light armor classes

[jollyninja]

Essentially, I'm starting up a new homebrew. What I'm looking for is a list of the classes that use light or no armor as the world is one with little in the way of metalworking. it is also a low magic world.

I'm open to d20 stuff but as my flgs (read only lgs) sucks and i don't really want to order a bunch of books just to get a class out of each, wizards stuff is more helpful.

 

[Imperialus]

Hrm... this is a tough one. Personally I think the toughest shoes to fill will be the fighting classes, the Fighters, Paladins and other classes that rely on armour.

The Hexblade is an interesting spellcasting class that can wear light armour and focus' primarily on self buffing to become a more effective fighter. Simplest example off the top of my head is truestrike which combined with a fighter type build attribute wise can allow a Hexblade to deal some pretty significant damage with a melee weapon.

One other thing to consider (and perhaps I'm presuming a bit too far into your campaign) is that low tech does not necessarily mean that there is no heavy armour. Even Darksun had some heavier armour types and there was almost no metal there. A bronze breastplate and greaves would probably be considered heavy armour for example and bronze working is a fairly simple metalworking skill. There may be other examples of heavy armour depending on where exactly your tech level sits.

For example in a campaign that I'm roughing out I'm trying to set things at a late darkage early middle age era. Think of the battle of Hastings give or take a decade from 1066. Heavy cavalry and lances are just starting to prove their dominance of the battlefield and chainmail is just about the best armour anyone can get. Looking at heavy armour in the PHB all of it (with the possible exception of splint mail which is a fictional armour type anyhow) is a variant of plate armour, which is about 300 years too advanced for what I'm shooting for. I solved this by creating a few new armour types with simmilar stats as other heavy armour but fit the tone I'm looking for. One example is "Horsemans Mail" which is basically heavy chainmail with the rings packed much more densely. I gave it stats simmilar to halfplate which although it's not quite as effective as full plate it allows those who want to create tanks an option.

 

[PallidPatience]

Swashbuckler is really good. You could also look into Arcana Evolved for the Unfettered. Also, if you do a google search for Under the Dragon's Banner, there's a class in the free pdf that uses little armor known as the Dai'dore. Of course, that's meant for WoT d20, so you might not be using it.

The best thing to do is utilize class defense bonuses if you want to promote light armor.

 

[Nyaricus]

Here's a list of all of WotC Classes:

List

Archivist (HoH)
Ardent (ComPsi)
Artificer (ECS)
Barbarian (PHB)
Bard (PHB)
Bardic Sage (UA)
Battle Sorcerer (UA)
Beguiler (PHBII)
Binder (ToM)
Cleric (PHB)
Cloistered Cleric (UA)
Crusader (ToB)
Divine Bard (UA)
Divine Mind (ComPsi)
Domain Wizard (UA)
Dragon Shaman (PHBII)
Dread Necromancer (HoH)
Druid (PHB)
Druidic Avenger (UA)
Duskblade (PHBII)
Erudite (ComPsi)
Favored Soul (ComDiv)
Fighter (PHB)
Healer (MHB)
Hexblade (ComWar)
Incarnate (MoI)
Knight (PHBII)
Lurk (ComPsi)
Marshal (MHB)
Monk (PHB)
Mystic (DLCS)
Ninja (ComAdven)
Noble (DLCS)
Paladin (PHB)
Paladin of Freedom (UA)
Paladin of Slaughter (UA)
Paladin of Tyranny (UA)
Psion (XPH)
Psychic Warrior (XPH)
Ranger (PHB)
Rogue (PHB)
Samurai (ComWar)
Savage Bard (UA)
Scout (ComAdven)
Shaman (OA)
Shadowcaster (ToM)
Shugenja (ComDiv)
Sohei (OA)
Sorcerer (PHB)
Soulborn (MoI)
Soulknife (XPH)
Swordsage (ToB)
Spellthief (ComAdven)
Spirit Shaman (ComDiv)
Swashbuckler (ComWar)
Thug (UA)
Totem Barbarian (UA)
Totemist (MoI)
Truenamer (ToM)
Urban Ranger (UA)
Warblade (ToB)
Warlock (ComArc)
Warmage (ComArc)
Wilder (XPH)
Wilderness Rogue (UA)
Wizard (PHB)
Wu Jen (ComArc)

Hope that helps!

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

If I'm looking at running a light armor PC whom I expect to see melee duty, I start by looking at:

Shaman (OA)
Soulknife (XPH)
Ranger (PHB)
Scout (CAdv)
Ninja (CAdv)
Warmage (CArc)
Psychic Warrior (XPH)
Monk (PHB)
Sohei (OA)
Lurk (CPsi)
Battledancer (DCv1)

Note that the OA classes were updated to 3.5 in Dragon Magazine #317 and the Soulknife got some nice feats in Dragon Magazine #341,

 

[Remathilis]

Have you considered using all the classes, but with Defense Bonus to AC?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

Your description screams a world heavy with barbarians, rangers, rogues, scouts, and swashbucklers. Take the heavy armor base classes (fighter, paladin, cleric) and substitute another feat or ability instead of heavy armor proficiency -- weapon focus for fighter or paladin, and something appropriately holy for the cleric.

I'm thinking Conan meets Fafhrd and the Grey Mouser -- not much in the way of heavy armor in either.

 

[Nifft]

Rangers and Barbarians are going to be even better than usual, and Fighters are going to be even weaker than usual (which is okay, since anyone taking more than 2-4 levels of Fighter deserves to suffer).

Clerics will be weaker, while Druids will continue to rule the world. Consider giving Clerics another two skill points to make them feel better.

Light-armor classes include:
- Rogue
- Ranger
- Swashbuckler (icky, C:War)
- Scout (C:Adv)
- Bard
- Binder (ToM)
- Warlock (C:Arc)
- Spellthief (C:Adv)
- Truenamer (ToM)
- Warmage (C:Arc)
- Dragon Shaman (PHB II)
- Beguiler (PHB II)
- Battle Sorcerer (UA)

Sort-of light armor classes include:
- Barbarian (best in light armor for speed)
- Monk (no armor)
- Druid (no need for armor after level 5)


Now, I like the idea of low-magic meaning all magical PCs are wierdos, there are no colleges of magic, and magic powers are generally inherent rather than learned. So that's the direction I'm going to take when considering classes.

The non-magical classes I like for this setting would be:
- Fighter (variant that gets +2 skill points/level, and has Tumble, Sense Motive and Spot)
- Barbarian
- Rogue
- Scout

The magical classes would be:
- Ranger
- Spellthief (variant that gets +2 skill points/level, since his main schtick is nerfed)
- Bard
- Battle Sorcerer but renamed "Elf Paragon" (allowed to choose ANY spell from Sorc/Wiz, Cleric or Druid list)
- Binder
- Warlock
- Truenamer
- Dragon Shaman

None of these guys has tame, trustworthy magic. They all pretty much hate each other (except for Bards, whom everyone likes, but no-one respects).

Most magic items would be created by Warlocks rather than Wizards and/or Clerics, because there are no Wizards, Clerics or Druids.

Hope this is helpful.
Cheers, -- N