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<blockquote data-quote="Jack7" data-source="post: 4673632" data-attributes="member: 54707"><p>I can tell ya how we do it K, game editions irrespective.</p><p></p><p>In my setting I have created a Vadding/Sharper/Acer (that's the different names of what we call them) character type.</p><p></p><p>A Vadder is someone who has their own class but also learns certain skill suites, like thieving skills (regardless of class) and how to Vad. So it is like a mini-class overlay. A specialized set of skill suites and capabilities.</p><p></p><p>Once they learn these suites and become pretty good at them then they can operate on their own, regardless of their character class, because they have a wide range of thieving, infiltration, espionage, and survival skills to rely upon in any given situation.</p><p></p><p>Consider it like Special Forces training for an adventure, and the suites learned concentrate upon purely useful skills and necessary ones, skills that will increase effectiveness and survivability.</p><p></p><p>When I say that they then operate alone I mean they operate entirely alone, without help in the field, and often without back-up or any real hope of extraction or rescue.</p><p></p><p>They also often work undercover. So skills like stealth, developing good cover stories, being a convincing liar, etc. are all essential, because you want to be able to talk and/or trick your way out of trouble rather than fight your way out of trouble, especially if outnumbered and/or outarmed.</p><p></p><p>Now since a single adventurer, no matter how good, is usually at a severe disadvantage operating alone most of these solo adventures are urban adventures, not penetrating dangerous and complicated dungeons. But there is aloe work like infiltrating Guilds and organizations, hostage rescue work, scouting, theft, reconnaissance, surveillance, work for hire, etc. And Acers can work either for others or for themselves, on their own initiative.</p><p></p><p>I've never created an Acer mission solely for "class purposes" but that shouldn't be hard to arrange. Just build the mission around some function, item, event, or objective peculiar to the class, or the particular character you have in mind. Adding in NPCs and minions would be up to you but as far as I'm concerned the real effort should be put into developing ways, like the Vadder described above which makes it possible for individual characters to survive on their own, in the cold, perhaps for long periods of time. Perhaps undercover and likely with a new or assumed identity. I suggest a study of undercover operations to give you some idea of how it works because such people become very, very good at surviving within hostile environments without being either detected for what they really are, or without being killed (most of the time).</p><p></p><p>Now classes that are already excellent disposed towards making good Vadders include the Rogue and the Ranger and the Barbarian (to a degree) as well as a Cleric. Spies and Bards make good Acers. Others who make good Vadders are charismatic types, good liars, and shrewd and clever characters and players. Successfully operating on your own is often as much about misdirection and quick thinking as it is any set of skills or class abilities.</p><p></p><p>As far as what skills are needed or suggested for good, single character operatives, I suggest thieving skills, camouflage and stealth, disguise, languages, good verbal skills, survival skills, being able to track and especially manhunt, reconnaissance and surveillance skills, being able to avoid or escape pursuit (escape and evasion), and being good at infiltration.</p><p></p><p>How I typically build adventures or missions is around the individual character or player I have in mind or who wants to undertake such an adventure, rather than around the class. Just find the player who wants to do this and build a scenario suited to him or her, to that character. It make it a lot more interesting than just a "class affair." Because then the player takes an especial interest in the assignment, knowing it is about him or that he is particularly suited to the work, and because you can play to that particular player and character's strengths and weaknesses, rather than just to the class idea. It makes it much, much more personal.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jack7, post: 4673632, member: 54707"] I can tell ya how we do it K, game editions irrespective. In my setting I have created a Vadding/Sharper/Acer (that's the different names of what we call them) character type. A Vadder is someone who has their own class but also learns certain skill suites, like thieving skills (regardless of class) and how to Vad. So it is like a mini-class overlay. A specialized set of skill suites and capabilities. Once they learn these suites and become pretty good at them then they can operate on their own, regardless of their character class, because they have a wide range of thieving, infiltration, espionage, and survival skills to rely upon in any given situation. Consider it like Special Forces training for an adventure, and the suites learned concentrate upon purely useful skills and necessary ones, skills that will increase effectiveness and survivability. When I say that they then operate alone I mean they operate entirely alone, without help in the field, and often without back-up or any real hope of extraction or rescue. They also often work undercover. So skills like stealth, developing good cover stories, being a convincing liar, etc. are all essential, because you want to be able to talk and/or trick your way out of trouble rather than fight your way out of trouble, especially if outnumbered and/or outarmed. Now since a single adventurer, no matter how good, is usually at a severe disadvantage operating alone most of these solo adventures are urban adventures, not penetrating dangerous and complicated dungeons. But there is aloe work like infiltrating Guilds and organizations, hostage rescue work, scouting, theft, reconnaissance, surveillance, work for hire, etc. And Acers can work either for others or for themselves, on their own initiative. I've never created an Acer mission solely for "class purposes" but that shouldn't be hard to arrange. Just build the mission around some function, item, event, or objective peculiar to the class, or the particular character you have in mind. Adding in NPCs and minions would be up to you but as far as I'm concerned the real effort should be put into developing ways, like the Vadder described above which makes it possible for individual characters to survive on their own, in the cold, perhaps for long periods of time. Perhaps undercover and likely with a new or assumed identity. I suggest a study of undercover operations to give you some idea of how it works because such people become very, very good at surviving within hostile environments without being either detected for what they really are, or without being killed (most of the time). Now classes that are already excellent disposed towards making good Vadders include the Rogue and the Ranger and the Barbarian (to a degree) as well as a Cleric. Spies and Bards make good Acers. Others who make good Vadders are charismatic types, good liars, and shrewd and clever characters and players. Successfully operating on your own is often as much about misdirection and quick thinking as it is any set of skills or class abilities. As far as what skills are needed or suggested for good, single character operatives, I suggest thieving skills, camouflage and stealth, disguise, languages, good verbal skills, survival skills, being able to track and especially manhunt, reconnaissance and surveillance skills, being able to avoid or escape pursuit (escape and evasion), and being good at infiltration. How I typically build adventures or missions is around the individual character or player I have in mind or who wants to undertake such an adventure, rather than around the class. Just find the player who wants to do this and build a scenario suited to him or her, to that character. It make it a lot more interesting than just a "class affair." Because then the player takes an especial interest in the assignment, knowing it is about him or that he is particularly suited to the work, and because you can play to that particular player and character's strengths and weaknesses, rather than just to the class idea. It makes it much, much more personal. [/QUOTE]
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