Classes

While many clerics are priests, most are wandering emissaries not tied to a church who have chosen to spread the influence of divine power. Good clerics do this by performing good deeds and being an inspiration to others. Evil clerics use terror and fear to force the masses into worshiping their hideous deities. There are no Neutral clerics.

Hirelings. Clerics get a full class bonus when hiring hirelings of the same social inclination. If the Lawful / Neutral / Chaotic part is different they only get a half bonus. If their alignment (the Good / Neutral / Evil part) is different they cannot work together, providing the cleric knows about it.

Spells. Clerics start casting spells at 1st level. Their first two spells should always be Consecrate and Turn Unbelievers. Any spell can be memorized but they only gain a half bonus if its type is not Divine.

Arms & Armor. Clerics can wield any weapon and wear any armor just as long as it presents the cleric in a positive light by way of their faith. Good clerics need to appear good. Evil clerics need to appear evil. They may disguise themselves but only for special occasions and short periods of time.

Cleric XP. Clerics gain xp by donating wealth to the needy or religious organizations at a rate of 1 xp per $1 given. Clerics also gain 100 xp by performing consecrations. This should increase in tandem with the size of what is being consecrated.

Ours is a physical world that needs to be dealt with in physical ways. Philosophers can ponder, leaders can blather, spell-casters can mess about with arcane mysteries and druids can lick their toads, but when you get right down to it, everything that has ever mattered over the course of history was settled by muscle and the weapons that it wields. Fighters may not be the most exciting characters but the effectiveness of their brute simplicity knows no bounds.

Arms & Armor. Fighters can wield any weapons and wear any armor they like, although they tend to gravitate towards the heavy armor and shields for obvious reasons.

Fighter XP. Fighters gain xp by training, which costs $1 per 1 xp and requires time spent at a training center or guild. They may also gain xp by carousing which costs $2 per 1 xp and can be done nearly anywhere.

Where clerics have chosen to worship divine powers and spread their influence, paladins have been chosen by them. You could almost call it Angelic Possession. No one is sure what causes this. It just happens. It can happen to anyone of a good alignment. When it does it completely takes over their life. While a paladin may be multi-classed, once they become a paladin that is the only class they can develop.

A Select Few. Not just anyone can be a paladin. For abilities they need at least a Muscle 12, Dexterity 10, Constitution 14, Intellect 9, Wisdom 13 and Spirit 17.

Goodness. Paladins must be either LG, NG or CG. Only the good part matters. More often than not they will be neutral good since it is the purest inclination as far as the divine force of goodness is concerned. Paladins are so resoundingly good that they cannot and will not and would rather die before doing anything evil. Should they ever do so, even if forced to do so, they will lose 1d10 x 1000 xp. As they increase in level they will become increasingly intolerant of anyone who is not good, sometimes even those who are not good enough.

Halo. Paladins always seem to be surrounded by an other-worldly feel, but starting at fourth level this manifests itself as a ring of light surrounding their head. No matter what direction you look at them from the halo will be there, unless the paladin has closed their eyes, then it disappears. The light does not project from their eyes, it is just the strange nature by which the halo works.

As a source of light, the halo has a Light equal to the paladin's level minus three. This will grow in intensity as they become more active and will double, complete with what looks like blazes of fire emanating from the ring, when they fly into a battle rage.

Paladins with a halo double the inclination bonus/penalty they gain from inclination.

Holy Avenger. The infamous holy avenger is a melee weapon that has been in the paladin's possession for an extended period of time. Like the paladin's halo, when in their possession it will burn with an unearthly fire and gain a quality bonus equal to the number of levels that it has been with the character.

So if the avenger has been there from the start it will have a quality bonus equal to the character's level in paladin. If a fifth level paladin lost their avenger at third level and had to pick up a new one it would only have a +2 bonus. In anyone else's hands, even another paladin, the avenger is simply a weapon with no quality bonus it didn't already have before coming into the paladin's possession.

Anti-Paladin. For every paladin there exists somewhere in the world an equal and opposite Anti-Paladin. This NPC is a mirror image of the character who is as resoundingly Evil as the paladin is Good. The two may not know each other but they will be able to sense the other's presence when near. The two are diametrically opposed and completely unable to work together under any circumstances. However, as much as they may despise each other, they instinctively know not to harm one another. Should either of them die the other will lose there paladin class and all of the xp that went into it. The actual body of the slain paladin/anti-paladin will mysteriously disappear and the mere mortal who remains will have a neutral alignment.

Paladin XP. Paladins gain xp by performing good deeds, how much depends on just how mighty and good the deed actually is. They also gain xp by giving wealth directly to the needy to the tune of 1 xp per $1.

Professionals are never called Professionals, they are Farmers, Bakers, and Candlestick Makers. It’s what they do for a living.

This is the simplest of callings. You rename it to fit the profession and its class bonus covers anything that seems right. They have no interesting features but they do advance in level with greater speed than any other class. Some professions commonly found in a pseudo-medieval fantasy world are:

Actor, Architect, Armorer, Artist, Astrologer, Baker, Barber, Barkeep, Barmaid, Beekeeper, Blacksmith, Brewer, Butcher, Carpenter, Cartographer, Chandler, Cobbler, Cook, Cooper, Courtesan, Dancer, Driver, Engineer, Farmer, Fisherman, Fishmonger, Fletcher, Fortune-Teller, Game Master, Glass-Blower, Herald, Herder, Jack-Of-All-Trades, Jailer, Jeweler, Judge, Laborer, Lady-In-Waiting, Leather-Worker, Locksmith, Lumberjack, Mason, Mayor, Merchant, Midwife, Miller, Miner, Money Changer, Mortician, Musician, Navigator, Noble, Peasant, Perfumer, Performer, Philosopher, Pilgrim, Potter, Priest, Rat-Catcher, Roofer, Rope-Maker, Rug-Maker, Sage, Sailor, Scribe, Sculptor, Seaman, Seamstress, Servant, Silversmith, Stable-Hand, Stonemason, Storyteller, Steward, Surgeon, Surveyor, Sycophant, Tailor, Tanner, Tax Collector, Teacher, Town Crier, Toymaker, Trapper, Weaver, Woodcarver, Woodsman, Village Idiot.

Should one of these (such as the Sailor) ever become a class of its own? Use that class instead of the Professional.

Jack-Of-All-Trades. The Jack-Of-All-Trades is a master of none. This professional dabbles in everything and gains half its class bonus to all but the most obscure pursuits (ex: they cannot cast magic spells).

Arms & Armor. Professionals can wear and wield anything but they will not normally carry anything which doesn't fit their profession. They come with more money than the other classes because professionals have day jobs.

Professional XP. Professionals gain 220 xp per month by simply getting up and going to work. This loses 20 xp for every level the professional has. So a first level professional will get 200 xp per month, at second level 180 xp per month, and so on. Eventually, they bottom out at eleventh level and gain nothing per month. These XP can only be put towards the Professional class.

Beginning professionals may seek out an apprenticeship or train at a guild costing $1 per 1 xp. They may also be self-taught, costing $4 per 1 xp.

Many have heard the call of the wild. Rangers are the ones who chose to answer. They left whatever they were doing and decided to go live in the wilderness, far away from the stultifying confines of civilized man. They are masters of wilderness survival and can use their class bonus for hunting, tracking, foraging, climbing, swimming, hiding and sneaking in the wild, keeping from getting lost, and pretty much anything having to do with surviving the wilderness.

Powers However, there is more to the ranger than just that. It is almost as if they have been chosen by the natural world to be a sworn defender. Wild animals are more at ease around them. They have greater endurance to the changes of the seasons. At higher levels they even develop magical powers with a nature-based bent. They do not study spells to get them, the magic just comes to them from the natural world almost like gifts for existing.

Problems Of course, being a ranger is not all a fun romp in the woods. They develop a pronounced dislike for urban environments which hardens everything they try to do in one. While they can deal with other people and often do employ themselves as scouts and guides, as they grow in level they will develop increasingly hermit-like tendencies, find themselves drifting further off into the wilderness. Their reliance on manufactured goods and money falls away until high level rangers become shaggy, crazy-eyed recluses, no different from the animals that surround them.

Limitations. Rangers need to have high ability scores. At the very least a Muscle 10, Dexterity 12, Constitution 16, Wisdom 15, and Spirit 14. While they can have any social inclination, they tend towards Chaotic and their alignment must always be Neutral. Low level rangers can tolerate the presence of clerics and paladins and other Good or Evil aligned classes but this becomes more of a challenge as they increase in level. Eventually they will come to recognize them as enemies and may even attack them on sight!

Metal. Metal smacks of something that is made rather than something that is found in the world. Because of this rangers will shy away from it. At low levels they can use metal weapons and even some metal enhanced armor (such as ringmail and studded leather), but at higher levels they will gravitate towards only using weapons and armor that they can make using what they can find. This makes the spear and the bow the preferred weapons of the ranger, both made using flint tips instead of steel.

Multi-Classing It is important to note just how obsessive the nature of the ranger truly is. While they can have other classes, once they become a ranger it takes over their life. They cannot pour xp into any other class.

Ranger XP. Rangers do not gain xp from treasure. Instead they get it by traveling through the wilderness. Every mile they hike gives them 2 xp which goes towards becoming a better ranger. They also get 10 xp for every 1 wear they recover while out traveling, whether on an adventure or not.

The call of the Thief is to live fast, live well, and do as little actual work as possible.

Which is not to call them lazy. When it comes to sneaking into some armored fortification to steal a handful of jewels worth more than most people make in a year, the thief will work hard to grab those stones. Even if it takes five years of constant labor to do so.

Just don't ask them to hold down a day job.

After that, thieves are a disparate bunch coming from all walks of life. They are trained in picking locks, picking pockets, searching rooms, trap detection, sneaking about, eavesdropping and any skill which helps them get what they want without anyone having to know about it. The class also helps them with Black Marketeering which is the art of finding less than legal places to buy and sell stolen goods.

Arms & Armor. Thieves can wear any armor for purpose of disguise but prefer light armor for daily use. When it comes to weapons, they like small easily hidden ones such as cudgels, daggers, nunchucks and short swords. On the whole, thieves like to draw as little attention to themselves as possible.

Thief XP. Thieves often acquire xp by training at a guild of some sort, exchanging $1 per 1 xp. Thief guilds tend to be very territorial. Voices carry so while outside of ones home base it is best to resort to carousing which costs $2 per 1 xp.

Warlords know the value of charisma. While they are more than willing to fight on their own, they know that their true purpose is to serve as an inspiration to others, leading them onto victory.

Sometimes they are out on the bloody edge of the attack. Other times they are cheering from the sidelines. And at some other less inspiring times they can be found in the back, plotting out strategies while the rest of the party does their fighting for them.

One thing is true. Whether a fighting unit is a continental army or a band of street thugs, there always seems to be a warlord standing among them. Like the king in a game of chess, they may not be the most powerful piece on the board but whether the warlord stands or falls can mean the difference between victory and defeat.

Arms & Armor. Warlords are all about presentation. While they can use any arms and wear any armor, they like to stand out from the crowd and appear bold and courageous. They will usually be found wielding the best stuff they can find.

Warlord XP. Warlords gain 10 xp every time they win initiative in battle. They can also gain xp by training at the standard rate of $1 per 1 xp or carousing for $2 per 1 xp.

Wizards are people who have fallen in love with the study of magic. While typified by the eccentric scholar living alone in a decrepit tower surrounded by teetering stacks of books, many more are just everyday people who have found a few spells and are teaching themselves how to cast them.

One place you will not find a wizard is on a battlefield or deep in a dungeon blasting goblins or dealing with dragons. At least, not if they can help it. Wizards tend to be very reluctant adventurers who know they suck at fighting. Still, sometimes a wizard needs to do what a wizard needs to do. Especially after some warlock has put them out of a job.

Intelligent! Wizards spend countless hours milling through books, trying to remember all that they read. This is not a class for the simple-minded. A character needs at least an Intellect 12 to be accepted as a Wizard.

Spells. Wizards start casting spells at 1st level. They can cast any spell that is not Divine. While you do get to pick a new character’s spells, further level advancement only increases the character's spell level limit. New spells need to be acquired while out adventuring.

Arms & Armor. Wizards can wear armor. They just won’t. Any wizard caught carrying a shield or wearing any armor heavier than Light is seen as an insult to the wizarding community and will be shunned. Wizards who wear armor scream that their magic is not good enough. Even worse, they may actually be a Warlock.

Wizard XP. Wizards gain xp by training at a guild where they are a member in good standing, often exchanging $1 per 1 xp.
They can also teach themselves but the obscure nature of their study raises the price to $10 per 1 xp. Shunned wizards have no choice but this one.

Dwarves are stocky rumbling bearded folk who live under mountains, hate to leave their mountains, and seem to talk of nothing but the mining of their beautiful mountains.

Mountains, gold, steel, battle-axes, throttling dwarf tossers, beheading orcs, killing giants and beer. Mountains of beer.

Most dwarves are miners and rarely seen above ground. However, since it is nigh impossible to herd cattle in a cave they do make regular excursions to the surface world to purchase eggs, ale, beef, grain, cabbage or anything else the rest of the mine might need, such as beer.

You can never have enough beer.

Underground Survival. Through many generations, dwarves have adapted to life underground. They have little fear of cramped spaces and are good at identifying rocks and natural passageways as well as tool-hewn ones. Dwarves can often sense tremors and cave-ins coming. They rarely get lost underground.

Dwarvish. All dwarves speak both Common and a native tongue called Dwarvish. To the unknowing, Dwarvish sounds like monotonous grunting, the verbal equivalent of a hammer pounding on an anvil, but it is an intricate language which is quite adept at conveying large amounts of information with just a few syllables. Dwarves gain a fluency bonus equal to their level in Dwarf. High level dwarves pride themselves by refusing to speak anything but Dwarvish when they can get away with it.

Arms & Armor. Dwarves are very practical. They live in their armor and prefer short heavy weapons such as axes and war hammers.

Dwarf XP. Dwarves gain xp by accruing wealth and not spending it, 1 xp per $1. This wealth cannot be gained from financial trickery or inheritance. It needs to be dug out of the ground, earned as a wage or properly stolen. Then it needs to be hidden some place safe that only the dwarf knows about.

A dwarf who loses his wealth will not only be infuriated by the loss but also be stuck with a deficit of xp points. These need to be replaced before the dwarf can advance in any class.

Nobody, not even the elves themselves, knows where they come from. Many suspect that elves are refugees from a distant kingdom that was destroyed during the great cataclysm. Despite being very slow to age none of them have memories stretching back far enough to remember that dark period of history.

Possibly because of their long lives, most elves are uninterested in raising a family or owning a dwelling. They tend to be solitary wanderers, often in search of clues to their past as well as a possible direction forward into an uncertain future.

Elvish. Elves speak both Common as well as Elvish, a language with a deep and mysterious past. Elves pride themselves on their ability to speak Elvish and gain a fluency bonus equal to their class level. Often this is used to see who can perform the best recitations of ancient Elvish poetry.

Powers. Elves are power-users who start at 1st level. They can choose any non-Divine spell as a power but only gain half a class bonus in casting it. Nature spells are their domain and they gain a full bonus when wielding them.

Fae Lights is a power that all elves are born with. The ability to use Fae Lights to weave elegant patterns is a cultural obsession. Elves will often compete to see who can draw the most beautiful pattern with the greatest strength winning it.

Orcs. To say that elves and orcs do not get along is a dramatic understatement. They will try to kill each other on sight. They may even go out of their way just to do so.

Arms & Armor. Elves can wear any kind of armor and wield any kind of weapon or shield. More often than not they wear light to medium weight armor and carry a sword and a bow.

Elf XP. Any time an Elf comes across a new piece of ancient elvish lore, they should make a Luck Save minus their level in Elf. Success means it is something they have never heard before and they gain 500 xp per success.

Halflings stand three to four feet tall. If they truly were half the height of the humans they resemble those humans would be huge. Yet, someone coined the term halfling and it has stuck with them ever since.

Generally speaking, halflings are jovial, pastoral people not given to adventure when they can help it. They would much rather herd sheep, monger cheese, brew ale and smoke curious strains of pipe weed than run a magic ring to volcano delivery service, but sometimes duty calls.

Small Size. The Halfling is a small-sized character which comes with more complications than most medium-sized characters. Be sure to read about Body Size under Adventure in the Core Rules before deciding to run one!

Arms & Armor. Halflings can wear and wield anything they like but they prefer the comfort of light weapons and armor. Unpretentiousness is important to halfling societies and any halfling caught walking about in a full suit of tailor-made platemail will be seen as haughty if not odd at the very least.

Halfling XP. Halflings are often smitten by wanderlust and gain XP from traveling to new and exciting places. Each month spent out and about seeing the world brings in 300xp to a max of 1800xp after which they need to return home and spend that same amount of time unwinding before going back out on adventure. These XP can only be spent on the Halfling class.