Earlier I mentioned that I use three classes to define a race, I think this started when I rejected the Cleric as a core race for my setting. In my mind the quintessential human is a fighter. When humans learn magic it’s through the wizard/ mage class that I refer to as the Sorcerer (not related to 3+ edition sorcerers). Finally the Thief class represents a more skill based human.
I have nothing against clerics, but in my godless setting they cannot be the focus. I effectively added them back in through a campaign class, the Magi, which was inspired by Omers Mechanist post (and no I have not played Thief!).
If I restrict myself to three classes I just don’t see clerics as being a common theme for humans. The core classes for humans each have a distinct focus, the combat character, the magic character, and the skill character.
I then add the campaign classes, again by three. Here I enforce double primes to make them less common. The Explorer returns to cater to the ranger or archer players, it’s ready to go out of the box. I add the Venturer from heroic fantasy, adding intelligence as a Prime. I have found it useful for NPC rulers/nobles who are not Fighters or Thief’s but are wealth focused, the merchant bankers of the world. Finally the Cleric returns as the Magi, a Cleric/mechanist that draws its power from a mysterious machine forged after the arrival of the visitors.
House rules
A few more of the house rules I use for the Shattered Vale.
Veteran Characters
You will have seen in some of my classes I have an option for starting at level 3. We do this in my group as we had already played some low level games and wanted a bit of a leg up. I template out character equipment in my classes for level 3 as I find its useful for one shots and NPCs.Under this rule starting characters receive 6000 xp (no bonus). This should place most characters at level 3. Characters begin with 4,000 gold and may purchase random rolls for magic items (p.253).
Hit points per level
I have gone through many options here. Trying to fix the fighter rolling a one and feeling ripped off. For a long time I used the "roll-and-choose-the-low-average-or-what-you-rolled rule", now I use the following:
All players roll 1d4 hit points per level modified by constitution. Classes with d6 hit dice add 2, classes with d8 hit dice add 4 (etc).
Using this the player gets the hit dice they pay for under the ACKS class build system and this increases the value of the hit point choice somewhat. Everyone rolls the same also makes it easy and consistent across classes.
I also use the heroic survival and base heal rate options from heroic fantasy. Given we start at level three it mitigates the starting impacts of using BHR somewhat.
Reduced negative modifiers for abilities
Rather than increasing the dice used to roll attributes, as is common these days, we instead reduce the impact of negative attributes. This has a similar impact (flipping the problem on its head), but with a different solution. This allows us to stick with the innate 3d6 roll and flavor without the need to reject a character with a critical negative roll. Combined with the fate point house rule from earlier, this has seen characters we would not normal see enter play. Negative DEX could be crippling for fighters, now it's not so much a problem. Negative CON was bad for anyone, we altered it to modifying the max roll not deducting an amount. The INT modifier offsets the prime modifier and represents a lack of ability to capitalise on experiences.
We keep positive bonuses the same, except for WIS, which adds its bonus level to throws relating to awareness (p.93) for hear noise, detect secret doors and detect traps.
Here are the negative attribute modifiers we use:
Here are the negative attribute modifiers we use:
I am working on a more comprehensive attribute modifier system with one of my players, but that's for another day.
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