Level Up (A5E) (+) Project Chronicle: Class Conceits and Narrative Role

[Steampunkette]

Sample class description for Adept:

Adept​

Across the lands there are countless ways to fight. To battle. To kill and die. But in my experience, there are only a handful of ways that we are trained to do so. Whether it is with the weapons of War, in grand military traditions and ancient fighting styles, in the ways of the Hunter, borrowing some of what the colleges of war might teach and combining it with tracking and skilled archery, or the unarmed styles of those who rise up against oppressers or spill blood on the sand to the delight of the crowd.

This last group of people are widely called the Adepts. While many have skill with weapons of war, their greater skills lie within unarmed combat rather than in the mastery of sword or axe. In your journeys you will meet them, if you live long enough or visit arenas to slake your thirst of violence.

Peasant Warriors​

While the first adepts were likely those who fought without weapons in some ancient battle long lost to the spreading sands. But even now, in kingdoms and khanates across the world there are Tyrants who keep their populace, particularly priests, unarmed for fear of uprisings and usurpers. In these places, Adepts are often priests who are trained to protect temples and the congregation within using only the simplest of weapons, common tools, and their own bodies.

Such adepts are often deeply religious and philosophical people. Most are well educated and often well read. Many write chronicles of their own, poetry, and histories of their peoples and their religion. Others spend their time transcribing works from language to language, often making faithful copies of older works that paper, rotting in a darkened library, will not take it's secrets into decay.

Gladiators​

Under the watchful gaze and brutal lash of a master, many a slave is trained to do battle for the pleasure of a roaring crowd. Often by a valued slave, a champion gladiator largely retired. These warriors are often trained to use specific weapons to great effect, but are also trained to kill in brutal hand to hand combat without weapons of any kind. In many of the fighting pits and arenas of the world, Gladiators who survive a certain number of victories are set free, or are able to buy their freedom from their winnings.

But just as often, if not moreso, former gladiator-slaves break free by violence. Whether by their own hand, or by the hands of those who would see no one chained and enslaved. Often, former gladiators find themselves leading such revolutions. Just as often, those revolutions are crushed under the iron fist of tyrants and mercenary armies who care nothing for freedom... save their own.
-The Chronicler-

Lustful Cries and Roars of Rage​

Blood filled Nissa’s mouth after Agarites’ blow across her cheek and jaw, the heavy round pommel of his short bladed falx had landed a solid connection and sent her staggering back a few feet. The crowd gasped and then roared over the impact. She spat blood upon the sands of the arena, and thrust the butt of her shortspear into the hard-packed dirt beneath the sands. Agarites raised his swords high and offered a throaty howl to rile the crowd.

He ran to her, arms wide. He expected her to strike, to aim for his unprotected torso, where the thin leather of costume armor would provide no protection but the narrow angle of a spear-thrust could be dodged by turning the body… she would give him no such opportunity. Instead she turned her shield upon the diagonal and lunged! He closed his arms enough to cushion the impact of her shield slam, but her feet were braced while he had been mid-step. And now it was he who fell back from the impact.

But Nissa was upon him. Driving, holding his body against the shield by her rush, forcing him back on his heels. He’d topple if he didn’t brace, and she gave him no opportunity. Back and down he tumbled, though he had the presence of mind to kick his feet against the sand to push, to outpace her charge in a backward leap that landed him on his back and set him to roll ass over head as her spearhead buried into the sand where his belly had been.

The crowd laughed at Agarites’ misfortune, misjudgement, but there were no cheers for Nissa upon that blow. For no blood had spilled. She settled her shield on the diagonal, spear resting across it, that she could grip the butt of it and drive forth with extra reach, chasing Agarites back while he was still on his heels from outside of the range of his falx. The man growled in frustration and anger as he dodged long blows and backed into the wall of the arena. Nissa knew that had been a mistake… she only intended to get him near the wall, not against it. She’d overreached.

Bracing his back to the wall, Agarites had left her only one avenue of attack, to his face. He could not turn and run, she could not overpower him to force his footsteps in any direction. While he was certainly in a poor position to strike, he was no longer at her mercy and the man knew it. With both falx he struck the spear aside, Nissa’s grip low on the haft meant her control had been weakened. She struggled to draw it back from the wide angle it had been cast at while Agarites returned to the offensive.

That was her cue, and with a grim set of her jaw, she drew the shortsword from the sheath within the shield. With a scream of vicious anger she lashed out against Agarites as he lunged, and though his falx caught the blade before it could make grievous work of his belly, he was left with a long and shallow cut from the strike running from right hip to his navel, the sword continued it’s arc under his deflection and sent a spray of blood glittering in a narrow arc before landing upon the sands like a short red serpent. Agarites, now, stepped back with blood. He dabbed fingers at the wound as the crowd roared for Nissa.

He was far less dangerous off his horse.

As I had previously noted, one example of how a D&D setting has never been presented is -as- Prose. Narrative describing action and character as the primary way of getting the class across. Where the game mechanics are presented as an aside, essentially. A step out of character and into crunch. This is kind of how I intend to get that across. A half page outlining descriptions of the class from a character perspective, the Chronicler, and then an apparent excerpt from a longer story about a specific character or characters who are members of that class.

Generally the sourcebooks are presented in the reverse. A paragraph or two of quick character asides and descriptions, and then tons of crunch.

Should I stick with this schtick for presentation, or go for something less bombastic and time-consuming?

 

[Faolyn]

Since this is a setting book, go for the prose. It helps to give the world the flavor you want. (It's why Planescape has so much flavor, even if it's sometimes a pain to find the actual mechanics.)

 

[Krachek]

A DM can, of course, decide that there's a continent far in some direction or another where Ninja and Samurai and Warrior Monks who run on water or up the leaves of bamboo all come from. I can't stop them from doing that.

I just don't wanna make it a specific -thing- in the setting. So I'll be aiming the Adepts (A5e's Unarmed Fighters) toward more of a gladiatorial or priest role.

Both gladiator and priest make sense. Displine, training, devotion. The encounter of both path can produce interesting situation.

 

[GuyBoy]

Absolutely go with the prose. You have a gift for S&S writing, so definitely use it. The mechanics which follow are then tied into the setting in an evocative and colourful way. I could taste the coppery blood in my mouth as I spat it on the arena floor in your last example.

Regarding the spell tomes. They similarly add flavour and also add elements of old school (in a good way, not an Ernie G way!) as PC spellcasters rescue the cracked yellowed parchment from beneath the crumbled rocks at the back of the ancient cave.
It works particularly well if wizards are rare and mighty.

 

[Composer99]

For a setting book, I think you want to be oozing prose, flavour, and ways to tie classes thematically into the setting. Further to Faolyn's remarks, if you have any mechanical changes to the baseline rules of the game, you'd want the book layout to be such that they are easy to find (perhaps set aside in a few chapters or sections at the very end).

Not quite related to your question, but related to the flavour presented for the adept (very flavourful, by the way!), I think you might be missing a word or two in this passage:

Others spend their time transcribing works from language to language, often making faithful copies of older works that paper, rotting in a darkened library, will not take it's secrets into decay.

 

[Steampunkette]

For a setting book, I think you want to be oozing prose, flavour, and ways to tie classes thematically into the setting. Further to Faolyn's remarks, if you have any mechanical changes to the baseline rules of the game, you'd want the book layout to be such that they are easy to find (perhaps set aside in a few chapters or sections at the very end).

Not quite related to your question, but related to the flavour presented for the adept (very flavourful, by the way!), I think you might be missing a word or two in this passage:

Tossing the word "So" in front of "that paper" will probably fix it for most readers, yeah.

 

[Steampunkette]

And here's the Gladiator Subclass for Adepts on the page following the initial class description. Could do a half-page art splash, or put the Berserker Subclass next to the Gladiator and before the Berserker class description... Or we could shuffle the first page to have the half-page art splash after the Chronicler's description and move the excerpt of Nissa and Agarities to page 2 just before, and sharing a page with, the Gladiator subclass... Thoughts?

Gladiator, Adept Subclass​

Frenzied Cheers​

All Gladiators are skilled performers, as riling the crowd to howls and cries of the crowd are the entire point. At 3rd level, when you choose this subclass, you gain proficiency in Performance.

Guarded Motions​

Gladiators often, but not always, use shields to defend themselves. You gain proficiency in shields, and the ability to use them with your combat maneuvers. If you are wielding a shield you can expend your Bonus Action to increase the DC of one combat maneuver by 2 until the start of your next turn.

If you are not wielding a shield, you can expend your reaction when making a Flurry of Blows to gain a bonus to your armor class equal to the number of times you hit with your Flurry of Blows this turn. This bonus lasts until the start of your next turn.

Showmanship​

At 6th level, you can use your bonus action to taunt and mock a creature within 30 feet of you. The creature must be able to hear you but doesn’t have to understand the same language in order for this feature to have an effect on it. Make a Charisma (Performance) check contested by the creature’s Wisdom (Insight) check. On a successful check, the creature becomes visibly flustered and has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.

You can use this feature a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and regain expended uses at the end of a short or long rest.

No Sell​

Starting at 11th level, you can use your reaction to shrug off damage when you are hit by a weapon attack that deals bludgeoning, piercing, or slashing damage. When you do so, you gain resistance to that instance of the damage. You must be able to see the attacker in order to use this feature.

Champion of the Sands​

At 17th level you become a true God of the Arena. Whenever you land a critical hit you can immediately use your Flurry of Blows or Showmanship class feature without expending a bonus action. You can only benefit from this feature once per turn.

(Note Block) Flurry of Bonuses​

A 17th level Gladiator who isn't wielding a shield can gain a a bonus to armor class of 2 by expending their reaction and bonus action if both of their Flurry of Blows attacks land on their target. But if they land a Critical Hit during their turn, they can follow it with another two Flurry of Blows attacks. Which could raise their AC by a total of 4.

 

[Steampunkette]

And here's the Berserker writeup.

Berserker​

Rage. The fire which burns in all hearts. Placed there by the Beast when we were but animals, wild things in his world, raised by the other gods. It lets our blood boil, our hands leap to violence. There are many who will claim that rage is wicked. Evil by it's very nature. But these few have never had need to defend themselves, in truth. Never heard the rush of blood in their ears as battle was joined.

Pity them their decadent lives. Pity them their still hearts and unmoved spirits that languish in a prison of flesh. For those who have never felt rage have never loved anything enough to rise up in fury at threat of it.

Wild Folk in Dark Times​

Tribes roam the grasslands, forests, and deserts of the world. Often protected by wild warriors who hearken to their rage, to the pound of their hearts. Primal and powerful, these Berserkers hunt and kill, war and woo, with deepest passion. Boisterous and boundless, they rove.

Some even claim the Khufu Sea is their own, leading crews of pirates and raiders from the isles of Ellenici or the shores of Neasc.

In all cases, these folk are dangerous to all around them, including their allies. For while rage itself is not evil, the things we do when we embrace it, succumb to it, can be. The curses of the Gods can find us all. And the Berserker as easily as any other.

You would do well to hear your heart's flame, but keep that dark fire lest it burn all you are, and all you hold dear.

Cold Rage and Fine Silk​

Those of the cities are not immune to the heat of rage, to the burning of their hearts. But in the decadent and delicate cities of the world, places of politeness, of false modesty, rage must be hidden, contained, ignored. But not all can ignore their rage, much as they try to hide it. To control the heat that burns behind their eyes.

These ones, these polite berserks, are more common than one might imagine. Constrained, bound, and kept from the fullness of their passions many become like caged beasts, pacing the confines of their lives, waiting for the opportunity to release even the smallest fragment of rage wrapped in cold manner... It bears not the flame of the beast, but the cold edge of steel.

For while a tyrant king may choose to let loose their rage upon their people, those who do not hold that position must contain their violence until the time is right, and hide it even unto that moment.
-The Chronicler-

Hammers and Chains​

The alarm is raised as the guard slumps, lifeless, in Madius' hands. His eyes turn up as the guards' close to see the fires of the watchtowers grow, torches lit, braziers flaring to life along the wall. Hastily he drops down with the tumbling body to search for a key, a pick, anything to unshackle himself, his wife.

He turns his head toward her cry before he registers that he hears anything. One of the oafish guards has her by the hair, his eyes full of anger at her attempted escape. Madius rises, chains between his hands rattling with the motion, and runs down the hillside to hurl himself bodily at the guard. For the briefest moment there is a look of confusion on the minotaur's face, almost bemusement, when Madius crashes into him.

And falls to the ground, his weakened state getting the better of him. The wife of Scyles, however, pulls the dagger from the guard's belt in the distraction and pulls it up with both hands to sever the handful of hair within the minotaur's hand. Between the laughable attack and the sudden jerk of his own hand, it's prize lost, the guard bellows a shocked laugh.

Moments before the dagger bites into flesh. Xalais pulls up hard on the blade to rend the cow-man's fat gut, twists the blade to rend further, and the bullish roar that results brings a shocked smile to her face. Perhaps the minotaur did not know that Scythian women are all trained to fight from the same age as the boys...

Madius finds his footing as the minotaur's broad arm slams into Xalais, pushing her back far enough to bring the club down upon her neck and shoulder. Madius leaps to cling to the Minotaur's wrist, to slow the blow, the chain on his hands making this almost impossible. He feels the cold iron biting into his flesh, much as the guard had felt it in his belly. And for a moment that rage burns in him as hotly as it did months before.

For a moment, he is in the great tent, again. Seated across the table from the tribal leaders, laughing a false laugh at Scyles' frail humor to avoid the man's ire. Drinking down wine and making merry when he wants nothing more than to rip out the man's eyes for what he dared do. For a moment, perhaps, his smile wavered, but none knew.

None knew that his rage would tear Scyles from the world.

The blow slowed, Xalais was still tossed to the ground by the impact, and the cold rage Madius had hidden so well rose anew. As it had risen when Scyles found Xalais in Madius' arms. As it had risen when he dragged Xalais from the bed to fling her against the wall. As it had risen while he choked the life from his rival, from the chieftain of his own tribe.

The guard, his thews flexing under Madius's grip, raised his arm, lifting the man from his feet, and brought his other meaty paw to bear, gripping Madius by the throat. The rage in the man's eyes grew as breath was stolen from his lungs.

His rage would lie cold in the pit of his stomach no longer. His choice had lead Xalais to shackles and he would see them broken. Tooth and Claw, he fought the minotaur, tearing at the mighty guard's flesh, grappling like a man possessed, he even managed to hold the great bulk down for Xalais to strike with dagger.

With love the two looked to each other. With gratitude they looked up to Moadi upon the burning wall. Freedom would be theirs, to ride the grasslands in the west. Far from Kyran.

For the Subclass I'm thinking a "Cold Rage" Berserker. A Decadent Berserker. The courtier who must contain their boiling anger and release it only when appropriate.

For class functions I'm thinking the ability to eke out their rages. Like... In A5e you start a Rage and it lasts for 1 minute. There's no "You must swing every round to maintain rage" requirement... But what if a Coldrage barbarian could start raging and get 10 rounds of rage that don't have to be consecutive?

You could spend 1 round of rage -out of combat- and just -sit- on the other 9. When combat starts, you can use rounds of rage for every round of combat, or keep a hold of it on rounds when it won't help without "Wasting" that round. Instead of 2 rages per day, they get 20 rounds they can spend, keeping them "Raging" through pretty much every fight.

But still no concentrating on spells while your rage is "Active" even if it's not in immediate use. If that makes sense?

And then for later abilities, protection against Emotion or Mind-Control stuff based on the ability to control their emotions and tame their own rage. Probably a "Surprising Rage" thing where you can make a deception check to get advantage to do something violent to someone by making the rage in your eyes die just long enough to trick them...

 

[Steampunkette]

... I should have done Bard second, not Berserker. I initially wrote it as Barbarian but then changed it when I remembered the name change happened. So Bard is next.

 

[Blue Orange]

You really have a vision for your world. I'm really excited to see how it turns out!