GLOG Class: Nomad Errant

The original Barony class document included a Barbarian, which I thought was a fun twist on dnd norms - it was modelled after a steppe nomad horse archer, and not a frothing berserk. Months have passed, and the scope of the setting has increased considerably.

Yesterday I did a long write up on the steppe nomad kingdoms south of the Barony - their culture, their strange and impossible weapons, their alliances with the dreamlands and the star people. Part of that write up was a discussion of chivalric errantry, as practiced by these riders and herders.

An Errant is usually a young nomad warrior, rich enough to be properly armed and supplied, and sent out into the world to pursue wisdom, self-knowledge, skill at arms, and resourcefulness. They tell one another stories of the great adventures of past Errants, and all dream of meeting their fated glory in one way or another. They are taught to value goodness and beauty, and also that the protection of these things must be done with violence. They are, without exception, superlative riders, and also sometimes painters and poets of passing skill. They usually wear the heraldry of their family, kingship, and the strange sigil of the star person who they pray to, and who supplied them with their arms.

NOMAD ERRANT

Starting Skills: Animal Husbandry, and one of Poetry, Painting, Smithing, or Astronomy. 

Starting Gear: a good horse, a medium slashing sabre, a light slashing belt knife, medium armour, a shield, a composite bow with 20 pieces of ammunition. The flags of your household, kingdom, and star patron, tied about you like a cape. Whalebone goggles to protect your eyes from the glare of the southern sun. 

In addition, you are the owner of one of the rare and deadly star weapons. Roll one up using this table, and name it - your title while questing is 'The Youth Whose Arms are x', where x is the name you choose. 

A - Horse Riding, Bow Mastery, Animal Rapport
B - +1 HP, Paragon/Infamy
C - Infinite Night
D - +1 HP, Voided Fate

Horse Riding: You ride in a way that is not like those in the settled societies. You can ride without saddle, reins, or bridle. You can use two handed weapons on horseback, and suffer no penalty for doing so. These skills will be noticed and remarked on by any who see them. 

Bow Mastery: If you are using a bow that you have experience with, you roll with +1 to hit and +1 damage. Your critical range also increases by one when using this weapon, and this effect stacks with any other similar effects. If you lose your bow, it will take you one month of regularly using a new one to regain these effects. The composite bow that comes with your A template starts with these effects active.

Animal Rapport: Animals that are capable of domestication have an instinctive rapport with you. Dogs, cats, horses, cattle, swine; all of these can understand you in a limited, non-verbal way, and will generally follow your instructions if you are kind to them and don’t abuse their trust. Even a trained war hound will hesitate to attack you. You can soothe frightened animals. These skills would make you a valuable employee for someone who deals in livestock, but they have no effect on truly wild animals.

Paragon: Your deeds are becoming known, and your reputation precedes you. You receive +1 to reaction rolls in settled places, and +2 to those who share or admire your chivalric values. Everyone will assume that you never lie, that you never harm innocents, and that your promises will be kept. If any of these tenets are broken in a way that becomes public, switch this template to Infamy

Infamy: You are renowned as a liar, a thug, and an opportunist. You lose all bonuses to reaction rolls, but enemies facing you will check morale at -1. Anyone who has heard of you will assume that your word is worthless, and that your impulses are self-interested (remember that this is how people think of most adventurers). If you do something high-profile to demonstrate your worthiness you might flip this template back to Paragon, but it is harder to regain a reputation than it is to lose it. 

Infinite Night: You can speak the Language of the Stars, completely intuitively. You know in your soul that speaking directly with your star patron is a really bad idea. You grow detached and lucid around the workings of your own mind. All psychic and fear damage against you is halved (minimum of 1), and you may choose to use your INT instead of your WIS or CHAR on any relevant check at cost of 1hp. When you do this you scream loudly, or leak blood from the eyes, your choice. 

Voided Fate: You do not come from here. Your histories of the world are other. You can choose to become nearly invisible to entities of all sorts (they must make a difficult check in order to perceive you), and are completely erased from the plans and schemes of gods, angels, and demons. 

Like so.