Wednesday, April 03, 2013

Bonus Classes of Sarpedon

For my next campaign I wanted something like AD&D style subclasses with less of the hassle.  So I'm calling the result Bonus Classes.  A Bonus Class is a very simple layer over an existing class, with an additional stat prerequisite.  So unlike AD&D subclasses, you don't hassle with their own rules anywhere else.  No custom spell lists or experience point charts, for example.  So here's a first draft at a Bonus Class for each of the canonical seven BX classes.  Note: no attempt has been made to balance this stuff.

Blaster Knight (Fighter Bonus Class), Prerequisite: Cha 13+, you get a random blaster gun (chart forthcoming) and all the social perks of being a knight

Psi Lord (MU Bonus Class), Prerequisite: Wis 13+, you may use the psionic rules from pages 19-21 of the LotFP version of Geoffrey McKinney's Carcosa.  Also, you have a big bald head.

Ninja (Thief Bonus Class), Prerequisite: Str 13+, you get access to the list of cool ninja gear (forthcoming) and whenever attacking from surprise you get d4 additional attack rolls

Adept (Cleric Bonus Class), Prerequisite: Int 13+, each level starting at first you get one random MU spell added to your cleric spell list, this means you actually get a spell at first level

Malformed (Dwarf Bonus Class), Prerequisite: Cha 9-, you may roll d4 mutations/defects

Gray Elf (Elf Bonus Class), Prerequisite: Con 18+, each level you gain a random MU or Cleric spell (you choose which list to roll on) as a daily power

Psycho (Halfling Bonus Class), Prerequisite: Int 9- and Wis 9-, may flip out like a maniac in combat for d6 rounds, during which Psycho gets 2 attacks/round at +2 to hit (melee only), but must fight for the entire period rolled even if that means attacking allies

10 comments:

  1. This. This I like :). Nice, simple, slightly insane and with bald heads.

    ReplyDelete
  2. I like it! It reminds me a lot of Kits from 2nd ed (I'm an admitted fan of kits) only simpler.
    I think I shall steel this idea.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous7:17 AM

    Ability score max for psycho and malformed, love it!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Dang. I'm probably going to have to steal this idea for my Labyrinth Critical game. It will be a LOT easier to simply assign a bonus class under a base class than to try to design all the new classes I was working on...

    As usual, schooled in the Old School by Jeff... :)

    ReplyDelete
  5. I just found my Revolt on Antares counter mix. Not sure it's all there, though . . . but that game was very inspiring for our space games.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Not only do I like these classes but the core concept, the variant upgrades for characters with high scores in typically non-central stats, is excellent beyond the goodness of these classes. Credit to you as always. I'm....not NOT stealing this idea.

    Heh. Man we've missed you.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Psycho halfling. LOL. I would totally play him flipping out like Joe Pesci in Goodfellas -- "I'm funny how? I mean funny, like I'm a clown? I amuse you? I make you laugh? I'm here to f**kin' amuse you? Whattya you mean funny? Funny how? How am I funny?"

    ReplyDelete
  8. I'm likin' this "extra layer" over classes. Still struggling with some tailor-made class options myself.

    ReplyDelete