Once upon a time, Arnold K wrote a fantastic class. It happens pretty regularly, but this one was one of the things that got me thinking about writing my own blog for whatever reason, so it's a post close to my heart.
Barony is a bit more grounded and less whimsical in tone than Centerra, but I want to have PC dogs in it. I've tweaked and snipped at the original, until it feels like something coherent with the other classes I've put together. As a fun BONUS, I also realised, at the same time that it hit me last night that playable dogs were necessary, that I also wanted playable cats. Think of these as like cougar sized, but proportioned like and identifiable as enormous house cats.
Many people in the Barony keep pets, and there are dire-breeds that have been bred as companion protectors. The dogs would come up to about the chest of an adult (totally realistic for big dogs), the cats very slightly shorter (not at all realistic).
A side note: when I worked in Film and TV I once had a chat with Chloe Grace Moretz's close security, who told me about her two German Shepherds - apparently they were raised from puppies to imprint onto her, are trained to bite and crush the wrist of anyone they don't recognise approaching her holding something, and can be given a kill command by her or her security. They are basically working-dog close security. This type of animal is, apparently, pretty common with rich people in LA.
Also everyone should watch Green Room.
Anyway, the classes:
You are a Dog or a Cat, with all that that entails. Both Dogs and Cats have the following in common: you cannot talk, use ropes or ladders, or manipulate anything that requires fingers. You can't wear gear that has not been specially made for you. Your speed is 2x that of a human. You are very intelligent for a Dog/Cat but that doesn't mean that you can read or do arithmetic - your intelligence is social and spatial, not logical. You do understand spoken language when it is used by party members, or other people that you know well.
In the dreamlands you take on a different form - you walk on two legs, might wear human clothes, can use tools as a human would, and can speak.
You may also choose a member of the party to be your Companion, if you wish. While your companion is alive, both of you take -1 fear damage from all sources. If either of you die violently, then the other loses 2 WIS permanently. In addition:
DOG
A Takedown, Lick, Sharp Smell, natural weapons d8
B Go for the Throat, Watcher
C Protector
D +2 HP, Terrify
Takedown: If you move at least 10ft before you attack, your target must save of be knocked prone.
Lick: During lunch, you can give each of your party members +1 to their healing. Your Companion gets +1 and also heals the full amount possible without rolling.
Sharp Smell: If you can smell, you can tell if someone is not themself. You can smell poison and magic. You can track things by scent up to a day after their passing.
Go for the Throat: Your attacks against a prone target deal double damage (roll once and double it). All of your damage dice explode, whether or not your target is prone.
Watcher: You always count as awake and alert for the purposes of being ambushed or caught off guard. You are never surprised in combat, and will act on any enemy surprise rounds as normal.
Protector: You can take an attack meant for another member of your party as an interrupt, provided you are in base contact with them. Once per turn, you can instead attack the attacker - your attack is resolved before theirs.
Terrify: Once per combat, you may force your enemies to test morale. This test is made at -1 for each enemy you have already killed.
CAT
A -2 HP, Stalk, Keen Eyes, Purr, natural weapons d6 (which count as dual wielded)
B +1 HP, Ambush, Inquisitive
C +1 HP, Cruelty, Joie de Vivre
D +1 HP, Inscrutable, Murder
Stalk: You move completely silently, and are almost invisible while immobile in shadows and long grass. You can jump up to a height of 10 feet, fall 5 times normal without taking damage, and never need to test for feats of balancing or leaping.
Keen Eyes: Your eyesight is twice as good as a humans. You see well in dim light. You can also see the faint residue of magic for up to one hour.
Purr: You heal all party members for d3 fear damage during lunch. Your companion heals all fear damage.
Ambush: You attack twice when attacking an enemy who is unaware of your presence.
Inquisitive: You can make use of scrolls, wands, and other magic items that you can hold in your mouth.
Cruelty: Your attacks deal +3 damage against targets who are already below 50 percent of their HP.
Joie de Vivre: You acquire a special pattern language and a special entity. Generate it as you would for an Artist, except that it only ever has a single trait and is always sociopathic.
Inscrutable: Your mind cannot be read by any means. You always know your way perfectly in the dreamlands, and may travel there at will when you sleep.
Murder: When attacking an enemy with HD2 or less who is unaware of your presence, you kill them silently.
Dog
ReplyDelete8)
Delete