Twenty Sides to Any Story - Chapter 2

Twenty Sides to Any Story - Chapter 2
It Takes Class to Survive

Before I get started on the classes of Waste Rangers, I want to talk a little bit about the official release of the d20 System Reference Document this week. The new d20 website at Wizards of the Coast (http://www.wizards.com/D20/) is an invaluable source of information for anyone thinking about publishing a d20 adventure or game. Besides having the official SRD and licenses online, they've included several FAQs that bring much-needed illumination to d20 questions. (Strangely enough, they declare that a d20 game need not have classes and levels. I'm really looking forward to seeing the first d20 game that pulls that off.)

There's been a lot discussion on the official d20 e-mail list lately about "giving back to the community," i.e. making your own content Open Game Content. Different d20 publishing companies have gone about this different ways, from only opening raw game statistics, leaving names of creatures, classes, spells, and the like closed (preventing them from being re-used easily), to opening everything within their publication (Green Ronin's Freeport adventures are a good example of this.) While I defend any publisher's right to make their own decision here, Waste Rangers will be an open document in its entirety, excluding any artwork.

Now, on to real work:

I want to differentiate the classes in Waste Rangers from D&D enough that they seem fresh and interesting, while providing all the functionality you see in the core d20 classes. In order to do that, I'm going to integrate the setting into the classes, as well as introduce some neat new mechanics. In a surreal post-apocalypse wasteland full of dinosaurs and aliens, what roles fit? The short list I've come up with includes:

Hunter. This class focuses on martial ability, but includes moderate survival skills.
Scout. Scouts are the undisputed masters of survival and reconnaissance.
Mentat. Mentats focus their mental abilities into frightening powers.
Engineer. Engineers seek to reclaim the knowledge and technology of the previous era, while building new devices for use in the wastes.
Rogue. (So, I ended up using one from d20 – don't worry, it'll be different.) Unlike their outdoor brethren, the scouts, rogues are masters of manipulation in the alleyways and back rooms of the city.

Let's see how some of these might work. Note that some statistics are represented differently than normal below. For example, attack bonus is represented as what you add to your attack bonus each level. (There's a good reason for this.)

Hunter
Hunters are the martial champions of the wasteland. With their prowess at combat, they are highly prized as town guards, protection on caravans, or as an addition to any scouting party.

Hit Points/Level: 2 [Hit points stay relatively stable in Waste Rangers. They begin at your Constitution score, and you receive 0-2 per level. However, all classes receive d4-d8 Action Points per level (determined by class) plus the most relevant ability score bonus. I'll explain more, really.]
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Drive (Str), Spot (Wis), Intimidate (Cha) [Note that most races receive one or two racial skills as well. Humans have the advantage of getting to pick theirs.]
Skill Points: 4/level
Fort Save: Good
Reflex Save: Poor
Will Save: Poor
Attack Bonus: +1/level

Special Abilities

Martial Abilities. Hunters may trade in an attack bonus each level for a martial Feat. (While the Feat list isn't finished, this'll be everything you remember from the Fighter list for D&D, plus quite a few more.) In addition, they receive one extra Feat at 1st level, to be used only on a martial Feat.

Weapon Proficiency. Hunters are proficient with any hand-held weapon. If they use a weapon unlike one they've ever used before (to include improvised weapons), they have a -2 to hit during the first combat they use the weapon. (So, basically, they can pick up anything and use it. If they pick up a chair leg, they'll have a -2 to hit during that combat, but never again.)

Signature Weapon. Hunters may become well-known for their use of a particular weapon. When using their weapon of choice, they receive special bonuses. (+1 to attack/damage, as well as Intimidation checks, per 3 levels carrying the exact same weapon. If the weapon is destroyed or lost, they may start over with another weapon.)

Engineer
Engineers seek to reclaim the knowledge and technology of the previous era, while building new devices for use in the wastes. They're relied on by villages to restore clean running water, mercenaries to fix weapons, scouts to explain ruins, and nearly everyone else.

HP/Level: 0
Class Skills: Machinist (Dex), Knowledge [any] (Int), Electronics (Int), Computers (Int), Research (Int), Mechanic (Int)
Skill Points: 8/level
Fort Save: Average
Reflex Save: Poor
Will Save: Average
Attack Bonus: +1/2 levels

Special Abilities

Extra Skill Points. Engineers may trade in an attack bonus for 4 extra skill points.

Weapon Proficiency. Engineers are proficient with simple weapons only.

Invention. In addition to the repair skills afforded to them, Engineers have the unique ability to create new technologies from the old. (Invention DC chart to follow.) For example, an Engineer with a roll of copper wire, a sheet of aluminum, a water tank, and two bucket seats, would have the possiblity of creating a new form of transportation. (I imagine a chemical reaction separating hydrogen and oxygen using the sheet of aluminum and the copper wire to make a circuit. This might provide a small amount of jet propulsion.)

Scouts
Scouts are the masters of wasteland survival. They are not only stealthy and wise to the dangers of the wild, but tend to be expert in certain types of flora and fauna.

HP/Level: 1
Class Skills: Climb (Str), Jump (Str), Rope Use (Dex), Wilderness Survival (Wis), Spot (Wis), Listen (Wis), Hide (Dex), Move Silently (Dex), Knowledge [plant life] (Int), Knowledge [animal life] (Int), Gather Information (Cha), Bluff (Cha)
Skill Points: 8/level
Fort Save: Average
Reflex Save: Good
Will Save: Poor
Attack Bonus: +2/3 levels

Special Abilities

Knowledge Focus. Scouts may trade in an attack bonus for a +1 knowledge bonus on a specific type of plant or animal. This bonus applies to nearly every roll they make versus that type of wildlife, including attack, damage, and skill rolls (Bluff, Intimidate, Knowledge, tracking, etc). The maximum knowledge bonus you can have versus a particular type of wildlife is your level divided by 4 (round up). (Note: you can choose humans--scouts make excellent bounty hunters.)

Weapon Proficiency. Scouts are proficient with simple melee weapons, pistols and rifles.

Bonus Feat. Scouts begin with the Feat Track.

Sneak Attack. It's just like the sneak attack we're used to, but it adds +1 damage per rogue level instead of +1d6 damage every other level. The kicker is in the lowered hit points and the addition of action points--action points can not be used to avoid damage from a sneak attack.

I couldn't really put those without revealing some other system mechanics, Action Points being the main one. Action Points are not that dissimilar from the Star Wars RPG's Vitality Points, as they'll be used to power psionics and such. Here's my interpretation:

You begin play with 2d + attribute bonus Action Points. (I use 'd' because it differs by race. Most characters will use a d6, though.) Each level you advance, you receive another die + attribute bonus. The attribute bonus is chosen during character creation as below:

Action Point attribute bonus

Strength. Your Action type is Brutal. When you use Action Points to avoid damage, your style should be hard, knocking away weapons with big swipes, lunging out of the way of weapons, and the like. You may also use Action Points to increase damage, and for the skills Climb and Jump.

Dexterity. Your Action type is Quick. When you use Action Points to avoid damage, your style should be fluid, dodging with celerity under swipes, rolling along the ground, and leaping into the air. You may also use Action Points for Reflex saves, attack rolls to Disarm, and the skills Tumble and Move Silently.

Constitution. Your Action type is Solid. When you use Action Points to avoid damage, your style should be slow and sturdy, perhaps taking the blow and shrugging it off. You may also use Action Points for Fortitude saves, and the skills Swim and Intimidate.

Intelligence. Your Action type is Witty. When you use Action Points to avoid damage, you should make snide remarks about trajectories and such. You may also use Action Points for the skills Knowledge and Research.

Wisdom. Your Action type is Contemplative. When you use Action Points to avoid damage, you move deliberately with a minimum of wasted motion. You may also use Action Points for Will saves, and the skills Sense Motive and Direction Finding.

Charisma. Your Action type is Glib. When you use Action Points to avoid damage, your style should include distracting and ridiculing your opponent. You may also use Action Points in social situations to improve NPC reaction, and for the skills Bluff, Bargain, and Perform.

You may use Action Points to avoid damage, spending an amount equal to the damage in order to avoid it. You may spend less than the damage, and have the rest go to Hit Points, representing a light hit or near miss. For all other uses, you may use your level in Action Points to improve a roll on the designated skills, saves, and other uses.

That's it for this week--my mind's a bit fried as some of these ideas evolved in the middle of writing the article. Next week, I'll be discussing races, and going through a sample character.