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Non-Combatant Humans

by Mike Harvey

Abilities common to all Normals:
o Start play with one hit die. Do not automatically gain hit dice with level increases, but may spend 1 skill slot to gain one hit die + CON bonus.
o Do not gain additional weapon slots beyond those you start with, but may spend two skill slots to gain one weapon slot. May not specialise in a weapon.
o Start with THAC0 20. May spend two skill slots to improve THAC0 by +1 (but may never get better than a fighter of equal level).
o Start with four skill slots, and gain +1 skill slot with each level gain. Also, gain additional skill slots for exceptional scores in prime requisite (so a WIS 16 teacher gains two extra skills). These extra slots *must* be spent on skills of the same type as the exceptional ability score. Also, most skills should be concentrated in professional skills; a STR 11 labourer of 4th level might have five slots devoting to his Mining skill of 18, one slot used to gain an additional hit die (for brawling) and two slots in miscellaneous abilities.

Artisan
Requisite: DEX
Hit dice: 1d4
Save: Dodge/Body
o Gain +2 with all DEX skills
o May learn any thief skill by spending one skill slot on it
o May wear armour as a thief
o Start with two weapon slots
o Become a MASTER ARTISAN at 9th level. May create a new guild if desired, or set up a school for teaching. 1-6 apprentices seek you out, and your products fetch premium prices. May also begin work on your MASTERPIECE, a superb product with magical properties. You may make only a single masterpiece, at great cost and many years of effort. You will probably be granted a seat on the town council, and may be offered a commission from a wealthy patron.

Labourer
Requisite: STR
Hit dice: 1d6
Save: Body/Dodge
o Gain +2 with all STR skills
o Open doors as a fighter
o May wear armour as a fighter, and use fighter combat options
o Start with two weapon slots
o Ask a favour (3/6) of neighbour or employer
o Intimidate (2/6, STR bonus applies)
o Become a MANAGER at 9th level. If self-employed, you own your own business and gain employees. If in the service of another, you are promoted to general manager and put in charge of important projects.

Scholar (logical, thinking people)
Requisite: INT
Hit dice: 1d3
Save: Magic/Mind
o Gain +2 with all INT skills
o Start with *no* weapon slots, wear no armour
o Understand unfamiliar device: 2/6 (INT bonus applies)
o Use magic-user items: 1/6 chance per item
o Chance to decipher unknown language is 4% per level
o Chance to read magic is 1% per level (one try per spell or scroll)
o At 9th level become a SAGE. Gain 1-4 student/apprentices.
May build a reference library and collect fees, and may gain a wealthy patron to support your research. May start on your LIFEWORK, a scholarly manuscript kind of like a thesis. Such works are often many volumes in length, and require much research.

Merchant (shrewd, communicative people) [was Teacher]
Requisite: WIS
Hit dice: 1d4
Save: Mind/Magic
o Gain +2 with all WIS skills
o Start with one weapon slot
o Detect deception (2/6, WIS bonus applies)
o Danger sense (2/6, WIS bonus applies)
o Make contact, 5% per level
o Wear armour as a cleric; may use any weapon
o At 9th level become a MERCHANT PRINCE. You start your own business and become well known, and gain business income. You also gain employees, and may rise to become guildmaster of your local area. You are granted a seat on the town council; some merchant princes are granted lands and title, some build a fleet of ships, and others rise to control an independent city.

Domestics may be any of the above.
Nobles are probably Scholars or Merchants, depending on disposition.

NOTES:
o I changed 'Teacher' to 'Merchant', since a scholar is most likely to attract students.
o The Labourer archetype was hard to define, since they aren't very skilled and I'm not sure what abilities to give them. Perhaps labourer could be combined with artisan?
o These still don't really cover my 'explorer' archetype, which is an outdoorsman or traveller with some fighting ability. Perhaps such a character should use a standard adventuring class.
o Saving throws use Malacoda's simplified system