Sunday, March 15, 2020

Fighter/Thief - Hybrid Class for My Super-Casual Pulp Campaign

As I've discussed before, I'm combining the Fighter and Thief into a single class in my Super-Casual Pulp Campaign - for players, that is, but not necessarily for NPCs. Here's how it'll work.

Fighter/Thief - A class for Player Characters in Basic D&D and similar games

Prime Requisite: Strength or Dexterity, whichever is higher. (If Strength is higher, apply XP Bonus as Fighter. If Dexterity is higher, apply XP Bonus as Thief. If both ability scores are equal, it doesn't matter which one you use.)

Hit Dice: As Fighter

Attacks: As Fighter

Saving Throws: As Fighter

XP per Level: As Fighter

Maximum Level: 36th

Armor and Shields: Any, but cannot use most Thief abilities if wielding a shield or wearing armor other than Leather

Weapons: Any

Special Abilities: As Fighter, and as Thief (with some restrictions: see below)

Race: Humans only

Thief Abilities: This class can Open Locks, Find and Remove Traps, Pick Pockets, Move Silently, Hide in Shadows, Climb Sheer Surfaces, Hear Noises, Backstab, Read Languages, and Cast Spells From Magic-User Scrolls as a Thief of the same level. However, they can only use these abilities if they are not using a shield or wearing armor other than Leather, with the exception of Reading Languages.
At the Dungeon Master's discretion, this class may also be forbidden from using these same abilities if they are encumbered by more than 800 coins' weight.

Name Level: When a Fighter/Thief reaches 9th level, they must choose between either building a Castle/Stronghold and becoming a Baron/Baroness as per the Fighter class, or constructing a Hideout and attracting Thief followers as per the Thief class.
If your campaign includes other alternative Name Level options for Fighters and/or Thieves, such as becoming a Traveling Fighter, Paladin, Knight, Avenger, or Travelling Thief/Rogue, these are also allowed, but all of these options are mutually exclusive.
This does not alter the abilities of the Fighter/Thief described above, but it does limit the territory, construction projects, and attracted followers of the character to those of either a Fighter or Thief of Name Level.

Restriction to Player Characters: NPCs cannot be members of this hybrid Fighter/Thief class. NPCs of the Fighter or Thief classes function as usual, including retainers, hirelings, mercenaries, and henchmen. However, if a Non-Player Character becomes a Player Character, as in the case of a PC dying and one of their retainers becoming the new PC for the same player, the Dungeon Master may allow the character to be "promoted" to the Fighter/Thief class. (In fact, the DM is encouraged by this humble blogger to do so.)
Alternatively, the DM may allow retainers to be members of the Fighter/Thief class (since they are at least partially controlled by players) while excluding other types of NPCs.
Thieves who are promoted to the Fighter/Thief hybrid class are converted to the level indicated by their current amount of XP and the Fighter XP table, rather than their old level as a Thief.

3 comments:

  1. Bummer, I hoped that the Fighter/Thief character could continue leading a double life even at name level... Baron during day, Master thief at night! :) Stealing his own tax gold to create a continuous loop...

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    1. Honestly, I like that idea enough that I would almost certainly allow it in one of my games! It's a very cool character concept.

      I originally made the different name level benefits mutually exclusive for the sake of (what I considered) simplicity and class balance, and maybe to help differentiate players of the same class. If none of that is a concern, you could easily drop the "mutually exclusive" bit of these rules.

      As for me, I might be inclined to allow a character to have multiple name level "perks" as you suggest IF they pay a ton of extra money for it, or complete a special side quest, or do some other extra thing to earn the privilege. I like to channel these kinds of player ambitions into new adventure hooks. :)

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    2. Cool :)

      Multi-classing is a bit like split personalities anyway...

      "As for me, I might be inclined to allow a character to have multiple name level "perks" as you suggest IF they pay a ton of extra money for it, or complete a special side quest, or do some other extra thing to earn the privilege. I like to channel these kinds of player ambitions into new adventure hooks. :)"
      Yeah, I agree on that!

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