Monday, May 3, 2021

Very Leetle Mountain Classes

The Mountain classes are too big. To correct for that, here're some very leetle versions of the same classes. They might be MOSAIC STRICT, whatever that is. They also might not be.

I think they're pretty good examples of "problem children" class design and I'm proud of them for what they are. They're a little too minimalist for my taste, honestly. I shall continue the Work of finding a middle ground for games I actually intend to run, hah, heh, hoo.

Class: Paladin

Every paladin has a Revelation; a vision which causes them to break with the dogma of the Church and leads them on a divine mission. Every paladin is a prophet, an apostate, and a heretic.

Things you can do:
  1. Given three seconds, oxygen, a functioning breath cycle, and at least one hand capable of being cupped, start a very small fire
  2. Refuse to be burned by any fire of not-specifically-malicious intent
  3. Eventually, receive a shimmering halo
When you create your character, choose one holy order to have learned the traditions of:
  1. Choirs Invocant orate and castigate with thundering voices that cannot be ignored
  2. Inquisitors Avengeant suffer physical harm from speaking untruths, and can see lies spoken by others
  3. Templars Contemplative always connect meaningfully with special moves that they name and describe
  4. Warminds Scrivener command angels with names like Fireball, Lightning, and Missile
Each day, name and detail the portfolio, deeds, method of martyrdom, and ritual observances of a saint. For each of these you write down, one of the following prayers will be answered once that day:
  1. O Holy Illuminator, bathe this place in the glory of your Light and make all things visible within it—
  2. O Cleansing Warmth, grant this servant the touch that burns away wounds and illness, and makes all things hale and pure—
  3. O Blinding Radiance, drive my foes before me like shadows before your Light, and undo any Sorceries which they have wrought—

Class: Witch (True)

Witches are dark creatures born to followers of the Old Ways who have consorted with spirits, monsters, or beasts. More monster than man, they are an object of both fear and awe.

Things you can do: 
  1. Melt, burn, or wither away when faced with the object of your supernatural weakness
  2. Inflict nonspecific bad luck with the evil eye, or very specific bad luck with a curse if the target has personally wronged you
  3. Sometimes receive actual information from the GM when you cast the bones
When you create your character, choose one familiar you are able to create from your flesh:
  1. As many guns as you can carry, which emerge fully loaded
  2. A swarm of your favorite bugs, which share your mind
  3. A magical friend, who imposes restrictions and warps your body, but grants you boons
  4. A big tumor, which renders diseases harmless to you and easily transmissible to others
Each day, choose one rhyme you are able to make true by chanting it ominously, cackling, and offering a small sacrifice:
  1. Bigger, smaller, I'll decide—your current size I won't abide!
  2. Red and yellow, blue and green—your true form shall not be seen!
  3. Look at you, hale or sick—your present health, it shall not stick!
  4. All your secrets I shall spy—with my creeping, crawling eye!
  5. With ragged flesh and loyal bone—this corpse shall serve, its will my own!
  6. Lung of toad, essence of bog—I will exhale poison fog!

Class: Witch (False)

False witches are scholars, adventurers, thieves, tricksters, explorers, well versed in the magic present in the world and experts in bending it to their use. They steal, find, buy, or create magic through ritual, rather than any power held within themselves.

Things you can do:
  1. Sustain yourself indefinitely through a combination of begging, scavenging, foraging, and stealing
  2. Pick shoddy locks in an instant and any other type in a minute or two, even with makeshift tools
  3. Climb, without equipment, anything that a properly-equipped person could
  4. Forge documentsseals, and signatures given even a passing description of the original
  5. Always have a small knife, a coin of negligible value, precisely thirteen feet of strong twine, a stub of chalk, and a piece of charcoal on your person
When you create your character, choose one physical magic that you have learned the secrets of and acquired one example of already:
  1. Magic swords, which you can communicate with at your leisure and carry any number of without issue
  2. Magic bottles, into which you can coax spirits or capture souls for later release to do your bidding
  3. Magic masks, which grant you the appearance or abilities of the person or beast you made them from

Class: Gutter Knight

Gutter knights are noble scions, who journey and commit acts of conspicuous heroism as a coming-of-age ritual before eventually hanging up their cloak and returning to take their place in the gentry; theoretically humbled and made wiser by their experience. 

Things you can do: 
  1. Not possess any amount of currency, nor anything else beyond a mount, saddle, riding tack, and whatever you can carry on your person
  2. Rely on your family name to secure respect, food, lodging, and knightly quests in any settlement large enough to have a mayor
  3. Defeat any single person, most duos of people, and especially pusillanimous trios and quartets in a fair contest of strength or arms
  4. Take a blow that was meant for one of your allies within arm's reach
When you create your character or complete a knightly quest, sew a new patch-favor to your cloak with a thematic ability which can be used once per day:
  1. Torch, for rescuing a peasant boy from a cave. Sets something on fire.
  2. Paper soldier, for defending a library from book-burners. Grapples with the strength of five strong men.
  3. Mighty oak, for saving a dryad's grove from loggers. Makes a big tree, very fast.
  4. Trick rope, for rescuing a street performer from the gallows. Creates 50' of animate rope that obeys your commands.
  5. Windmill, for putting out a village fire. Blows anything not securely anchored to the ground away with a gust of wind.
  6. Conch, for extricating a nymph from a fishing net. Summons a pack of friendly sea lions.
  7. &c, &c. This is just a starting list, not exhaustive.

No comments:

Post a Comment