Ye Olde Inn

As with many others on this forum, I have toyed with the idea of specializations/variations of the regular heroes of the game system.

At first, since I was keen on keeping the simple beuty of the game, I chose to just make 4 new heroes which were only tweaked by changing the basic stats. Since the new heroes happened to be all human, I felt after a while the need to inlcude more non-homans as heroes. So I made 4 more heroes, now with a few special rules each so that they would not be too similar to the other ones. I still count them as "basic" heroes, i.e. non-advanced. Naturally, only one of each type of hero is allowed.

Then the lure of advanced rules kicked in. I was inspired by the character kits of Baldurs gate 2, where you can choose a general class or a specialization. For instance, a player choosing to play as a thief can be a normal thief OR an assassin, bounty hunter or swashbuckler. So I wanted to allow players two specialization choices for each basic class.

I want to share my completed ideas for kits with y'all. To kick things of, here are the basic heroes grouped in their respective groups. Below the pictures are lists of the specialized kits I'm planning for each character. I will post kits in detail as I finish translating them...

Warriors

Barbarian (Human Male): Savage, Berserker
Knight (Human Male): Templar, Mercenary
Gladiator (Lizardman Saurus): Duelist, Weapon Master

Adventurers

Dwarf (Veteran): Treasure Hunter, Engineer
Witch Hunter (Human Female): Spy, Assassin
Wanderer (Halfling Male): Skald, Thief

Enchanters

Elf (Battle Mage): Bounty Hunter, Illusionist
Temple Guard (Human Female): Avenger, Holy Warrior
Runesmith (Dwarf Male): Experimenter, Fanatic

Mages

Wizard (Human Male): Sorcerer, Alchemist
Druid (Human Male): Necromancer, Elementalist
Priest (Elf Male): Oracle, Summoner

Looks pretty good. I do have one issue though...don't know if this is just personal to me,
or if anyone else will feel this way, as well.
I don't like the idea of giving any hero less than combat die for defense, unless there is a
VERY good reason for it. Remember, none of the heroes start with armor, and all start with
2 defense dice. That's sort of the base...kind of like the defense offered by skin, clothing,
and the simple drive to survive that would kick in when attacked.

I understand the reason you did it...to balance things out...I used to do that too. I might suggest
looking for another way to do that, however.

Just my thoughts.

You had mentioned about having non-human heroes, as well. Are you going to post those, or did
I miss them...were they mixed in with all your others?

torilen wrote:Looks pretty good. I do have one issue though...don't know if this is just personal to me,
or if anyone else will feel this way, as well.
I don't like the idea of giving any hero less than combat die for defense, unless there is a
VERY good reason for it. Remember, none of the heroes start with armor, and all start with
2 defense dice. That's sort of the base...kind of like the defense offered by skin, clothing,
and the simple drive to survive that would kick in when attacked.

I understand the reason you did it...to balance things out...I used to do that too. I might suggest
looking for another way to do that, however.

Just my thoughts.

Feedback is allways welcome , and I understand what you mean. Someone else on this forum (forgot who) said the same thing, and I have put some thought into it.
My personal experience is that it does not matter too much. I have not really had any problem with them in my playtesting. It tends to be that the witch hunter gets a more of a "finishing off" role than a pure combat hero, keeping a bit back until the timing is right. The Druid, Priest and Runesmith survives thanks to their spells. Also, when the heroes are "new", the first few quest they play is (should be) quite easy, and after that, they usually have access to better defence.
But of course, this is only true for my playing group. I can see how this can be a problem generally.

Edit: Oh, and also I made a Leather Armour card which provides 2 defence dice. This is what I assume all 2DD heroes are base-equipped with, and 1 being just normal clothes or cloth armour.

torilen wrote:You had mentioned about having non-human heroes, as well. Are you going to post those, or did I miss them...were they mixed in with all your others?

I just noted them down under the pictures. The Gladiator is a Lizardman, the Wanderer is a Halfling, the Runepriest is of course a Dwarf , and the Priest is an Elf.

In my first translation effort, I have completed all of the Warrior characters. I finished more than I thought I would today, which unfortunately will affect my night rest in a negative way

Warriors
Class: Barbarian
Specializations:
Barbarian
Attack: 3
Defence: 2
Body: 8
Mind: 2
No advantages or disadvantages.

Savage
The savage is a warrior who is one with nature. His ritualstic tatoos protects him from enemy magic and strengthens the belief that his Gods are watching over him.

Advantages:
- Ignores enemy spell effects or magic traps that directly affects him if he rolls 4-6 with a normal die.
- +2 Mind points.
- Moves 2D6+2 squares.
- Rolls 1 extra battle die when attacking with a throwable weapon.
Disadvantages:
- May not use armour.

Berserker
In his native northern tribe, the berserker learned to work himself into a state of incredible rage, which makes him a deadly opponent.

Advantages:
- The berserker may at the end of a turn, up to five times every quest, choose to begin to go berserk. If he does, he must first work up his anger, and may therefore not move during the following turn. At the end of that turn, the berserkergang begins, during which the following applies:
* The berserker recieves two additional body points. They will be lost when the berserkergang ends, which may result in the death of the hero.
* The berserker rolls two extra attack dice, but rolls one less defence die.
* A normal die is rolled at the end of of the second turn after the player chooses to go berserk, and at the end of every following turn. If the result is 1, the berserkergang ends.
Disadvantages:
- After a berserkergang has ended the player rolls one less die in attack and defence. Also the player movement is determined by the difference between the results of the movement dice. This applies until a movemnt value of 0 is rolled. During this period, they player may not choose to go berserk.
- May not use shooting weapons.
- May not use weapons that allows diagonal attacks.

Class: Knight
Specializations:
Knight
Attack: 2
Defence: 3
Body: 7
Mind: 3
No advantages or disadvantages.

Templar
The Templar is the pinnacle of knightly disciplin and has sworn to protect pilgrims and the weak. His focus on seeing his mission completed is implacable.

Advantages:
- After the Enchanter and Mage has taken their spell groups, the Templar chooses one of the following groups: Air, Earth, Fire, Light, Water, Wilderness. He recieves two random spells from that spell group.
- May use armour that otherwise is only usable by a Mage.
Disadvantages:
- May not use shooting weapons.
- May not use situationally dependent pieces of armour.
- Moves 1D6+2 squares.

Mercenary
With the aim of securing his own survival and to earn enough riches to enjoy what life has to offer, the Mercenary fights for whomever is paying his fee.

Advantages:
- May reroll his attack rolls when using a shooting weapon.
- Allways counts skulls and black shields as hits when attacking with a weapon whilst using a shield.
Disadvantages:
- -1 mind point.
- May not use armour that affects movement.
- Loses 20% of his gold before the players visits the armoury prior to every quest.

Class: Gladiator
Specializations:
Gladiator
Attack: 3
Defence: 3
Body: 8
Mind: 2
Has to roll a combat dice to see what can be done each turn.

Duelist
The duelist has chosen his path for honour, fame and personal challenge. Every attacking technique and ripost ever developed has been thouroughly studied by the duelist.

Advantages:
- May, instead of using a shield,use two weapons at once, given that both weapons can be used with a shield. If this is done, white shields counts as hits rather than skulls when attacking. The Duelist must specify which weapon is the main weapon and which is the side weapon. After the main weapon is used for attack, the Duelist can make a bonus attack with the side weapon, against the same or a different target. Attacks with the side weapon is made with one less battle die.
- If the Duelist suffers an attack from an enemy in a square next to him, and the number of white shields in the defence roll is equal to the number of skulls rolled by the enemy, the Duelist may immideately make an attack against that (and only that) enemy.
Disadvantages:
- Has to roll a combat dice to see what can be done each turn.
- May not use armour that affects movement.
- May not use shooting weapons.

Weapon Master
A warrior who has trained to use a specific weapon for his entire life. The Master is without equal with these weapons, and the masters battle movements is like a churning cloud of steel and death.




Advantages:
- May immideately after attacking (if the Weapon Master may attack more than once, then all attacks has to be carried out at once) move one square. This bonus move may be performed regardless of if normal movement has been done or not.
- The player has to choose one of the four following weapon types as the Weapon Masters specialization before his first mission:
> Blade Weapons (Sword, Dagger, Stiletto, Knife): - Bonus: Always counts skulls and black shields as hits when attacking.
> Chopping Weapons (Axe): - Bonus: Always counts skulls and black shields as hits when attacking.
> Staff Weapons (Spear, Staff, Pitchfork): - Bonus: May attack enemies up to two squares away, including diagonally if the weapon allows it. Always counts skulls and black shields as hits when attacking.
> Crushing Weapons (Hammer, Club, Flail, Mace) – Bonus: May at any time choose to ignore a weapons advantage of forcing victims to roll fewer defence dice and instead count skulls and white shields as hits when attacking.
Note that the Pole Axe is a cross beween a staff weapon and a chopping weapon, and therefore does not belong to either group.
The choice is permanent and will be coupled with the character from the time it is made.
If a weapon which name contains one of the words associated with the chosen weapon group (except the Pole Axe) is used, the groups own bonus(es) apply, as well as the following bonuses:
> If the weapon can be used with a shield, the Master rolls two more battle dice in defence.
> If the weapon can not be used with a shield, the Master rolls one extra battle die in attack.
> If the weapon can not be thrown, can not be used diagonally and is not amour breaking, the Master may reroll all white shields when attacking.
Disadvantages:
- Has to roll a combat dice to see what can be done each turn.
- May only use weapons belonging to the chosen group. However, the Master’s basic weapon may always be used, even if it does not belong to any weapon group.
- -1 body point.
- May not use armour.

EDIT: Added some pictures just to separate the text more. The pictures represent more or less the direction I was going for with the Kits...

Mercenary:

- Loses 20% of his gold before the players visits the armoury prior to every quest.

What does this loss represent? Living it up in the bar with drinx and experienced women? (my fav kind)

El flesh - that, or perhaps some sort of fee to a mercenary guild that allows him to continue
to be a sword for hire.

Templar - did you steal you wanderer idea from me? (snicker)

Templar - it is funny you posted this when you did. I was just thinking about some sort of
class-specialization thing to work over the last two days. I was thinking about making it
sort of similar to Diablo 2 class workings - I still might work on it, so you may see it later,
but this might give you some ideas.

You can pick a base class (fighter, wizard, adventurer, etc.) and then choose specialized
sub-classes under each of those. For example...the fighter may have knight, mercenary,
and paladin. Wizard might have wizard, mage, and cleric (mage being more of a fighting-magic
type, like the elf).

I was actually thinking about still using character cards, like HQ does...they would be a little bigger
to allow for more text. Then, you could choose tokens to show which sub-class you chose, and how
far you advance in that class.

It makes sense in my head...really, it does.

el_flesh wrote:Mercenary:

- Loses 20% of his gold before the players visits the armoury prior to every quest.

What does this loss represent? Living it up in the bar with drinx and experienced women? (my fav kind)

Well, it could be for some lady company...could be to a mercenary guild as torilen suggests...maybe he just likes model trains? Who knows?
It goes to something he enjoys doing, that's all we know (Ladies would be a good guess though )

torilen wrote:Templar - did you steal you wanderer idea from me? (snicker) ...

...You can pick a base class (fighter, wizard, adventurer, etc.) and then choose specialized
sub-classes under each of those. For example...the fighter may have knight, mercenary,
and paladin. Wizard might have wizard, mage, and cleric (mage being more of a fighting-magic
type, like the elf).

I was actually thinking about still using character cards, like HQ does...they would be a little bigger
to allow for more text.

I promise you that I did not INTENTIONALLY steal it...but I can't be sure where the idea came from
Diablo 2 is allways a good source for inspiration. I would love to have cards for each of my kits, but it would be a b*tch to put it all together with good pictures and everything. I think you have more patience than I for that stuff, I tend to take the easy way out.

I just translated the "dwarf" class...which is a strange name for a class, so the basic Kit is called Veteran instead of just dwarf.

Adventurers
Class: Dwarf
Veteran
Attack: 2
Defence: 2
Body: 7
Mind: 3
Can disarm traps

Treasure Hunter
With an ever growing collection of valuebles, the treasure hunter sets of on new adventures, mostly for the sake of excitement and his burning interest in rare objects.

Advantages:
- Can disarm traps.
- When the treasure hunter should draw a treasure card, he may instead draw two cards and choose witch one will apply. The unchosen card is put at the bottom of the deck.
- Ignores all damage done by traps or treasure trap cards if he rolls 4-6 on a standard die.
Disadvantages:
- May not use shooting weapons.
- May not use armour that affects movement.
- -1 mind point.

Engineer
The engineer is a talanted inventer. Many of his creations is regurarly used by the Imperial army, and he is constantly constructing new weapons, which of course need field testing.

Advantages:
- Can disarm traps.
- Can by muskets from the armoury: ”The musket allows you to roll five combat dice in attack BUT you must give up one of your turns before you may use the musket again. You may not use the musket against an opponent who is adjecent or diagonally adjecent to you. You may not use a shield when using the musket. Costs 500 gold coins. Weapon. May only be used by an engineer.” Muskets CAN be permanently lost due to the chaos spell ”Rust”.
- Can by spike dischargers from the armoury: ”With the spike discharger you may roll one combat die in attack. You may also throw the spike discharger to any visible square of your choice, but if you do so YOU LOSE IT. If you throw the spike discharger, figures present in the target square or any of the eight surrounding squares visible from the target square is attacked with two combat dice. Costs 200 gold coins. Weapon. May only be used by an engineer.”
- Can by repeating crossbows from the armoury: ”The repeating crossbow allows you to roll one combat dice in attack. You may attack THREE times. You may not use the repeating crossbow against an opponent who is adjecent or diagonally adjecent to you You may not use a shield when using the repeating crossbow. Costs 400 gold coins Weapon May only be used by an engineer.”.
- Can by hammers from the armoury: ”With the hammer you may roll two combat dice in attack. You may also throw the hammer, but if you do so you risk losing it. Enemies attacked with the hammer rolls one less defence die. Costs 150 gold coins. Weapon. May only be used by an engineer.”
- Is supplied with two hammers and a spike discharger before his first quest.
Disadvantages:
- May not use other armour pieces than shields and helmets.
- A weapon that can not be used with a shield is only usable by the engineer if it is a shooting weapon.
- Moves 2D6-1 squares.

Class: Witch Hunter

Witch Hunter
Attack: 3
Defence: 1
Body: 6
Mind: 4
Can disarm traps.

Spy
The spy is a master of infiltration and reconnaissance. Her profession is dependent on extreme manouverability, which is why she has chosen to specialize in ranged weapons.

Advantages:
- Can disarm traps.
- Can give up her turn to try to listen for enemies through doors. She may then roll a standard dice whilst standing next to a closed door. If the result is lower than the number of monsters in the room or corridor on the other side of the door, she finds out how many monsters there are in that area. If the result is exactly 1 or 2 numbers lower, she also finds out exactly which monster types are represented. If the result is exactly 3 numbers lower, she find out exactly which monsters are in the area. Each door may only be listened through once.
- May try to avoid damage from normal attacks by rolling an 8-sided dice before her defence roll. Add the attackers intelligence points and attack value to the result. If the sum is 9 or lower, she ignores the attack. Otherwise, the Spy may roll her defence dice as normal, BUT if the dice roll resulted in an 8, she rolls one less die in defence.
- Rolls 1 extra battle die when attacking with shooting weapons.
- Moves 2D6+1 squares.
Disadvantages:
- May only use close combat weapons that can be used with a shield.
- May only use armour that mages can use.


Assassin
Proffesional killers have found employment throughout the existance of civilization. The assassin uses her skill in close contact death for the Empire, as long as she is compensated.

Advantages:
- Can disarm traps.
- Can buy smoke bombs from the armoury: ”You can use the smoke bomb at any time, but if you do so you lose it. All figures in the eight squares surrounding your square will miss their next movement. In addition, you may immideately move up to three squares. This movement may be over squares that are otherwise forbidden or restricts movement in some other way BUT this does not apply for furniture that limits visibility and traps. Costs 150 gold coins. May only be used by an assassin.”
- Can buy hand crossbows from the armoury: ”The hand crossbow allows you to roll two combat dice in attack. You may only use the hand crossbow against an opponent who is within 12 squares. Costs 200 gold coins. Weapon. May only be used by an assassin.”
- If the assassin is located in a square directly behind a victim and is attacking with her basic weapon, she counts white shields as hits.
Disadvantages:
- May only use armour without advanced rules.
- May not use shooting weapons, except hand crossbows.

Class: Wanderer

Wanderer
Attack: 1
Defence: 2
Body: 5
Mind: 4
Is supplied with a bow before his first quest. Can allways perform search actions, even in the presence of monsters.

Skald
An expert in thetrical arts, singing and flashy combat styles. The Skald uses his small body size to fool enemies into a false sense of security, and then overtakes them with lighning fast attacks.

Advantages:
- Can always perform search actions, even in the presence of monsters.
- Can disarm traps.
- Is supplied with a club before his first quest
- Up to three times every quest the skald may, at the start of any turn, choose to begin a song of wailing. If he does, then the following applies:
* The Skald moves with one die less.
* The Skald may not be attacked by enemies, except for monsters with 0 mind points, as long as there are other heroes in the same room or corridor as the enemy.
* Enemies attacking the Skald does so with one less combat die.
* The song of wailing ends after 10 turns of effect, or immideately if the Skald performs an action. The player can also choose to terminate the song of wailing at any time. A new song may not be started the next five turns after the turn it ended.
- Up to three times every quest the skald may, at the start of any turn, choose to begin a battle song. If he does, then the following applies:
* The Skald moves with one die less.
* The Skald and other heroes in the same room or corridor rolls one more combat die when attacking.
* The song of wailing ends after 10 turns of effect, or immideately after the Skalds turns if he performs an action. The player can also choose to terminate the song of wailing at any time. A new song may not be started the next five turns after the turn it ended.
- If the Skald gives up his movement, he may instead of a normal attack attempt to do a circular sweep. If he chooses to do so, he must roll a standard die. If the result is 1, the Skald is forced to give up his attack and end any active song. If the result is 2-5, an attack is made against all enemies in adjescent squares with one die less than normal. If the weapon allows for diagonal attacks, then enemies in diagonally adjescent squares is targeted by such an attack.
Disadvantages:
- May not have two songs active at the same time.
- Is not supplied with a bow.
- May only use armour that mages can use.
- May only use weapons that can be used with a shield.


Thief
The thief is a survivor. He never hesitates to use dirty tricks to defeat dangerous opponents. When they have been overcome he sells their trinkets to other thiefs for a minor sum.

Advantages:
- Can allways perform search actions, even in the presence of monsters. May also search for traps in a square at the other side of an open door.
- Can disarm traps.
- Is supplied with a bow before his first quest.
- May use two daggers at the same time instead of using a dagger and a shield. When he does this he may attack twice, but only white shields counts as hits in attack rolls.
- After the mission the thief rolls a dice. Multiply the result with the number of monsters the thief have killed in close combat during the mission. The thief is given an amount of gold coins equal to the result.
Disadvantages:
- May only use armour without advanced rules.
- Moves 1D8+2 squares.