spells) would be the hallmarks of this character.

The specialist really shines as a spell caster. Skill focus and loads of skill points provides the oomph necessary for high level spells, and bonus feats make them accessible. The specialist is also the most typical spell caster, lacking any real fighting ability.

Specialists also make good divinity-oriented characters, with enough feats to balance a few divinity-related feats with reasonable divine spell casting. However, a specialist priest will play differently than the fighting cleric.

A specialist also makes a good rogue, albeit a less violent and more specialized one. A specialist with breaking & entering skills makes a masterful addition to any dungeon crawl (or urban investigation), and one who focuses on stealth and avoidance will be nigh-impossible to catch.

 

[Anabstercorian]

Very cool

These are very impressive. Excellent work, I think. This looks like it would be a very fun d20 game.

 

[seasong]

Anabstercorian:
Thanks! It's still in its preliminary stage, I fear. Comments from Inex Hull and mmadsen in another thread led me to scrap the original set of core classes I'd built and write these... about two days ago. So I'm hoping that all the fine folks here can help me polish them .

And, of course, I'll be releasing it OGL .

 

[EarthsShadow]

I think this is nice and different than standard d20. When do you think you will be finished with it, and do you have a website for any further details?